27th Journalism Awards for Excellence Held in Colombo, Honouring Print and Digital Journalists

The 27th Journalism Awards for Excellence 2025, organised jointly by The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka (TEGOSL) and the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI), was held in a grand ceremony on Tuesday, November 10, at the Oak Room of the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo.

Continuing a tradition spanning nearly three decades, the awards are regarded as one of Sri Lanka’s leading independent platforms for recognising professional excellence and outstanding contributions by journalists working in the print and digital media sectors.

A Legacy of Recognising Journalistic Excellence

The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka was established in 1995 under the leadership of several senior editors. The first Journalism Awards for Excellence ceremony was organised in 1999, with the primary objective of raising professional standards among journalists working in Sinhala, Tamil and English-language media.

Following the establishment of the Sri Lanka Press Institute in 2004, the awards became a joint initiative of the two organisations.

Recognising the Digital Transformation of Journalism

Reflecting the technological changes and evolving landscape of the media industry, this year’s awards also recognised achievements in digital journalism, alongside traditional print media.

Several award categories have been introduced to recognise excellence in the digital sector, including:

• Best Designed News Website

• Best News Website

• Best Video Story-telling Award

Major Awards and Recognitions

The awards recognise outstanding achievements across several key areas of journalism. These include the Mervyn de Silva Journalist of the Year Award, the Investigative Journalist Award, Best Feature Writer, and awards recognising excellence in health, environmental, sports and economic journalism, as well as cartoon illustration.

Journalistic work making effective use of the Right to Information (RTI) Act is also recognised.

In addition, the Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to senior journalists who have made exceptional contributions to the media industry over a period of more than 40 years.

The award recipients are selected by an independent panel comprising senior journalists and university academics, rather than through public voting or external influence.

The principal award winners received specially designed symbolic trophies shaped like a fountain pen nib, along with certificates in recognition of their achievements.