News
Headline makers shine at silver jubilee awards
View(s):It was a night of pride for print media journalists in the country when the best in the field were feted at the annual Journalism Awards for Excellence (2023), at the Mount Lavinia Hotel on Tuesday.
Organised jointly by The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka (TEGOSL) and the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI), it was a milestone celebration as it was the 25th edition of the awards ceremony.
Colombo University’s former Vice Chancellor, Professor Savitri Goonesekere was the chief guest at the event that also honoured five senior journalists with lifetime achievement awards. They included Ammaiappapillai Yogamoorthy, N.M. Ameen, Chandrika Wijesundera, Bennet Rupasinghe and Zanita Careem.
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- Lifetime Achievement Award for Long and Distinguished Service: From left, Bennet Rupasinghe, Chandrika Wijesundare, N.M. Ameen, Zanita Careem and A. Yogamoorthi
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- Chandrika Wijesundare receiving her Lifetime Achievement Award for Long and Distinguished Service from Senthil Velaver, Editor-in-Chief, Thinakaran
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- Cartoonist of the Year Award: Awantha Artigala receiving his award from Duminda Sampath, President of Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association. Awantha won both the English and Sinhala categories.
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- Best Designed News Website: Ft.lk team receives their award from Kanishka Sugathadasa – Member of the Panel of Judges (Online Newspapers) and Harsha Samaranayake, Vice President of Brands and Media, Dialog Axiata PLC
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- Photojournalist of the Year: Pradeep Pathirana of the Daily Mirror receiving his award from Duminda Balasuriya, Editor-in-Chief of Ada
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- Best Designed Newspaper of the Year: Asitha Rathnayake and Anusha de Silva from the Sunday Times design team receiving the award from Hana Ibrahim, Convener of the Free Media Movement
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- Best Environmental Reporter of the Year: Kasun Warakapitiya of the Sunday Times receiving his award from Sri Gajan, Virakesari Editor
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- Denzil Peiris Young Reporter of the Year: Senuka Jayakody of the Sunday Times receiving his award from Kumar Nadesan, Chairman SLPI (right) and Deepal Perera, Head of Corporate Communications, SriLankan Airlines (centre)
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- Investigative Journalist of the Year: Namini Wijedasa of The Sunday Times receiving her award from Mohanlal Piyadasa, Secretary of the Editors’ Guild. She also received the Prof. Kailasapathy Award for Best News or Feature using RTI (English category)
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- Upali Wijewardene Feature Writer of the Year: Tharushi Weerasinghe of The Sunday Times receiving her award from Nimal Welgama, Chairman of Upali Newspapers Pvt. Ltd)
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- Subramaniam Chettiar Award for Reporting on Social Issues: Kamanthi Wickramasinghe of the Daily Mirror receiving her award fromK. W. Janaranjana, Anidda Editor
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- Business & Finance Journalist of the Year : Anantha Ganesha Sarma Swaminathan from Virakesari receiving his award from Prabath Sahabandu, Island Editor
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- Best Health Care & Medical Reporter of the year: Nadia Fazlulhaq of the Sunday Times receiving her award from Ranjith Ananda Jayasinghe, Editor Deshaya
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- Mervyn De Silva Journalist of the Year: Sulochana Ramiah of the Ceylon Today receiving her award from Chief Guest Savitri Goonesekere
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- Hardwork behind the scenes: The team from the SLPI (Absent: Sukumar Rockwood Convenor)
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- Snapshots from the 25th edition of the awards. Pix by Indika Handuwala
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- SLPI Chairman Kumar Nadesan and President of the Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka Siri Ranasinghe presenting a memento to Chief Guest Prof. Savitri Goonesekere
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- Counterpoint Chief Editor and media freedom activist Waruna Karunatilake (inset) was adjudged the recipient of the Sepala Gunasena Award for defending press freedom in Sri Lanka. SLPI CEO Kumar Lopez collected the award on his behalf from Sunday Island Editor Manik de Silva.
The Sunday Times journalists won seven of the top awards.
Some of the key
award winners of the
evening were:
Print Media
Mervyn De Silva Journalist of the year -
Sulochana Ramiah Mohan (Ceylon Today)
Best Health Care & Medical
reporter of the Year-
Sinhala - Illankoon Arachchilage Sureka Nilmini Illankoon (Silumina)
Tamil - Muththu Marikkar Mohammed Marlin (Thinakaran)
English - Nadia Fazlulhaq (The Sunday Times)
Sports Journalist of the Year
Sinhala - Fawz Mohomed (Silumina)
Tamil - SM.S. Mohamed Firdous (Thinakaran)
Business & Finance Journalist of the Year
Tamil - Anantha Ganesha Sarma Swaminathan (Virakesari )
English – Madhusha Thavapalakumar
(The Sunday Morning)
Prof. Kailasapathy Award for Best News or
Feature using RTI
Sinhala - Mithun Jayawardhana (Mawbima)
Tamil - Karuppaiya Prasannakumar (Thinakkural )
English - Namini Wijedasa
(The Sunday Times)
B. A. Siriwardena Columnist of the Year
Sinhala - Shirley Anil De Silva
(Lankadeepa Daily)
Tamil - S. Sivakumaran (Virakesari )
Subramaniam Chettiar Award for Reporting on
Social Issues
Kamanthi Wickramasinghe
(Daily Mirror )
Upali Wijewardene Feature Writer of the Year
Sinhala - Harsha Sugathadasa
(Sunday Divaina)
Tamil - Hassthani Radhakrishnan (Virakesari )
English - Tharushi Weerasinghe
(The Sunday Times)
Investigative Journalist of the Year
Namini Wijedasa
(The Sunday Times )
Denzil Peiris Young Reporter of the Year
(Single Award)
Senuka Jayakody (The Sunday Times)
Best Environmental Reporter of the Year
Sinhala - Kanahara Jagath Kumara (Divaina)
Tamil - R. Ramkumar (Virakesari )
English - Kasun Warakapitiya
(The Sunday Times)
Best Designed Newspaper of the Year
Sinhala - Deshaya
English – the Sunday Times
Cartoonist of the Year
Sinhala - Awantha Artigala
(Sunday Lankedeepa)
Tamil - Namal Amarasinghe (Tamil Mirror)
English - Awantha Artigala (Daily Mirror)
Photojournalist of the Year
Kankanam Pathirana Pradeep
(Daily Mirror)
Online Newspapers
Best Designed News
Sinhala - lankadeepa.lk
Tamil - virakesari.lk
English - ft.lk
Best Video Story-telling
Tamil – Virakesari digital team
English – G.M. Lahiru Chamara Doloswala
(The Morning)
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