MUMBAI : Music transcends boundaries and for Chennaites, it's more than just a passion. As an audio entertainment powerhouse with music at its centre, BIG FM, one of the leading radio networks in the country, hosted the first edition of the BIG Tamil Rasigar Awards in Chennai. Held on August 26th, 2023, at Lady Andal Auditorium, the mega event witnessed renowned names from the Tamil music industry come together to honour the remarkable work of artists in different categories across Cinema, OTT and Social Media.The evening was graced by some of the industry's most illustrious names such as Madhushree, Vaisagh, AniVee, Simon K King, Ravi G, Adhithya RK, Vishnu Edavan amongst others. Rooted in the belief that every voice deserves to be heard,the event was in line with the radio network’s philosophy - ‘Idhu Unga Voice’, where the audience is the ultimate authority, from content to music.

The BIG Tamil RasigarAwards put the power in the hands of the Rasigars where the winners are not just finalized by them but are also honoured by them. It was an awards night straight from the Rasigars to the Kalaignans. The event was hosted by BIG RJs - RJ Saru, RJ Miruthula, RJ Karun, RJ Sarithiran, RJ Vickyy and RJ Anto. At the star-studded awards show,the Cinema category witnessed a diverse array of big wins. The musical maestro A R Rahman was honoured with the Best Music Director award for his multi-dimensional music in movies like Ponniyin Selvan1, Vendhu Thanindhadhu Kaadu and Iravin Nizhal. Anirudh's captivating original score for ‘Vikram’ won him the award for Best Original Score. The Best Song of the Year award was swept away by the soul-stirring ‘Mudhal Ne Mudivum Ne,’ composed by the exceptional Darbuka Siva. Vishnu Edavan's heartfelt lyrics in ‘Por Kanda singam’ struck the right chord with the audiences as he received the award for Best Lyrics. Ravi G's moving rendition in ‘Naan Pizhai’ earned him the Best Male Singer award and Madhushree took home the trophy for Best Female Singer for the melodious ‘Malli poo’. Yuvan Shankar Raja'snew wave album ‘Love Today’ was awarded with the Best Album award.

The OTT category brought its own magic, with Santhosh Narayanan's mesmerising ‘Evan da enaku custody’ winning the Best Song of the Year. His vocal prowess shone again, earning him the Best Singer award as well. Simon K King's captivating original score for ‘Vadhandhi’ won the Best Original Score award.In the day and age of social media hits, Anirudh's ‘Arabic Kuthu’ spread like wildfire, earning him the Best Viral Song of the Year recognition. AniVee's heartfelt ‘Mayakkuriye’ was honoured as the Best Independent Music creation. The evening also paid tribute to legends, with Devabeinghonoured as the Tamil Rasigargalin Mass Isai Nayagan and Vidyasagar as the Tamil Rasigargalin Class Isai Nayagan. From remarkable discoveries to vibrant youth icons, Vaisagh was celebrated as the Best Find of the Year, while the energetic GV Prakash claimed the Youth Icon –Music award.

Sunil Kumaran, COO, BIG FM said, “The first edition of BIG Tamil Rasigar Awards marked a milestone in our journey, a celebration of the timeless power of music. The passion and enthusiasm we have witnessed from both our audience and the incredibly talented artists have exceeded all expectations. This remarkable event marked the beginning of an exciting journey, as we continue to honour the heart and soul of Tamil music. We wish many congratulations to the winners whose exceptional talent and dedication have shone brightly.”

The BIG Tamil Rasigar Awards was a celebration of music and the artists who make it come alive. The awards event also featured some incredible musical performances by Anivee and Arun Raj. Sakshi and Ragasiya with their electrifying dance moves, added to the celebrations for the night. The awards were extensively promoted on air, digital and across all platforms of BIG FM.