Cultural Medallion

Established in 1979 by Ong Teng Cheong, then Minister for Culture, the Cultural Medallion is Singapore’s highest honour in the arts. It recognises individuals whose artistic excellence, commitment, and contributions have significantly enriched and shaped Singapore’s cultural landscape. The award celebrates outstanding local artists who demonstrate professional maturity through a distinctive body of work and who have made exceptional contributions to the development of the arts in Singapore. Recipients are recognised for pushing boundaries in their field, maintaining strong local and international standing, and demonstrating leadership in the arts community.

The Cultural Medallion is open for public nominations once a year. In parallel, the National Arts Council (NAC) invites individuals with deep knowledge of Singapore’s arts and culture to submit nominations. All eligible nominations are reviewed by Specialist Panels comprising respected figures from various artistic disciplines. In addition to artistic merit, the panels consider the nominee’s potential to inspire and serve as a role model within the arts scene. Final recommendations are submitted to the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth for approval. Nominees must be Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents of good character. The award is only conferred on living artists. Evaluation is based on several criteria, including artistic excellence, professional maturity, a distinctive body of work, leadership in advancing Singapore’s arts and culture, community engagement, and international recognition. Each recipient may access up to $80,000 in funding to support their artistic pursuits and to contribute meaningfully to Singapore’s arts and culture through community engagement. This funding may be used for a single project or multiple initiatives throughout the recipient’s lifetime. The Cultural Medallion is presented by the President of the Republic of Singapore and administered by NAC. As of 2024, 137 artists across film, literary arts, performing arts, and visual arts have received the award. As of 2024, the following Tamil artists — a total of 17 — have been honoured with the Cultural Medallion:

Ghanavenothan Retnam (2024)
Aravinth Kumarasamy (2022)
K T M Iqbal (2014)
J M Sali (2012)
Thirunalan Sasitharan (2012)
P Krishnan (2008)
M Balakrishnan (Ma Ilangkannan) (2005)
Rama Kannabiran (1998)
Santha Bhaskar (1990)
Neila Sathyalingam (1989)
Alexander S Abisheganaden (1988)
N Abdul Rahman (Singai Mukilan) (1988)
N Palanivelu (1986)
Paul Abisheganaden (1986)
S Varathan (1984)
Edwin Thumboo (1979)
Madhavi Krishnan (1979)




For more information
"Cultural Medallion." National Arts Council. Accessed on 1 August 2025. https://www.nac.gov.sg/singapore-arts-scene/cultural-medallion-and-young-artist-award/cultural-medallion-page/about-the-cultural-medallion

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The information in this article is valid as of August 2025 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. If you have any feedback on this article, please submit here.