Renowned Carnatic vocalist and public intellectual T.M. Krishna was selected to receive the 5th P. Govinda Pillai National Award for 2025 (often referred in current context), honoring his contributions to music and society. The award, instituted by the PG Samskruthi Kendram, was presented in Thiruvananthapuram on November 22, 2025, by CPI(M) leader M.A. Baby.