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The Sangita Kalanidhi award of the Music Academy, instituted in 1942, has now come to occupy an Oscar-like status in Carnatic music. The selection process and the awardees themselves are often the subject of bitter criticism and accusations. But nobody can deny the star status that it confers on its recipients.
The list of those who did not make it is equally awesome. It would certainly begin with Kanchipuram Naina Pillai, the great vocalist, who gave a performance on August 18, 1928, when Sir C P Ramaswami Ayyar inaugurated the Music Academy. Naina was then at the peak of his performing career. The Sangita Kalanidhi was a good 14 years into the future and the honour lay in being invited to preside over the annual conference. Yet, Naina was not considered for it during his lifetime. In terms of age, Naina was much younger than many of the stalwarts then occupying the limelight. He would have had to wait his turn. But by 1934 he was dead.
 Veena Dhanammal, the Queen Victoria of Carnatic music, was no respecter of the Academy. She did not relish the idea of conferences on music and is said to have asked sarcastically as to what was there to "speak" about music. In any case, women were not considered till 1968 when M S Subbulakshmi was presented with the coveted award. By then Dhanammal was a distant memory, having died in 1938. Her descendants more than made up for the lapse, with three of them receiving the title in later years.
Soolamangalam Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar, too, was once invited to chair the conference. He rejected the offer saying that he was not interested in an honour being conferred by a motley collection of lawyers and doctors, which was indeed the composition of the managing committee.
 C Saraswathi Bai, the doyenne of Harikatha, remained active in Academy affairs right from its inception till her death in the 1970s. Yet, the Academy never thought of conferring the award on her. There is some small consolation in that she was the first woman to be honoured by the Music Academy, receiving the Certificate of Merit in 1955.
Among the stalwarts of yesteryear, Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar began his career very early in life. But recognition by way of the Sangita Kalanidhi was very tardy in coming. Musiri Subramanya Iyer, who was by many years his junior in terms of performance career, pipped him far earlier to the post. To add salt to Chembai’s wounds, he was asked to felicitate Musiri when he got the award. In his speech, Chembai commended the Academy for selecting Musiri and then added in a sardonic vein that it was his wish that they present it to Musiri year after year.
 T N Rajarathinam Pillai, the nagaswara wizard, never received the award. He rubbed many the wrong way. In addition, the powers that be could never tolerate his last-minute disappearing acts when under the influence of spirits. It was also clear that by the mid-fifties, the Academy was getting to be pretty set in its ways and recognition would not be forthcoming to those whom it perceived were not conforming to its own standards. Flute Mali, too, was denied the honour for reasons quite similar to those of
Rajarathinam.
For long the Academy did not confer the award on percussionists. Palani Subramanya Pillai never received the award. He died in 1962 and it was only in 1966 that the Academy changed its norms and awarded Palghat Mani Iyer the title.
Similarly, the decision of not awarding both members of a duo worked against some. Alathur Sivasubramania Iyer, when he was offered the title, accepted it on the condition that his partner Srinivasa Iyer be given the title the succeeding year. T Mukta, of Brinda-Mukta fame, never received it, while Brinda was awarded the title in 1976. The younger of the Tiruvizhimizhalai Brothers never got it. It was only in 2002 that the rule was changed and Sikkil Neela and Kunjumani were given the title together.
 The Swati Tirunal controversy that S Balachander stirred up, together with the accusations that he levelled against the Academy, that it was in the pocket of a Swati coterie, put paid to his hopes. Dancers have never been considered with the sole exception of T Balasaraswathi. Kamala’s name came up time and again. She was given a special platinum jubilee award last year, but not the title.
Perhaps the most poignant case was that of M D Ramanathan. He never aspired for any award, but towards the end of his life, he did yearn for recognition from the Academy. A lobby worked actively against it. A leading musician, who dominated the decision-making process, brought regional considerations into play. MDR missed it by the proverbial whisker and died the next year.
Some wanted Turaiyur Rajagopala Sarma to be recognised. Others recommended T S Balakrishna Sastrigal for long. Many lobbied and jockeyed for it. It was left to Lalgudi Jayaraman to resolutely reject it, shocking conventional wisdom. But that is another story.
Sriram.V
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