BHUBANESWAR : Six artistes from Odisha will be conferred the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi awards for the years 2022 and 2023. This was announced by the general council of Sangeet Natak Akademi, the National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama, New Delhi.
While popular vocalist and scholar Sangita Gosain will receive the award for her contribution to Odissi music for the year 2023, for Odissi dance, Snehaprava Samantaray, former lecturer of Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, will be conferred the Akademi award for 2023.
For Odissi dance, Debasish Pattnaik will be given the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar-2023 as an acknowledgement of his achievements as a promising young artiste. Similarly, folk dancer and musician Alok Bishoyi will be awarded the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for the same year.
In the dance category, Odissi dance guru Niranjan Rout has been chosen for the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (Akademi Puruskar) for the year 2022. Arupa Gayatri Panda has been selected for the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for the year 2022 in the category of dance for Odissi.
The Akademi awards have been conferred since 1952. These honours not only symbolise the highest standard of excellence and achievement, but also recognise sustained individual work and contribution. The award carries a cash reward Rs 1 lakh besides a ‘tamrapatra’ and ‘angavastram’.
The Sangeet Natak Akademi fellowships and awards will be conferred by the President of India in a special investiture ceremony.