Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer

The category was divided the following year, and ever since there have been two awards presented for male and female singers separately.

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 seventh award in 1979, Asha Bhosle emulated her elder sister and requested that her name not be considered for the nominations thereafter.

In 80s no singer dominated the epoch (Bhosle not considered from hereon); however in 90s Anuradha Paudwal and Kavita Krishnamurthy both had three wins each.

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.

Lata Mangeshkar was the first winner in this category for her rendition of "Aaja Re Pardesi" from Madhumati (1958).
Asha Bhosle received this award seven times from twenty nominations. She is the only female vocalist to have won four times consecutively.
Vani Jairam won for her contribution to the song "Mere To Giridhar Gopal" from Meera (1979).
At age 16, Nazia Hassan 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 (1980).
Anuradha Paudwal has four wins in this category from eleven nominations.
Kavita Krishnamurthy has four wins in this category from eighteen nominations.
With thirty-six nominations, Alka Yagnik is the most nominated woman in this category, winning seven times between 1988 and 2005.
Winning for the second time at age 19 for her work in the song "Jaadu Hai Nasha Hai" from Jism (2003), Shreya Ghoshal became the youngest two-time Filmfare Award-winning singer.