Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer
The Filmfare Best Female Playback Award is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female playback singer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song.
Although the award ceremony was established in 1954, the category for best playback singer was introduced in 1959. The award was initially common for both male and female singers until 1967. The category was divided the following year, and ever since there have been two awards presented for male and female singers separately.
Superlatives
, Alka Yagnik with seven wins each, hold the record for most awards in this category. Shreya Ghoshal has won the award six times. Lata Mangeshkar, Anuradha Paudwal and Kavita Krishnamurthy have won the award four times. Bhosle won the award in a record of four consecutive years, followed by the three consecutive wins of Paudwal, Krishnamurthy and Yagnik, respectively.Two singers have achieved the feat of receiving all the nominations of this category in a particular year: Asha Bhosle was the single nominee in 1973, having all the three nominations to her credit, and Alka Yagnik was the single nominee in 1994, having all the five nominations to her credit, one of which she shared—and eventually jointly won—with Ila Arun. Yagnik's five nominations in that year give her the record for the most Best Female Playback Singer nominations in a single year.
In 1971, Lata Mangeshkar made the unusual gesture of not having her name be considered for the Filmfare Best Female Playback Award, in order to promote fresh talent. After receiving her seventh award in 1979, Asha Bhosle emulated her elder sister and requested that her name not be considered for the nominations thereafter.
There have been ties for two consecutive years between 2010 and 2011.
Until the award was not officially divided up for different gender Lata Mangeshkar was the only artist to win and be nominated for this award. She is also the earliest recipient of this award in 1959. Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle were the most successful singers in 60s with two wins each. Bhosle continued her domination in the 70s with five wins. In 80s no singer dominated the epoch however in 90s Anuradha Paudwal and Kavita Krishnamurthy both had three wins each. Alka Yagnik and Shreya Ghoshal garnered four wins each in the 2000s. Rekha Bhardwaj and Shreya Ghoshal are leading the 2010s with two wins each.
Alka Yagnik holds the record of getting nominated for consecutively 14 years from 1992 till 2005, resulting in 33 nominations and 6 wins, followed by Shreya Ghoshal getting nominated consecutively for 11 years from 2006 to 2016 that resulted in 3 wins and 17 nominations.
Multiple winners
| Rank | Winner | Number of wins | Years |
| 1 | Asha Bhosle | 7 | 1968, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1979 |
| 1 | Alka Yagnik | 7 | 1989, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005 |
| 2 | Shreya Ghoshal | 6 | 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2019 |
| 3 | Lata Mangeshkar | 4 | 1959, 1963, 1966, 1970 |
| 3 | Anuradha Paudwal | 4 | 1986, 1991, 1992, 1993 |
| 3 | Kavita Krishnamurthy | 4 | 1995, 1996, 1997, 2003 |
| 4 | Sunidhi Chauhan | 2 | 2007, 2011 |
| 4 | Rekha Bhardwaj | 2 | 2010, 2012 |
Multiple nominees
Winners and nominees
In 1959, the award category for Best Playback Singer was first instituted after Lata Mangeshkar refused to perform the song "Rasik Balma Se Dil Kyon Lagaya" from the film Chori Chori by Shankar Jaikishan at the 3rd Filmfare Awards. Mangeshkar also became the first recipient of this award. Separate awards for male and female singers were introduced from 1968.Note: The category for Best Playback Singer was established in 1959, and until 1967 both male and female singers used to compete for a single award.
| Indicates the winner |
was the first winner in this category for her rendition of "Aaja Re Pardesi" from Madhumati.
received this award seven times from twenty nominations. She is the only female vocalist to have won four times consecutively.
won for her contribution to the song "Mere To Giridhar Gopal" from Meera.
became the youngest and the first Pakistani-born singer to win a Filmfare Award for her performance in the song "Aap Jaisa Koi" from Qurbani.
has four wins in this category from ten nominations.
is the most nominated woman in this category, winning seven times between 1988 and 2005.
became the youngest two-time Filmfare Award-winning singer.
