"I extend my congratulations to T M Krishna and Bezwada Wilson for being selected to receive the award, considered as a Nobel Prize of Asia", he said in a party statement here.
Thodur Madabusi Krishna was selected for the Ramon Magsaysay Award 2016, under the 'Emergent Leadership' category for bringing social inclusiveness in culture.
He was hailed in the citation as "showing that music can indeed be a deeply transformative force in personal lives and society itself."