Tamil poet and lyricist Vairamuthu has been chosen for the fifth ONV literary award instituted by the ONV Cultural Academy. The award comprises a cash prize of ₹3,00,000, a citation and plaque. The award, instituted in memory of poet ONV Kurup, who passed away in 2016, is awarded alternately to poets from Malayalam and other Indian languages.
Mr.Vairamuthu was chosen for the award by a jury comprising Malayalam University Vice Chancellor Anil Vallathol and poets Alankode Leelakrishnan and Prabha Varma. The jury observed that Vairamuthu has proved his mettle as a poet, lyricist and as a novelist. In a career spanning more than four decades, he has written thousands of songs and poems. As a lyricist for Tamil films, he has secured seven National Awards, and has also been conferred with the Padma Bhushan.
The winner of the ONV Yuva Sahithya Puraskaram will be announced later, as the jury was unable to look through the applications due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic situation. The date of presentation of the award will also be announced later.