Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Sangeet Natak Akademi, functioning under the Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture, handed out its prestigious awards for the years 2023, 2024, and 2025 on Wednesday.
At a special ceremony held at the convention centre of Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, as many as 134 eminent personalities were honoured in three major categories.
For 2023, celebrated singer Pranab Kishore Patnaik and renowned theatre artist Badal Sikdar, famed for Mogal Tamasha of Bhadrak, walked away with the Akademi’s highest honour—the Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja Award.
Similarly, for 2024, the Akademi’s highest honour was conferred upon acclaimed flutist Mohini Mohan Patnaik and distinguished Odissi exponent Sudhakar Sahu.
Likewise, the 2025 edition of the award went to noted musician Ghanashyam Panda and folk dance stalwart Bhagabat Pradhan, adding yet another feather to their caps.
In addition to the top honours, the Akademi also presented a host of other recognitions across various categories for all three years. These included the Akademi Award, Upayana, and the Kabichandra Kalicharan Yuva Prativa Puraskar, ensuring that maximum talents received their dues.
List of Awardees for 2023
Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja Award
Pranab Kishore Patnaik
Badal Sikdar
Acting
Dr Samitarani Mohanty
Premanjan Parida
Anuj Kumar Pattanayak
Playwright
Niladree Bhushan Harichandan
Direction
Lalatendu Rath
Satya Narayan Jena
Stage Craft
Netrananda Sahu
Sound/Light
Srikant Choudhury
Devotional Music
Dukhishyam Tripathy
Sugam Sangeet
Smt Adyasha Das
Music Direction
Ramesh Mahananda
Om Prakash Mohanty
Odissi Vocal
Alekh Chandra Samal
Sunanda Patnaik Samman (Hindustani Vocal)
Ranjit Kumar Mohapatra
Membranous Musical Instrument (Folk)
Kulamani Biswal (Mridanga)
Membranous Musical Instrument (Classical)
Sarat Kumar Rath (Tabla)
Prafulla Kumar Mangaraj (Mardala)
Musical Instrument
Jabahar Mishra (Wind Instrument)
Ajay Kumar Barik (String Instrument)
Folk Dance
Pabitra Gahira (Ghumura)
Smt Rupashree Mohapatra (Mahari)
Folk Music
Sarada Charan Baliarsingh
Rina Dash
Folk Instrument
Sarat Chandra Dakua
Chaitanya Paika
Folk Theatre
Harikrushna Biswal
Pala/Daskathia
Surendra Chotray (Pala)
Odissi
Pagal Swain
Erudition in Artfield
Kirtan Narayan Padhi (research in art field)
Dr Shaymsundar Dhar (research in art field)
Upayana
Harihara Mohanty (dance)
Nirmal Kumar Mohapatra (music)
Smt Basanti Das (music)
Sitakanta Mohanty (theatre art)
Golekh Jaysingh (theatre art)
Gandhi Barik (folk art)
Ladu Biswal (folk art)
Kabichandra Kalicharan Yuva Prativa Samman-2023
Music
Rupak Kumar Parida (Odissi vocalist)
Dr Chandan Kumar Gantayat (vocalist)
Dance
Pravat Kumar Swain (Odissi)
Smt Rajashree Praharaj (Odissi)
Theatre
Debabrata Patnaik (Direction)
Smt Manisha Rath (Acting)
Folk Art
Swarupa Singh (Folk Dance)
Radheshaym Tarai (Folk Theatre)
Gouri Shankar Durga (Folk Music)
