After a long pause, the Tamil Nadu government has announced the State Film Awards for 2016–2022 in one consolidated release, finally clearing a multi-year backlog and putting seven years of Tamil cinema back into the spotlight. The awards will be formally presented on February 13, 2026, at Kalaivanar Arangam in Chennai.
The Big Headlines: Dhanush, Jai Bhim, and a Year-by-Year Roll of Honour
This is not a single-year celebration—it’s a compressed timeline of Tamil cinema’s evolution, from breakout new-wave voices to mainstream juggernauts.
Dhanush’s State Best Actor win comes for 2018’s Vada Chennai—a performance many fans call one of his rawest and most layered.
Meanwhile, 2021 belongs to Jai Bhim. The film takes Best Film (First Prize) and also bags key wins including Best Director (T. J. Gnanavel), Best Actress (Lijomol Jose) and Best Supporting Actor (K. Manikandan)—cementing its stature as one of the most awarded titles in this seven-year sweep.
Winners at a Glance: Best Film (First Prize) for Each Year
- 2016: Maanagaram
- 2017: Aramm
- 2018: Pariyerum Perumal
- 2019: Asuran
- 2020: Koozhangal
- 2021: Jai Bhim
- 2022: Gargi
Acting Crown Across the Years: Best Actor / Best Actress
The list also spreads the spotlight across multiple generations and styles:
Best Actor (by year):
Vijay Sethupathi (2016), Karthi (2017), Dhanush (2018), R. Parthiban (2019), Suriya (2020), Arya (2021), Vikram Prabhu (2022).
Best Actress (by year):
Keerthy Suresh (2016), Nayanthara (2017), Jyothika (2018), Manju Warrier (2019), Aparna Balamurali (2020), Lijomol Jose (2021), Sai Pallavi (2022).
What This Mega-List Really Does
This isn’t just “awards news”—it’s Tamil cinema’s report card for an entire era, announced in one breath. Films that shaped conversations (Asuran, Soorarai Pottru, Jai Bhim, Gargi) now sit in an official state-recognition archive—finally, on record.
Bottom line: Seven years were delayed—but the moment they dropped together, Tamil cinema’s biggest titles instantly got a renewed second wave of celebration.
—By Manoj H