Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards

Why in News?

1. Recently, the Sangeet Natak Akademi announced the list of 10 Akademi fellows and 128 artists who will receive the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for 2019, 2020, and 2021.
2. Apart from this, the Akademi announced the names of 102 young artistes for the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021.

What is Sangeet Natak Akademi?

1. The Sangeet Natak Akademi is India's national academy for music, dance and drama.
2. It was created by a resolution of the (then) Ministry of Education, Government of India, in 1952 with Dr P.V. Rajamannar as its first Chairman.
3. It is presently an Autonomous Body of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India and is fully funded by the Government for implementation of its schemes and programmes.
4. The Akademi establishes and looks after institutions and projects of national importance in the field of the performing arts.

Few important ones are:

• National School of Drama, New Delhi was set up in 1959
• Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy in Imphal- 1954
• Kathak Kendra (National Institute of Kathak Dance) in New Delhi- 1964
• National Projects of Support to Kutiyattam (Sanskrit theatre of Kerala), Chhau dances of eastern India, Sattriya traditions of Assam, etc.

What is Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (Akademi Ratna) and Award?

Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship:

The Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship is the highest honour conferred by Sangeet Natak Akademi without distinction of nationality, race, caste, religion, creed, or sex.

The Fellowship of the Akademi is the most prestigious and rare honour, which is restricted to 40 numbers at any given time.

The Akademi Fellowship carries purse money of Rs. 3.00 lakhs, a Tamrapatra and an Angavastram.

Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards:

The awards are given to the artists from the field of Music, Dance, Theatre, Traditional/Folk/Tribal Music/Dance/Theatre, Puppetry and Overall contribution/scholarship in the Performing Arts etc.

The Akademi Awards carries purse money of Rs. 1.00 lakh, a Tamrapatra and an Angavastram.

What is “Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar”?

Sangeet Natak Akademi has decided to institute “Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar” from the year 2006 to be awarded to artists who have shown / demonstrated conspicuous talent in the fields of music, dance and drama.

Young outstanding practitioner’s upto the age of 40 years will be eligible to be considered for Yuva Puraskar every year. Age as on the date of nomination received will be reckoned from 1st April of that year.