The 23rd edition of the annual Journalism Awards for Excellence programme culminating with the ‘Awards Night’ will be held in the Empire Ballroom of the Mount Lavinia Hotel today (December 13).

The programme is organised by The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka in partnership with the Sri Lanka Press Institute and its affiliated unions, the Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka, Free Media Movement and the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association.

The annual programme is to recognize professionalism in journalism and reward those who have excelled. This year 34 journalists will receive the ‘Pen Trophy’ Award and 17 others will receive Certificates of Merit along with five Lifetime Achievement Awardees namely: Daya Lankapura, A. D. Ranjith Kumara, P. Manikavasagam, Chitra Weerarathna and P. B. Elangasinha. (There profile appears below).

A young reporter will be sent by the Lakshman Kadirgamar scholarship to the leading Indian College of Journalism, MASCOM in Kerala, India. The scholar will be flown by SriLankan Airlines.

Chief Editor Manik de Silva of the Sunday Island will be the Chief Guest at the event this year.

The main sponsors are John Keells Holdings, Dialog, LOLC, Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation and Olu bottled water. Other sponsors are: Sri Lanka Cricket and Insee Cement. The Mount Lavinia Hotel is the host-hotel.

A total of 251 applications from nine newspaper publishing groups was received by the distinguished 8-member independent Panel of Judges this year, said Journalism Awards for Excellence Convener Sukumar Rockwood.

This year entries were received for 17 categories, which are listed below: