Guwahati: In a celebration of artists and their artistry, 10 people from the northeast, representing Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur and Nagaland, will receive the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Awards for 2024 and 2025.The awards will be presented by President Droupadi Murmu to a total of 115 artists at a special investiture ceremony in New Delhi on Thursday, recognising artists across music, dance, drama, folk and tribal arts, puppetry, mask-making, instrument-making and allied theatre forms.Among the recipients from the northeast for 2025, Domin Karbak of Arunachal, K Rosiama of Mizoram and Surjya Kumar Debbarma of Tripura have been selected in the Folk and Tribal/Puppetry/Mask Making/Instruments Making category.The 2025 awards also include several artists from the region in the dance-related categories. Bhaskar Jyoti Ojah has been recognised for music for dance – sattriya, while Mallika Kandali has been selected for sattriya and Irengbam Nalini Devi for Manipuri dance.For 2024, Rajkumari Thambalsana Devi has been selected for the Manipuri dance category, and Prema Ozah Borbayan for the sattriya category. Veswuzo Phesao of Nagaland has been recognised for folk music & dance, while Lourembam Bedabati has been selected for folk music.The Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards have been conferred since 1952 and are regarded as among the country’s highest honours for performing artistes. They recognise sustained individual work and contribution, as well as excellence and achievement in the performing arts.The Akademi Fellowship carries a purse of Rs 3 lakh, while the Akademi Award carries Rs 1 lakh, besides a Tamrapatra and Angavastram.
