Carnatic vocalist and academician Dr Kamalakshi Omanakutty, best known as K Omanakutty, has been selected for the Swathi Sangeetha Puraskaram 2020, the highest honour for musicians instituted by the Kerala state government, reported The Hindu. Malayalam playwright Ibrahim Vengara has won the SL Puram Sadanandan award for 2020.

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At a press conference on Friday, Kerala Culture Minister AK Balan said the Swathi award comprised a purse of Rs 2 lakh, plaque and citation while the SL Puram Sadanandan award comprised a purse of Rs1 lakh, plaque and citation.

Balan said that Omanakutty has also played a huge role in forming a syllabus for the study of music at the university level. She is the  Head of the Department of Music at the University of Kerala.  

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Omanakutty is a well-known musician and noted for her research and publications in the field of music. She had done a lot to popularise Swathi krithis and attract the younger generation to classical music.

Vengara, on the other hand, has shaped modern Kerala theatre. He has written over 50 radio plays, 25 plays and 20 monologues until now. He became famous through radio dramas and developed a fan base through it.