1950s-1980s
1990s
| Year | Photos of winners | Singer | Song | Film | |
| 1990 | Sapna Mukherjee | "Tirchhi Topiwale" | Tridev | ||
| 1990 | Alisha Chinai | "Raat Bhar" | Tridev | ||
| 1990 | Anuradha Paudwal | "Tera Naam Liya" | Ram Lakhan | ||
| 1990 | Anuradha Paudwal | "Bekhabar Bewafa" | Ram Lakhan | ||
| 1990 | Kavita Krishnamurthy | "Na Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hain" | ChaalBaaz | ||
| 1991 | Anuradha Paudwal | "Nazar Ke Saamne" | Aashiqui | ||
| 1991 | Anuradha Paudwal | "Mujhe Neend Na Aaye" | Dil | ||
| 1991 | Kavita Krishnamurthy | "Chandni Raat Hain" | ' | ||
| 1992 | Anuradha Paudwal | "Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin" | Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin | ||
| 1992 | Alka Yagnik | "Dekha Hai Pehli Baar" | Saajan | ||
| 1992 | Anuradha Paudwal | "Bahut Pyar Karte Hain" | Saajan | ||
| 1992 | Kavita Krishnamurthy | "Saudagar Sauda Kar" | Saudagar | ||
| 1993 | Anuradha Paudwal | "Dhak Dhak Karne Laga" | Beta | ||
| 1993 | Alka Yagnik | "Aisi Deewangi" | Deewana | ||
| 1993 | Kavita Krishnamurthy | "Main Tujhe Kabool" | Khuda Gawah | ||
| 1994 | Alka Yagnik and Ila Arun | "Choli Ke Peechhe" | Khalnayak | ||
| 1994 | Alka Yagnik | "Baazigar O Baazigar" | Baazigar | ||
| 1994 | Alka Yagnik | "Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke" | Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke | ||
| 1994 | Alka Yagnik | "Paalki Pe Hoke Sawaar" | Khalnayak | ||
| 1995 | Kavita Krishnamurthy | "Pyaar Hua Chupke Se" | |||
| 1995 | Alisha Chinai | "Ruk Ruk" | Vijaypath | ||
| 1995 | Alka Yagnik | "Chura Ke Dil Mera" | Main Khiladi Tu Anari | ||
| 1995 | Alka Yagnik | "Raah Mein" | Vijaypath | ||
| 1995 | Kavita Krishnamurthy | "Tu Cheez Badi Mast Mast" | Mohra | ||
| 1996 | Kavita Krishnamurthy | "Mera Piya Ghar Aaya" | Yaraana | ||
| 1996 | Alka Yagnik | "Aankhiyan Milao" | Raja | ||
| 1996 | Alka Yagnik | "Raja Ko Rani Se Pyar" | Akele Hum Akele Tum | ||
| 1996 | Shweta Shetty | "Mangta Hai Kya" | Rangeela | ||
| 1996 | Kavita Krishnamurthy | "Pyaar Ye Jaane" | Rangeela | ||
| 1997 | Kavita Krishnamurthy | "Aaj Main Upar" | |||
| 1997 | Alka Yagnik | "Baahon Ke Darmiyan" | Khamoshi: The Musical | ||
| 1997 | Alka Yagnik | "Pardesi Pardesi" | Raja Hindustani | ||
| 1997 | Kavita Krishnamurthy | "O Yaara Dil Lagana" | Agni Sakshi | ||
| 1998 | Alka Yagnik | "Meri Mehbooba" | Pardes | ||
| 1998 | Alka Yagnik | "Mere Khwaabon Mein Tu" | ' | ||
| 1998 | K. S. Chithra | "Paayale Chhun Mun" | Virasat | ||
| 1998 | Kavita Krishnamurthy | "Dhol Bajne Laga" | Virasat | ||
| 1998 | Kavita Krishnamurthy | "I Love My India" | Pardes | ||
| 1999 | Jaspinder Narula | "Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha" | Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha | ||
| 1999 | Alka Yagnik | "Chamma Chamma" | China Gate | ||
| 1999 | Alka Yagnik | "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" | Kuch Kuch Hota Hai | ||
| 1999 | Sanjivani | "Chori Chori Jab Nazrein Mili" | Kareeb | ||
| 1999 | Sapna Awasthi | "Chaiyya Chaiyya" | Dil Se.. |