Celebrating Excellence in Journalism

           By Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai


 

Pen being carried to be displayed during the ceremony

 

Chief Guest Edmund Ranasinghe is being accompanied by Kumar Nadesan, Chairman of Sri Lanka Press Institute

 Chief Guest Edmund Ranasinghe lighting the oil lamp

Oil lamps lit at Journalism Awards for Excellence

14th edition of Journalism Awards for Excellence (Please make a note Tamil language has spelling mistakes!)

 Cultural event adding colour to the celebration

The Annual Journalism Awards for Excellence was held at the Mount Lavinia Hotel on 30th of July 2012. 309 entries were received for 14 categories for Journalism Awards for Excellence 2012.  This is the 14th edition of the annual Journalism Awards for Excellence programme which was initiated by the The Editors' Guild of Sri Lanka (TEGOSL) in 1999, and now is being conducted jointly by The Editors' Guild of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Press Institute.

Lifetime Achievement Award Winners (Gold Medalists)

Carol Aloysius being warmly congratulated by the Editor of Daily Mirror Champika Liyanarachchi

Photojournalist of the Year Gemuni Hewa Wellage of Ceylon Today/ Mawbima being awarded by Sunil Jayasekera, Secretary of Free Media Movement

Musical entertainment at Journalism Awards for Excellence

Scoop of the Year Channaka de Silva of Daily Mirror

Upali Wijewardena Feature Writer of the Year ~ Tamil, Logeswaran Thushikaran of Uthayan

 Professor. K. Kailasapathy Award for Reporting Under Special Circumstances, Joint Merit Award being awarded to Dilrukshi Handunetti and Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai of Ceylon Today by Rajpal Abeynayake, Chief Editor of Daily News

Cartoonist of the Year, Awantha Atigala of Daily Mirror being awarded by Lasantha Ruhunage, President of Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association

Best Designed Newspaper of the Year, Sunday Times

Dance decorating the awards ceremony

Investigative Journalist of the Year Harsha Mangala Sugathadasa of Irida Lakbima being awarded by N.M. Ameen, President of Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum

Sports Journalist of the Year Channaka de Silva of Daily Mirror

Musicians compete on stage

Subramaniam Chettiyar Social Development Reporter of the Year, S.Thusyanthan of Thinnakural receiving the award from Nisthar Cassim, Editor of Daily Financial Times

Denzil Peirs Young Reporter of the Year Lakna Tharindu Paranamanna of Daily Mirror receiving the award from Kumar Nadesan, Chaiman of Sri Lanka Press Institute

Mervyn de Silva Jurnalist of the Year Dilrukshi Handunnetti of Ceylon Today receiving the awrd from the Chief Guest Edmund Ranasinghe

Business Journalist of the Year ~ Tamil Robert Anthony receiveing the award from Nisthar Cassim Editor of Daily Financial Times

B.A.Siriwardena Columnist of the Year ~ English, Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema of the Sunday Leader receiving the award from Sujan Wijewardena 

Best Environmental Reporter of the Year, P.M.M. Abdul Cader of Metro News

Sepala Gunasena Award for Defending Press Freedom ins Sri Lanka awarded to Seetha Ranjanee by Siri Ranasinghe, President of The Editors Guild of SriLanka

An honour to the Chief Guest Edmund Ranasinghe

Joyful Journalists: Lakshman Gunasekera, Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai and Dilrukshi Handunnetti on stage in jubilation

Ceylon Today Award Winning Team at Journalism Awards for Excellence 2012. Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai, Dilrukshi Handunnetti and Gemunu Hewa Wellage

Colourful entertainment at the awards ceremony 

Winners of Journalism Awards for Excellence 2012:~

Lifetime Achievement Award (Gold Medalists)

Mr. Edmund Ranasinghe       

Mr. Dunstan Wickramaratne  

Mr. S Piyasena           

Mr. N Padmaseelan    

Mrs. Carol Aloysius   

Mr. Camilus Perera

Mervyn de Silva Journalist of the Year

Winner: Dilrukshi Handunnetti of Ceylon Today     

Business Journalist of the Year – Sinhala

Winner: Ruwan Thilina Samarasinghe of Ravaya

Merit: Yasewardana  Rodrigo Irida Lakbima

Business Journalist of the Year – English

Winner: Abdul Razak Mohamed Azhar of The Nation         

Business Journalist of the Year – Tamil

Winner: Mr.Robert Anthony of Virakesari    

Upali Wijewardena Feature Writer of the Year – Sinhala

Winner: Kasun Amila Pussawela of Ravaya 

Upali Wijewardena Feature Writer of the Year – English

Winner: Smriti Daniel of The Sunday Times 

Upali Wijewardena Feature Writer of the Year – Tamil

Winner: Logeswaran  Thushikaran of Uthayan         

B A Siriwardena Columnist of the Year – Sinhala

Joint Winners: Wimalanath Weerarathna of Ravaya 

Joint Winners:  Mr. C J Amarathunga of Irida Lankadeepa

B A Siriwardena Columnist of the Year – English

Winner: Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema of The Sunday Leader

Merit: Dharisha Bastians of Daily FT

B A Siriwardena Columnist of the Year – Tamil

Winner: Abdul Raheem Abdul Fareel of Vidiwelli

Merit: Ismaill B Maarieef of Thinakkural

Best Environmental Reporter of the Year

Winner: P M M Abdul Cader of Metro News

Merit: T G Supun Lahiru Prakash of Irida Lakbima

Merit: Nirmala Kannangara of The Sunday Leader

Subramaniyam Chettiar Social Development Reporter of the Year

Winner: S Thushyanthan of Thinakkural       

Sports Journalists of the Year

Winner: Channaka de Silva of Daily Mirror

Merit: Ravichchandren Ramkumar of Thinakkural

Merit: Roshan Ahangama of Rivira.

Cartoonist of the Year

Winner: Awantha Artigala of Daily Mirror   

Photojournalist of the Year

Winner: Gemunu Hewa Wellage of Ceylon Today/Mawbima          

Best Designed Newspaper of the Year

Winner: The Sunday Times    

Scoop of the Year

Winner: Channaka de Silva of Daily Mirror  

Denzil Peiris Young Reporter of the Year

Winner: Lakna Tharindu Paranamanna of Daily Mirror

Merit: Krishna Moorthy Krishna Prasath of Sooriyakanthi

Merit: Kasun Amila Pussawela of Ravaya.

Prof. K Kailasapathy Award for reporting under special Circumstances

Winner: Jeewaka Jayaruk of Lankadeepa

Joint Merit: Dilrukshi Handunnetti and Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai of Ceylon Today

Merit: Nirmala Kannangara of The Sunday Leader

Merit: Jeyam Christirasa of Thinakkural

Investigative Journalist of the Year

Winner: Harsha Mangala Sugathadasa of Irida Lakbima      

                       

D R Wijewardena Award for Earning the Appreciation of Peers and the Public

Winner: Punchi Putha' - Rip Van Winkle of The Sunday Times

           

Sepala Gunasena Award for Defending Press Freedom in Sri Lanka

Seetha Ranjanee