CHENNAI: The New Indian Express’ most anticipated event of the year, the Devi Awards is back! The ceremony, which is returning to Chennai after four years, will honour 11 Devis who have made excellent contributions in different fields, including sports, medicine, dance, history, music, and literature.
Some of the awardees this year include professional squash player Joshna Chinappa, Bharatanatyam dancer Priyadarsini Govind, author-historian Dr Nanditha Krishna, vocalist Vidya Subramanian, and medical professional Dr P Poorna Chandrika.
Former Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi will present the awards to the guests at the 23rd edition of the Devi Awards to be held at ITC Grand Chola on February 8.
TNIE’s Devi Awards celebrate dynamism in women’s work
It all began in December 2014, when The Sunday Standard, under the aegis of The New Indian Express Group, decided to take a stand for women. It strongly believed that strong, independent women are the backbone of a nation. This led to the organising of the event, The Devi Awards. The award celebrates exceptional women who display dynamism and innovation in their work.
The Devi Awards made their debut in September 2018. Ten women from across the state including actress Aishwarya Rajesh and mental health activist Vandana Gopikumar were honoured that year.
The awards were absent for two years due to COVID-19 and returned in 2022 at Kolkata. From cricketer Jhulan Goswami to actress Swastika Mukherjee, 15 dynamic Devis were felicitated by the chief guest, former Union minister Dr Subramanian Swamy.
The Devis have been chosen through a voting conducted by the senior editorial team of The New Indian Express and an independent jury. The primary sponsor for the event this year is the Adani group, with Vellore Institute of Technology as the associate partner, Ahujasons as the gifting partner, and ITC Grand Chola as the hospitality partner.