After a two-year hiatus, Radio Kantipur hosted the National Music Awards (NMW) 2078 at Hotel Yak and Yeti on Friday. The award was inaugurated with performances by acclaimed singer Ram Krishna Dhakal, Yam Baral, and Lochan Bhattarai.

This year’s edition of the music award had 75 nominations covering all genres of music for 15 different award categories with an addition of a lifetime achievement award.

Winners of NMW 2078 are Ankit Amur Shrestha bagged the new singer award for his song ‘Lazayera’, Ananda Adhikari (Best Lyricist) for ‘Maya Jadau’, Arjun Pokhrel (Best Music Director) for ‘Timro Ghrako Woripori’, Pashupati Sharma (Best Singer-Male-Folk) for ‘Hajuraile Ho’, Mechu Dhimal (Best Singer-Female-Folk) for ‘Fasayo Mitho Bolile’, Umesh Lamsal (Best National Song) for ‘Kohi Bhanchhan Mechi Mero’, Ram Krishna Dhakal (Best Playback Singer-Male) for ‘Maya Jadau’, Milan Amatya (Best Playback Singer-Female) for ‘Charile Kafal’, Kumar Basnet (Lifetime Achievement Award), Almoda Rana Upreti (Best Pop Singer-Male) for ‘Kahile Vetne’, Aastha Tamang Maskey (Best Pop Singer-Female) for ‘Saregamapa’, Karma Band (Best Band) for ‘Manko Ghanti’, Shiva Pariyar (Best Singer-Male-Adhunik) for ‘Atalinchha Mann’, Sangita Rana Pradhan (Best Singer-Feaale-Adhunik) for ‘Maya K Ko Tirsana’, Melina Rai and Bal Bahadur Rajbanshi (Best Duet Song) for ‘Jel Pani Sahula’ and lastly, Nishan Bhattarai and Eleena Chauhan (People’s Choice Award) for ‘K Maya Lagcha Ra’.

Kumar Basnet, who won the Lifetime Achievement Award, has spent the seven decades researched, collected, and featured different music cultures from all across the country and has lent his voice to thousands of songs.

The award function also saw performances by Trishala Gurung, Subani Moktan, Samriddhi Rai, Pashupati Sharma, Dinesh Dhakal, Dharmendra Sewan, and Abhaya Subba.