# Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer
The Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer is an annual award presented by Filmfare as part of its [Filmfare Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/filmfare-awards) to recognize outstanding performance by a female playback singer in a [Hindi film song](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindi-film-song). A playback singer records the songs that film actors lip-sync on screen, so the award honors a vocal performance rather than an acting one.[1](https://www.filmfare.com/photos/filmfare-throwback-singers-with-the-most-best-playback-singer-female-trophies-58102.html) The Filmfare Awards themselves were founded in 1954 and now span more than 30 categories.[2](https://www.mazaindia.com/award/filmfare-awards-for-best-female-playback-singer)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Outstanding performance in a film song by a female playback singer in Hindi cinema[1](https://www.filmfare.com/photos/filmfare-throwback-singers-with-the-most-best-playback-singer-female-trophies-58102.html) |
| Presented by | Filmfare magazine, as part of its annual Filmfare Awards[2](https://www.mazaindia.com/award/filmfare-awards-for-best-female-playback-singer) |
| Most wins | Asha Bhosle and Alka Yagnik, seven each; Shreya Ghoshal has six[1](https://www.filmfare.com/photos/filmfare-throwback-singers-with-the-most-best-playback-singer-female-trophies-58102.html) |
| Most nominations | Alka Yagnik, with 38 nominations[3](https://www.rova.nz/articles/bollywoods-melodic-royals-who-holds-the-ultimate-playback-singing-records) |
| Current holder | Madhubanti Bagchi, "Aaj Ki Raat" from *Stree 2* (2024), honored at the 70th Filmfare Awards[4](https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards/) |
| Companion award | A separate Best Playback Singer (Male) award is given in the same ceremony[4](https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards/) |
## Most-awarded singers
**Asha Bhosle and Alka Yagnik** share the record for the most wins in the category, with seven trophies each.[1](https://www.filmfare.com/photos/filmfare-throwback-singers-with-the-most-best-playback-singer-female-trophies-58102.html) Bhosle's wins span decades of Hindi film music, from "Garibon Ki Suno" (1968) to "Radha Kaise Na Jale" (2002).[3](https://www.rova.nz/articles/bollywoods-melodic-royals-who-holds-the-ultimate-playback-singing-records) Yagnik, whose voice defined 1990s and 2000s [Hindi cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindi-cinema), built her record on songs such as "Ek Do Teen" (1989), "Taal Se Taal" (2000), and "Chanchal Shadiyaan" (2008), and she accumulated 38 nominations over her career.[3](https://www.rova.nz/articles/bollywoods-melodic-royals-who-holds-the-ultimate-playback-singing-records) Yagnik's standing extends beyond Filmfare: she has two National Film Awards for Best Female Playback Singer alongside her seven Filmfare Awards.[5](https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2026/jun/doc2026623901101.pdf)
**Shreya Ghoshal** ranks next with six Filmfare wins, followed by [Lata Mangeshkar](https://www.edgepedia.org/lata-mangeshkar), Anuradha Paudwal, and Kavita Krishnamurthy with four each.[1](https://www.filmfare.com/photos/filmfare-throwback-singers-with-the-most-best-playback-singer-female-trophies-58102.html) Mangeshkar later withdrew her name from Filmfare's competitive categories in the 1970s to let new artists compete, and she was subsequently honored with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award.[3](https://www.rova.nz/articles/bollywoods-melodic-royals-who-holds-the-ultimate-playback-singing-records) Bhosle likewise withdrew her name from future nominations after her long run of wins.[3](https://www.rova.nz/articles/bollywoods-melodic-royals-who-holds-the-ultimate-playback-singing-records)
## Recent winners
The winners of the last decade show how the trophy has moved among the category's dominant voices. [Shreya Ghoshal](https://www.edgepedia.org/shreya-ghoshal) won for "Deewani Mastani" from *Bajirao Mastani* (2016) and "Ghoomar" from *Padmaavat* (2019), with Meghna Mishra winning in between for "Nachdi Phira" from *Secret Superstar* and [Neha Bhasin](https://www.edgepedia.org/neha-bhasin) for "Jag Ghoomeya" from *Sultan*.[2](https://www.mazaindia.com/award/filmfare-awards-for-best-female-playback-singer) From 2021 onward the award went to [Asees Kaur](https://www.edgepedia.org/asees-kaur) for "Malang" from *Malang*, Asees Kaur again for "Raataan Lambiyan" from *Shershaah*, Kavita Seth for "Rangisari" from *Jugjugg Jeeyo*, and Shilpa Rao for "Besharam Rang" from *Pathaan*.[4](https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards/) At the 70th Filmfare Awards, Madhubanti Bagchi won for "Aaj Ki Raat" from *Stree 2*.[4](https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards/)
