A voice that would one day unite millions was once just a sound inside a modest home in Mizoram. Esther Lalduhawmi Hnamte’s story tells one of the inspiring beginnings and the extraordinary heights of how something small and local became unmistakably national.
On December 26, 2025, Esther received the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar in the Art & Culture category from President Droupadi Murmu, placing her among 16 children honoured nationwide for exceptional achievements.
Esther is a young singer from Mizoram who rose to national fame through her viral patriotic performances. By 2025, her YouTube channel crossed one million subscribers, making her the first Mizo artist to reach that milestone. Her collaboration with the Assam Rifles on “Jana Gana Mana” garnered 56 million views.
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She has received multiple honours, including the Mizoram Governor’s special award (2020), the Dalmia Cement Young Achievers Award (2021), and YouTube’s Silver and Gold Play Buttons (2025). She was also featured as the Amul Girl and performed for the Prime Minister.
Who is Esther Lalduhawmi Hnamte?
Born on June 9, 2016, in Lunglei, Mizoram, Esther faced health challenges in her early days that worried her family. Her father, Lalrinenga Hnamte, is a taxi driver, and her mother, R. Lalawmpui, is a retired church soprano. Music was always present at home, but no one imagined that Esther’s voice would one day travel far beyond church halls and community gatherings.
The youngest of three siblings, Esther began singing at just two years old. What stood out was not only her high-pitched clarity but her ability to memorise Hindi and English songs while speaking only Mizo at home. Her mother recognised the potential early and gently nurtured her talent.
The turning point came during the 2020 lockdown. With public gatherings shut, the family began recording videos at home. One such video, Esther singing AR Rahman’s “Maa Tujhe Salaam”, went viral and captured the nation’s attention. She was just four years old.
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Her performances soon drew praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and former Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga. A child from Lunglei had suddenly become a symbol of national unity through music.
A 2023 documentary on her life, 'A Star is Born', won silver at the Northeast Film Festival. Beyond awards and numbers, Esther represents a bridge between the Northeast and the rest of India- a reminder that talent knows no geography.
At just the age of nine, Esther Hnamte has already achieved what many artists spend a lifetime chasing. Her journey is far from over, but her voice has already found a permanent place in the nation’s story.
