Vairamuthu received the Jnanpith Award 2026, becoming the third Tamil writer to win the honour after 24 years.
Earlier Tamil recipients include Akilan and Jayakanthan.
Vairamuthu won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2003 for his novel Kallikattu Ithikasam.
The Jnanpith Award is the oldest and highest literary award in India, instituted in 1961 by Bharatiya Jnanpith, founded by Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain in 1944.
The award is given to Indian writers writing in languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India and English.
Out of 23 eligible languages, the award has been presented for works in 16 languages.