| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |
| colspan="5" | List of winners and nominated work |
|---|
| scope="col" style="background:#efe4b0;"| Year
! scope="col" style="background:#efe4b0;"| Recipient
! scope="col" style="background:#efe4b0;"| Work(s) |
|---|
| style="text-align:center;"| 1968
! scope="row" | P. N. Sundaram
| Uyarndha Manithan |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1969
! scope="row" | Marcus Bartley
| Shanti Nilayam |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1970
! scope="row" | Amirtham
| Sorgam |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1971
| style="background:#36b; " colspan="2"| No Award |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1972
| style="background:#36b; " colspan="2"| No Award |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1973
| style="background:#36b; " colspan="2"| No Award |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1974
| style="background:#36b; " colspan="2"| No Award |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1975
| style="background:#36b; " colspan="2"| No Award |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1976
| style="background:#36b; " colspan="2"| No Award |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1977–78
! scope="row" | Babu
| Kaatriniley Varum Geetham |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1978–79
! scope="row" | {{•}}A. Somasundaram
{{•}}Nallusami, Gnanasekar
{{•}}Tiwary
| {{•}}Mathura Geetham
{{•}}Aval Appadithan
{{•}}Azhage Unnai Aarathikkiren |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1979–80
! scope="row" | B. S. Lokanath
| Ninaithale Inikkum |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1980–81
! scope="row" | Ashok Kumar
| Nenjathai Killathe |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1981–82
! scope="row" | B. Kannan
| Alaigal Oivathillai |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1982–83
! scope="row" | Soumendu Roy
| Kann Sivanthaal Mann Sivakkum |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1984
| style="background:#36b; " colspan="2"| No Award |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1985
| style="background:#36b; " colspan="2"| No Award |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1986
| style="background:#36b; " colspan="2"| No Award |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1987
| style="background:#36b; " colspan="2"| No Award |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1988
! scope="row" | Ajayan Vincent
| Paadatha Thenikkal |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1989
! scope="row" | Ashok Kumar
| Andru Peytha Mazhaiyil |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1990
! scope="row" | Abdul Rahman
| Kizhakku Vaasal |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1991
! scope="row" | R. Ragunatha Reddy
| Azhagan |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1992
! scope="row" | Santosh Sivan[{{Cite web |url=http://www.jointscene.com/movies/Kollywood/Roja/2 |title=Jointscene : Tamil Movie Roja, Madhu Bala (Heroine), Arvind Swamy (Hero) |access-date=17 November 2009 |archive-date=22 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091022172225/http://www.jointscene.com/movies/kollywood/Roja/2 |url-status=dead }}]
| Roja |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1993
! scope="row" | M. C. Shekhar
| Walter Vetrivel |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1994
! scope="row" | Jeeva
| Kaadhalan |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1995
! scope="row" | Santosh Sivan[{{cite web |url=http://www.jointscene.com/movies/Kollywood/Indira/534 |title=Jointscene: Indira|work=Jointscene |accessdate=2009-10-20 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091022114157/http://www.jointscene.com/movies/Kollywood/Indira/534 |archivedate=2009-10-22 }}]
| Indira |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1996
! scope="row" | Arthur A. Wilson[{{cite web|url=http://www.dinakaran.com/cinema/english/awards/1996awards.htm |title=1996 State Awards |publisher=Dinakaran |accessdate=2009-08-11 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080522211531/http://www.dinakaran.com/cinema/english/awards/1996awards.htm |archivedate=22 May 2008 }}]
| Sundara Purushan |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1997
! scope="row" | Thangar Bachan[{{cite web|url=http://www.dinakaran.com/cinema/english/awards/27-11-98/g_award.htm |title=Tamilnadu Government Cinema Awards |publisher=Dinakaran |accessdate=2009-08-11 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080101131515/http://www.dinakaran.com/cinema/english/awards/27-11-98/g_award.htm |archivedate=1 January 2008 }}]
| Kaalamellam Kadhal Vaazhga |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1998
