Winners list of National Film Award for Best Music Direction. Ilaiyaraaja has been the most frequent winner with five wins including two for background score and A. R. Rahman four awards.
Ilaiyaraaja is the only composer to have won the award for three different languages (Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam) and AR Rahman won the award for two languages (Tamil and Hindi)
| Year | Recipient(s) | Film(s) | Language |
| 1967 | K. V. Mahadevan | Kandan Karunai | Tamil |
| 1968 | Kalyanji Anandji | Saraswatichandra | Hindi |
| 1969 | S. Mohinder | Nanak Nam Jahaz Hai | Punjabi |
| 1970 | Madan Mohan | Dastak | Hindi |
| 1971 | Jaidev | Reshma Aur Shera | Hindi |
| 1972 | Sachin Dev Burman | Zindagi Zindagi | Hindi |
| 1973 | Satyajit Ray | Ashani Sanket | Bengali |
| 1974 | Ananda Shankar | Chorus | Bengali |
| 1975 | Bhupen Hazarika | Chameli Memsaab | Assamese |
| 1976 | B. V. Karanth | Rishya Shringa | Kannada |
| 1977 | B. V. Karanth | Ghatashraddha | Kannada |
| 1978 | Jaidev | Gaman | Hindi |
| 1979 | K. V. Mahadevan | Sankarabharanam | Telugu |
| 1980 | Satyajit Ray | Hirak Rajar Deshe | Bengali |
| 1981 | Khayyam | Umrao Jaan | Hindi |
| 1982 | Ramesh Naidu | Meghasandesam | Telugu |
| 1983 | Ilaiyaraaja | Saagara Sangamam | Telugu |
| 1984 | Jaidev | Ankahee | Hindi |
| 1985 | Ilaiyaraaja | Sindhu Bhairavi | Tamil |
| 1986 | M. Balamuralikrishna | Madhvacharya | Kannada |
| 1987 | Vanraj Bhatia | Tamas | Hindi |
| 1988 | Ilaiyaraaja | Rudra Veena | Telugu |
| 1989 | Sher Choudhury | Wosobipo | Karbi |
| 1990 | Hridaynath Mangeshkar | Lekin… | Hindi |
| 1991 | Rajat Dholakia | Dharavi | Hindi |
| 1992 | A. R. Rahman | Roja | Tamil |
| 1993 | Johnson | Ponthan Mada | Malayalam |
| 1994 | Bombay Ravi | Sukrutham, Parinayam | Malayalam |
| 1994 | Johnson (BGM) | Sukrutham | Malayalam |
| 1995 | Hamsalekha | Sangeetha Sagara Ganayogi Panchakshara Gavai | Kannada |
| 1996 | A. R. Rahman | Minsara Kanavu | Tamil |
| 1997 | M. M. Keeravani | Annamayya | Telugu |
| 1998 | Vishal Bhardwaj | Godmother | Hindi |
| 1999 | Ismail Darbar | Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam | Hindi |
| 2000 | Anu Malik | Refugee | Hindi |
| 2001 | A. R. Rahman | Lagaan | Hindi |
| 2002 | A. R. Rahman | Kannathil Muthamittal | Tamil |
| 2003 | Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy | Kal Ho Naa Ho | Hindi |
| 2004 | Vidyasagar | Swarabhishekam | Telugu |
| 2005 | Lalgudi Jayaraman | Sringaram | Tamil |
| 2006 | Ashok Patki | Antarnad | Konkani |
| 2007 | Ouseppachan | Ore Kadal | Malayalam |
| 2008 | Ajay-Atul | Jogwa | Marathi |
| 2009 | Amit Trivedi | Dev.D | Hindi |
| 2009 | Ilaiyaraaja (BGM) | Pazhassi Raja | Malayalam |
| 2010 | Vishal Bhardwaj | Ishqiya | Hindi |
| 2010 | Isaac Thomas Kottukapally (BGM) | Adaminte Makan Abu | Malayalam |
| 2011 | Neel Dutt | Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbona | Bengali |
| 2011 | Mayookh Bhaumik (BGM) | Laptop | Bengali |
| 2012 | Shailendra Barve | Samhita | Marathi |
| 2012 | Bijibaldagger | Kaliyachan | Malayalam |
| 2013 | Kabir Suman | Jaatishwar | Bengali |
| 2013 | Shantanu Moitra (BGM) | Naa Bangaaru Talli | Telugu |
| 2014 | Vishal Bhardwaj | Haider | Hindi |
| 2014 | Gopi Sundar (BGM) | 1983 | Malayalam |
| 2015 | M. Jayachandran | Ennu Ninte Moideen | Malayalam |
| 2015 | Ilaiyaraaja (BGM) | Tharai Thappattai | Tamil |
[tweetthis remove_twitter_handles=”true”]List of Music Directors who won National Film Award for Best Music Direction #Ilayaraja #ARRahman[/tweetthis]
