The 55th Kerala State Film Awards 2025 were officially announced on November 3, celebrating the finest achievements in Malayalam cinema for the year 2024. The prestigious awards, organised by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy under the Department of Cultural Affairs, were announced by Saji Cherian, Kerala’s Minister for Fisheries, Culture and Youth Affairs, at a press conference in Thrissur.
Veteran actor Prakash Raj chaired the seven-member jury that reviewed 128 Malayalam films submitted for consideration, with 26 films qualifying for the final round. The awards ceremony honoured cinematic excellence across acting, direction, music, and technical categories, with ‘Manjummel Boys’ and ‘Bramayugam’ emerging as major winners.
Top Honours at the 55th Kerala State Film Awards
- Best Actor (Male): Mammootty – Bramayugam
- Best Actor (Female): Shamla Hamza – Feminichi Fathima
- Best Film: Manjummel Boys
- Best Director: Chidambaram S Poduval – Manjummel Boys
- Best Second Film: Feminichi Fathima
- Best Debut Director: Fasil Muhammed – Feminichi Fathima
- Best Popular Film: Premalu
Highlights of the 55th Kerala State Film Awards
The 2025 edition celebrated Mammootty’s stellar performance in Rahul Sadasivan’s psychological horror film ‘Bramayugam’, which earned him the Best Actor award. Mammootty’s portrayal was lauded for its intensity and depth, adding yet another milestone to his illustrious career.
Meanwhile, ‘Manjummel Boys’, directed by Chidambaram S Poduval, won Best Film and Best Director, among several other technical awards, cementing its place as a cinematic triumph that resonated deeply with both audiences and critics.
‘Bramayugam’ and ‘Manjummel Boys’ collectively dominated the awards, winning multiple honours across acting, sound design, and production categories.
Complete List of Winners – Kerala State Film Awards 2025
| Category | Winner(s) / Film |
| Best Actor (Male) | Mammootty – Bramayugam |
| Best Actor (Female) | Shamla Hamza – Feminichi Fathima |
| Best Director | Chidambaram S Poduval – Manjummel Boys |
| Best Film | Manjummel Boys |
| Best Second Film | Feminichi Fathima |
| Best Debut Director | Fasil Muhammed – Feminichi Fathima |
| Best Popular Film | Premalu |
| Best Character Artist (Female) | Lijomol Jose – Nadanna Sambhavam |
| Best Character Artist (Male) | Soubin Shahir – Manjummel Boys; Sidharth Bharathan – Bramayugam |
| Special Jury Award (Male) | Tovino Thomas – ARM; Asif Ali – Kishkindha Kaandam |
| Special Jury Award (Female) | Jyothirmayi – Bougainvillea; Darshana Rajendran – Paradise |
| Special Jury Award (Women/Transgender) | Payal Kapadia – All We Imagine As Light |
| Best Story | Prasanna Vithanage – Paradise |
| Best Screenplay | Lajo Jose & Amal Neerad – Bougainvillea |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Lajo Jose & Amal Neerad – Bougainvillea |
| Best VFX | ARM |
| Best Dance Choreographer | Bougainvillea |
| Best Costume Designer | Sameera Saneesh – Rekhachithram, Bougainvillea |
| Best Makeup Artist | Ronex Xavier – Bougainvillea, Bramayugam |
| Best Sync Sound | Pani |
| Best Music Director | Sushin Shyam – Bougainvillea |
| Best Background Score | Christo Xavier – Bramayugam |
| Best Cinematography | Shyju Khalid – Manjummel Boys |
| Best Lyricist (Male) | Vedan – “Kuthanthram” (Manjummel Boys) |
| Best Playback Singer (Female) | Zeba Tommy – “Aarorum” (Am Ah) |
| Best Playback Singer (Male) | KS Harisankar – “Kiliye” (ARM) |
| Best Processing Lab/Colorist | Shree Warrier – Manjummel Boys, Bougainvillea |
| Best Sound Design | Shibin Melvin & Abhishek Nair – Manjummel Boys |
| Best Production Design | Ajayan Chalissery – Manjummel Boys |
| Best Editor | Sooraj ES – Kishkindha Kaandam |
| Best Dubbing Artist (Female) | Sayonara Philip – Barroz |
| Best Dubbing Artist (Male) | Bhasi Vaikom – Barroz |
Notable Trends at Kerala State Film Awards 2025
- Mammootty’s win reaffirmed his dominance in Malayalam cinema, marking another milestone after decades of excellence.
- ‘Manjummel Boys’ continued its winning streak after commercial and critical success, sweeping several technical categories.
- Women filmmakers and artists such as Payal Kapadia, Shamla Hamza, and Sameera Saneesh received top honours, reflecting the growing inclusivity in Kerala’s film industry.
- Emerging directors like Fasil Muhammed and Prasanna Vithanage were recognised for innovative storytelling in films like Feminichi Fathima and Paradise.
Jury and Selection Process
The seven-member jury, led by Prakash Raj, included prominent figures from the Indian film industry who evaluated the submissions based on direction, performance, sound design, cinematography, and social impact. Out of 128 films submitted for consideration, 26 were shortlisted for the final evaluation.
The 55th Kerala State Film Awards 2025 highlighted a powerful mix of artistic excellence, innovation, and storytelling. With Mammootty winning Best Actor for Bramayugam and ‘Manjummel Boys’ claiming Best Film, this year’s awards reaffirmed the Malayalam film industry’s creative brilliance. For detailed official results and updates on the upcoming awards ceremony, visit the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy’s official website, and bookmark this page for verified updates.
