UP Sangeet Natak Akademi Announces 52 Awards for Artists Across 2021-2024
In a significant cultural announcement, the Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi (UPSNA) revealed on Monday that it has conferred awards for the years 2021 through 2024, honoring artists who have made substantial contributions to music, dance, theatre, and folk arts within the state. UPSNA chairman Prof Jayant Khot explained that the Akademi decided to announce all 52 awards collectively for the four-year period due to unavoidable delays in previous years, which prevented timely recognitions.
Prestigious Theatre Awards Highlight Excellence
The awards include several high-profile categories dedicated to theatrical arts. The Safdar Hashmi award, which celebrates excellence in theatre direction and stagecraft, has been awarded to:
- Manoj Kumar Mishra for 2021
- Rajesh Singh for 2022
- Ajay Kumar for 2023
- Shubhdeep Raha for 2024
Similarly, the BM Shah award for theatre art recognizes outstanding contributions, with recipients including:
- Satish Anand for 2021
- Kamal Jain for 2022
- Ravi Shankar Khare for 2023
- Sanjay Mehta for 2024
Diverse Recognition Across Music and Dance Disciplines
For the year 2021, the awards spanned a wide array of artistic fields, honoring individuals such as:
- Pt Deenanath Mishra for classical singing
- Shrikant Vaishya for folk singing
- Prabhu Dayal for nakkara playing
- Jawahar Lal for shehnai playing
- Bhoomikeshwar Singh for theatre direction
- Jagmohan Rawat for technical lighting
- Rajkumar Srivastava for nautanki direction
- Vijay Pandit for playwriting
- Mohan Swaroop Bhatia for art promotion
- Mala Hombal for bharatnatyam
- Pratibha Sharma for folk dance
In 2022, the accolades continued with awards for:
- Anand Kumar Malik for classical singing
- Madhuri Sharma for folk singing
- Pt Anuj Mishra for Kathak
- Shashikant Pathak for pakhawaj
- Pankaj Kumar Srivastava for tabla
Upcoming Ceremony to Celebrate Artistic Achievements
Prof Jayant Khot added that a formal function will be organized soon to present these awards, providing a platform to celebrate the rich cultural heritage and artistic talent of Uttar Pradesh. This initiative underscores the Akademi's commitment to fostering and acknowledging the arts across the state, ensuring that contributions in various traditional and contemporary forms receive due recognition.
