MUSICIAN Iskandar Ismail, who received the Cultural Medallion at the Istana on Friday night, calls himself lucky.

The veteran performer, composer and arranger said: 'I'm lucky to make a living from my passion for music and to be able to share it with my family and loved ones.'

The 52-year-old, along with Chinese writer Chia Hwee Pheng, 51, and Tamil writer P. Krishnan, 75, were presented with Singapore's highest arts accolade by President S R Nathan.

Chia, a quality control manager by day, has published eight books under the pseudonym Xi Ni Er and won many awards for his fiction and poetry.

He quipped on stage: 'Today, it took me less than 30 seconds to walk to the stage, but it took 30 years of preparation for this award.'

Krishnan, well-known for his radio plays in the 1960s and 1970s, has penned more than 40 short stories, 360 plays and 100 essays in his lifetime.

Said the 75-year-old: 'When I started writing almost 57 years ago, never did I think that I would be writing for such a long period.'

Medallion winners can apply for a project grant of up to $80,000. Instituted in 1979, the award recognises individuals who have attained excellence in their artistic fields.

So far, including the three this year, 93 awards have been given out.

Five Young Artist Awards, which are presented to promising artists aged around 35 and below, were also given out.

The recipients were choreographer Daniel Kok, 32; dancer Xia Haiying, 32; performer-director Aidli Mosbit, 34; Chinese opera performer Cai Bi Xia, 36; and visual artist Jason Wee, 30.