In a simple but colourful ceremony at the Mount Lavinia Hotel in Colombo on Tuesday night organized by the Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Press Institute, the media fraternity came together, as they have been doing for the past 13 years, to celebrate each other’s achievements, honour those who have contributed remarkably to print media in the country as well as remember the media practitioners who had passed away in the past year.

The Sunday Times was among the big winners at the Journalism Awards of Excellence 2011 where print media journalists in the country were recognised for their exceptional displays of professional skills in the past year.

For the Sunday Times, Deputy Editor (News) Anthony David accepted the Scoop of the Year Award on behalf of his News Desk, Chandani Kirinde won the Columnist of the Year award and Nadia Fazlul- Haq the B.A. Siriwardene award for Feature Writer of the Year.

The Sunday Times was also honoured as the Best Designed Newspaper of the Year.The prestigious Mervyn de Silva Journalist of the Year award was won by Lasantha Weerakulasuriya of the Lakbima newspaper. He was presented the award by the Chief Guest on the occasion, the Managing Editor of the Nepal-based Himal Southasian magazine, Kanak Mani Dixit.

One of the annual highlights of the ceremony is the conferring of the Life Time Achievement Awards by the members of the Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka on five media personalities who have dedicated their lives to enhance the standards of journalism in the country. This year’s recipients were D. C. A. (Bernie) Wijesekera, Kandiah Nithyanandan, Ms. Sybil Wettasinghe, S. Hewage Chithrananda and Sunil Madawa Premathilaka.

Heralding the evening’s entertainment, the Sunera Foundation put on a thought provoking dance drama, on the need to protect the environment and keep it clean in the face of the dengue menace. The dancing troupe of Chandana Wickremasinghe too performed.

Winners from the Wijeya Group of Newspapers: From left, Sports Journalist of the Year Channaka de Silva, Cartoonist of the Year Gihan de Chickera, Denzil Peiris Young Reporter of the Year Dianne de Silva, Subramaniyam Chettiar Social Development Reporter of the Year – merit award winner Lakna Paranamanna (all of Daily Mirror), Subramaniyam Chettiar Social Development Reporter of the Year winner Dayaseeli Liyanage (Irida Lankadeepa) and from the Sunday Times, Upali Wijewardena Feature Writer of the Year Nadia Fazlul-Haq, B.A. Siriwardena Columnist of the Year Chandani Kirinde, Aruna Wickramarachchi Head, Designs Dept., (Best Designed Newspaper award) and Anthony David, Scoop of the Year Award for the Sunday Times News Desk

D.R. Wijewardene award for Earning the Appreciation of Peers and Public: Nuwan Gankanda of Lakbima (right) receiving the award from Editor, Sunday Island Manik de Silva

The Mervyn de Silva Journalist of the Year: Lasantha Pradeep Suranga Weerakulasuriya of the Lakbima (Weekly and Daily) receiving his award from chief guest, Managing Editor of the Himal Southasian magazine, Kanak Mani Dixit

The Sepala Gunasena Award for Defending Press Freedom in Sri Lanka: Dr. A.C. Viswalingam (right) receiving the award on behalf of the Citizens Movement for Good Governance from Managing Director of the Sumathi Group, Jagath Sumathipala

 

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