Rajyotsava Award 2026: Karnataka honours 71, including Yakshagana artiste and actor Ashok

The Karnataka government has announced the Rajyotsava Award 2026 for 71 achievers from different fields, ahead of the 71st Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations on Sunday, November 1, 2026, when the awards are to be presented. The list, released on Friday, October 30, includes Yakshagana artiste Gopala Ganiga in the cinema and television category, veteran actor Ashok, former Advocate General B.V. Acharya in the judiciary category, photojournalist Vishwanath Suvarna in media and photography, senior politician Kagodu Thimmappa, and A.C. Bhandary of the Akhila Bharata Tulu Okkuta for social service. Each awardee receives a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh, a 25-gram gold medal and a citation, according to reports.

Kannada Rajyotsava, observed on November 1, marks the day the Kannada-speaking regions were brought together into one state in 1956. The Rajyotsava Awards are the state's main annual honours on that day, and they are watched closely in Karnataka's film, theatre and folk arts circles because they recognise artists whose work often gets little attention outside the state.

This year's list shows how broadly the state defines culture. Alongside a well-known film actor, it places a Yakshagana performer in the cinema and television category, so that a traditional theatre form of coastal Karnataka is honoured in the same field as screen work. Folk arts, theatre, sculpture, painting and handicrafts each have their own place on the list, giving recognition to practitioners who usually work far from the mainstream entertainment industry.

The awards also have a regional spread: reports list the winners district by district. For artists working in smaller towns, a state honour can bring wider visibility, invitations to perform, and in some cases support for their art forms and the younger performers they train.

The cash prize of Rs 5 lakh and a 25-gram gold medal give the award material value as well as prestige. Former Advocate General B.V. Acharya is from Udupi district and A.C. Bhandary of the Akhila Bharata Tulu Okkuta is from Dakshina Kannada, two of the coastal districts represented on the list.

Short-term: The 71 awardees are honoured at the state's Rajyotsava celebrations on November 1, and the list brings attention to performers and practitioners in fields from Yakshagana to sculpture. The full district-wise list of all 71 names has been published by Kannada-language outlets.

Long-term: Recognition from the state can help keep traditional art forms visible and encourage younger artists to take them up. The breadth of categories also signals which fields the state government wants to support.

Who is affected: The 71 awardees and their communities; artists and cultural groups across Karnataka, especially in folk arts, theatre and traditional crafts; audiences and organisers who follow Kannada film, television and stage; and the state's culture department.

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