! scope="row" | Annadurai[{{cite web|url=http://rrtd.nic.in/Film%20Bulletin-July.html|title=BULLETIN ON FILM|access-date=8 November 2023|work=Research, Reference and Training Division|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120803044643/http://rrtd.nic.in/Film%20Bulletin-July.html|archive-date=3 August 2012}}]
| Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen |
| style="text-align:center;"| 1999
! scope="row" | Ilavarasu[{{cite web|url=http://www.dinakaran.com/cinema/english/awards/29-12-00/state.htm |title=Tamilnadu Government Announces Cinema State Awards -1999 |publisher=Dinakaran |accessdate=2009-10-20 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622010121/http://www.dinakaran.com/cinema/english/awards/29-12-00/state.htm |archivedate=22 June 2008 }}]
| Manam Virumbuthe Unnai |
| style="text-align:center;"| 2000
! scope="row" | Ananda Kuttan[{{cite web|url=http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/10733.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041024060415/http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/10733.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 October 2004|title=Tamil Nadu announces film awards for three years|work=indiaglitz.com|accessdate=2009-10-19}}]
| Kannukkul Nilavu |
| style="text-align:center;"| 2001
! scope="row" | R. Rathnavelu
| Nandha |
| style="text-align:center;"| 2002
! scope="row" | Arjun Jena
| Kadhal Virus |
| style="text-align:center;"| 2003
! scope="row" | N. K. Ekambaram[{{cite web|url=http://www.cinesouth.com/masala/hotnews/new/13022006-1.shtml|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205070923/http://www.cinesouth.com/masala/hotnews/new/13022006-1.shtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 December 2012|title=Tamilnadu State Film Awards – awards for Vikram, Jyotika|publisher=cinesouth.com|accessdate=2009-10-20}}]
| Iyarkai |
| style="text-align:center;"| 2004
! scope="row" | B. Kannan
| Kangalal Kaithu Sei |
| style="text-align:center;"| 2005
! scope="row" | R. D. Rajasekhar[{{cite web|url=http://www.cinesouth.com/masala/hotnews/new/07092007-1.shtml|title=Tamilnadu govt awards Rajini and Kamal|publisher=cinesouth.com|accessdate=2009-10-20|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911141539/http://www.cinesouth.com/masala/hotnews/new/07092007-1.shtml|archivedate=2007-09-11}}]
| Ghajini |
| style="text-align:center;"| 2006
! scope="row" | Ravi Varman[{{cite web|url=http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/33425.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070908230828/http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/article/33425.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 September 2007|title=State Awards for the year 2006 - Govt. of Tamil Nadu|work=indiaglitz.com|accessdate=2009-07-05}}]
| Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu |
| style="text-align:center;"| 2007
! scope="row" | Nirav Shah[{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2009/09/29/stories/2009092950250100.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091001173907/http://www.hindu.com/2009/09/29/stories/2009092950250100.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2009-10-01|title=Rajini, Kamal win best actor awards|newspaper=The Hindu|accessdate=2009-09-28|location=Chennai, India|date=2009-09-29}}]
| Billa |
| style="text-align:center;"| 2008
! scope="row" | Arthur A. Wilson
| Naan Kadavul |
| style="text-align:center;"| 2009
! scope="row" | Manoj Paramahamsa[{{cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/tn-govt-announces-tamil-film-awards-for-six-years/article19273078.ece |title=TN Govt. announces Tamil Film Awards for six years|newspaper=The Hindu |date=14 July 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20231110140448/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/tn-govt-announces-tamil-film-awards-for-six-years/article19273078.ece|archive-date=10 November 2023}}]
| Eeram |
| style="text-align:center;"| 2010
! scope="row" | Santhosh Sivan, V. Manikandan
| Raavanan |
| style="text-align:center;"| 2011
! scope="row" | Balasubramaniem
| 180 |
| style="text-align:center;"| 2012
! scope="row" | M. Sukumar
| Kumki |
| style="text-align:center;"| 2013
! scope="row" | Siddharth
| JK Enum Nanbanin Vaazhkai |
| style="text-align:center;"| 2014
! scope="row" | Nirav Shah
| Kaaviya Thalaivan |
| style="text-align:center;"| 2015
! scope="row"| Ramji[{{Cite news |date=5 March 2024 |title=Tamil Nadu State Film Awards announced for 2015 |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2024/Mar/05/tamil-nadu-state-film-awards-announced-for-2015 |access-date=5 March 2024 |work=The New Indian Express}}]
| Thani Oruvan |