List of Awardees for 2024
Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja Award
Mohini Mohan Pattanayak
Sudhakar Sahu
Acting
Satya Ranjan Behera
Ashru Mochan Mohanty
Prakash Maharana
Playwright
Dr Samar Mudali
Pradeep Bhoumik
Direction
Mihir Meher
Stage Craft
Basant Kumar Mohanty
Sound/Light
Ashok Kumar kar
Devotional Music
Shailabhama Mohapatra
Sugam Sangeet
Bishnucharan Nayak (Sourabh)
Music Direction
Manmath Kumar Mishra
Prafulla Kumar Mitra
Odissi Vocal
Mohapatra Minati Bhanj
Membranous Musical Instrument (Folk)
Ramesh Gurla
Membranous Musical Instrument (Classical)
Kishore Sahu 9Tabla)
Bijay Kumar Barik (Mardala)
Musical Instrument
Srinivas Satapathy (wind instrument)
Niranjan Biswal (string instrument)
Folk Art
Shantanu Kumar Das (folk dance)
Smt Padmini Dora (folk music)
Ranjan Kumar Pattanayak (folk instrument)
Gouranga Barik (folk theatre)
Pala/Daskathia
Manoj Mishra
Odissi
Sujata Mohapatra
Pushpita Mishra
Erudition in Artfield
Subhakanta Padhi
Dr Prasanna Mishra
Upayana
Sandhay Sarkar (dance)
Biswanath Rath (music)
Keshab Charan Jena (music)
Pranakrushna Behera (theatre art)
Bibhuti Bhushan Pattanayak (theatre art)
Kanhu Charan Pradhan (folk art)
Chintamani Nayak (folk art)
Kabichandra Kalicharan Yuva Prativa Samman-2023
Himanshu Sekhar Swain (Music)
Gouri Shankar Dash (Odissi Dance)
Sibacharan Mahanta(Chhau Dance)
Prajna Ranjan Khatua (Theatre Acting)
Debiprasad Mishra (Stage craft)
Soumyajit Soumetri Badapanda (Folk Song)
Sunil Bibhar (Folk Instrument)
List of Awardees for 2025
Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja Award
Ghanashyam Panda
Bhagabata Pradhan
Acting
Shatrughna Mati
Laxmiprabha Pati
Dillip Kumar Dash
Playwright
Panchanan Dash
Direction
Sudhanshu Mohan Dwibedi
Stage Craft
Subash Chandra Sahoo
Sound/Light
Joshabanta Narayan Ray
Devotional Music
Kailash Sahoo
Sugam Sangeet
Mahaprasad Kar
Music Direction
Krupasindhu Behera
Naveen Kishore Pattanayak
Odissi Vocal
Nimakanta Routray
Sunanda Pattanayak Samman (Hindustani Vocal)
Chandan Kumar Jena
Membranous Musical Instrument (Folk)
Bighnaraj Dhada (Dhol)
Membranous Musical Instrument (Classical)
Rankanidhi Pradhan (Tabla)
Gouranga Charan Mahala (Mardala)
Musical Instrument
M Simadri (wind instrument)
Kumar Chandra Mohanty (string instrument)
Folk Dance
Hemanta Kumar Rout (Ghoda Nacha)
Folk Music
Sasmita Sahu
Folk Instrument
Biranchi Mahanta
Folk Theatre
Bhubaneswar Pradhan
Pala/Daskathia
Parshuram Panda
Odissi
Muktilata Pal
Erudition in Artfield (art organization)
Annapurna Theatre ‘A’ group, Puri
Dulduli Kala Parishad, Bolangir
Upayana
Lingaraj Barik (dance)
Bhabani Shankar Mohapatra (theatre art)
Madan Mohan Mishra (theatre art)
Lingaraj Prashad Nishanka (folk art)
Bhaskar Panda (folk art)
Kabichandra Kalicharan Yuva Prativa Samman-2023
Bishnu Mohan Kabi (music)
Baibhab Das (instrument)
Arupa Gayatri Panda (Odissi dance)
Sachin Dhada (Chhau dance)
Sushant Behera (Chhau dance)
Prajnadatta Sahu (stage craft)
Chitrasen Swain (Gotipua dance)
Shyamaghana Behera (folk instrument)