The earlier 1990s winners were dominated by a handful of names that still lead the record books: [Anuradha Paudwal](https://www.edgepedia.org/anuradha-paudwal) won three years running from 1991 to 1993, Kavita Krishnamurthy took three consecutive awards from 1995 to 1997, and [Alka Yagnik](https://www.edgepedia.org/alka-yagnik) won in 1994 (shared with [Ila Arun](https://www.edgepedia.org/ila-arun) for "Choli Ke Peeche" from *Khalnayak*), 1998, and 2000 through 2002.[6](https://www.awardsandshows.com/features/best-female-playback-74.html)
## Comparison with the National Film Award
India has a second major honor for playback singing, the [National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-film-award-for-best-female-playback-singer), decided by a government-appointed panel rather than by the film industry's own voting process. The two awards often recognize different work. [Asha Bhosle](https://www.edgepedia.org/asha-bhosle)'s 1981 National Award honored her ghazals in *Umrao Jaan*, a citation praising "the style with which she invests the rendering of the ghazals that form a part of the texture of the film".[7](https://nfaindia.org/images/pdf/29th%20National%20Film%20Award%20Catalogue.pdf) At the 70th [National Film Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-film-awards), the female playback honor went to Bombay Jayashri for "Chaayum Veyil" in the Malayalam film *Saudi Vellakka CC.225/2009*, a language the Hindi-focused Filmfare award does not cover.[8](https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2024/oct/doc2024108411901.pdf) Shilpa Rao's Filmfare win for "Besharam Rang" from *Pathaan* was followed by a National Award for "Chaleya" from *Jawan* at the 71st National Film Awards, marking the same singer's recognition by both bodies in the same awards cycle.[4](https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards/) • [9](https://www.nationalfilmawards.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/71st-National-Film-Awards-2025-Winners-List.pdf)
## References
1. [Filmfare Throwback: Singers with the most Best Playback Singer (Female) trophies, Filmfare.com (April 24, 2023)](https://www.filmfare.com/photos/filmfare-throwback-singers-with-the-most-best-playback-singer-female-trophies-58102.html)
2. [Filmfare Awards for Best Female Playback Singer: Complete Guide & Winners List, MazaIndia](https://www.mazaindia.com/award/filmfare-awards-for-best-female-playback-singer)
3. [Bollywood's Melodic Royals: Who Holds the Ultimate Playback Singing Records, rova (July 2026)](https://www.rova.nz/articles/bollywoods-melodic-royals-who-holds-the-ultimate-playback-singing-records)
4. [Filmfare Awards Winners From 1954 to 2025, Filmfare.com](https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards/)
5. [Press Information Bureau, Government of India document on Alka Yagnik (June 2026)](https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2026/jun/doc2026623901101.pdf)
6. [Filmfare Best Female Playback Award: Winners list 1990-2009, Awards and Shows](https://www.awardsandshows.com/features/best-female-playback-74.html)
7. [29th National Film Award Catalogue, National Film Awards India](https://nfaindia.org/images/pdf/29th%20National%20Film%20Award%20Catalogue.pdf)
8. [70th National Film Awards announcement, Press Information Bureau (October 2024)](https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2024/oct/doc2024108411901.pdf)
9. [71st National Film Awards 2025 Winners List](https://www.nationalfilmawards.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/71st-National-Film-Awards-2025-Winners-List.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music institutions and events › Music awards › National and regional music awards › Korean and Asian music awards › Mirchi Music Awards*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 18, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license