List of Journalism Awards in India: National & Prestigious Media Honors

India honors its fearless and ethical journalists through prestigious awards to celebrate their impactful reporting. These awards are presented at national & regional level to encourage honest journalism across print, digital, & broadcast media. Know about some of these journalism awards in India.

List of Journalism Awards in India

Journalism Awards in India: India is a vast and diverse country, where journalists cover everything from political developments to exposing corruption, and have to even report from remote areas, sometimes risking their safety to bring out the stories to the world. Indian journalists have to work under immense pressure. So, to recognize their dedication, courage, and contribution to society, numerous journalism awards are presented annually in India. These awards acknowledge their brave and investigative journalism under different categories across print, digital, and broadcast media. The journalism awards celebrate the outstanding work of the journalists and inspire the next generation to uphold the value of integrity, truth and fairness.

Read this article to get a list of Journalism Awards in India and know about them in detail.

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List of Journalism Awards in India

Journalism isn’t just a profession, it’s a public service given by the journalists through their hard work and excellent reporting. Below are some of the journalism awards presented every year to honor the dedication and courage of these journalists.

Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award

The Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award or RNG Awards is given by the Indian Express Group every year to honor the brave and honest journalism in India. Journalists from print, digital, and broadcast media, who demonstrate courage, integrity, and impact in their reporting are awarded.

The first Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award was given in 2005, to commemorate the birth centenary of Ramnath Goenka, the founder of Indian Express. The award ceremony usually takes place in New Delhi.

Journalism Awards by Press Council of India

The Press Council of India gives National Awards for Excellence in Journalism each year on National Press Day (November 16). The award ceremony takes place in New Delhi and the first ceremony took place in 2013.

The awards given by the Press Council of India includes categories like rural reporting, photojournalism, developmental reporting, best newspaper art, sports reporting, gender based reporting, and financial reporting. Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award is the most honored award given by PCI.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award

The Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award is a crucial part of the Press Council of India’s Journalism Awards. It is considered as the top honor for overall excellence in journalism and is given annually on November 16. The award ceremony takes place in New Delhi.

The first Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award was given in 2013. The winner is chosen after following the eligibility rules of the PCI.

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Bharatendu Harishchandra Award

The Bharatendu Harishchandra Award was named after Bharatendu Harishchandra, India’s pioneering Hindi writer, who is also known as the Father of Modern Hindi Literature. This award is backed by the Government of India and honors the outstanding work in Hindi Literature and Journalism. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting gives the award, and the ceremony takes place in New Delhi.

Siva Prasad Barooah National Award

The Kamal Kumari Foundation sponsors the Siva Prasad Barooah National Award. The first award ceremony was held in the year 1999. This award honors the individuals or groups for their outstanding contribution to journalism in India. The award ceremony usually takes place in Assam or New Delhi. The winner is given a certificate, a chadar (ceremonial cloth), trophy, and cash prize of INR 2 Lacs.

Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Puraskar

The Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Puraskar, presented by the President of India, is an award that celebrates the excellence in Hindi Journalism across print and broadcast. This award is named after Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi, one of the most prominent Indian Journalist and freedom fighter. The first Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Puraskar was given in the year 1989.

The award is presented annually to honor the journalists strengthening the regional and national journalism in Hindi.

Rural Journalism Award (IIMC)

The IIMC (Indian Institute of Mass Communication) presents the Rural Journalism Award to recognize the outstanding reporting in journalism across different categories, including agricultural reporting, etc., from rural India. The award ceremony is conducted every year either in New Delhi or at IIMC campuses.

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Newsmakers Achievers Award

The Newsmakers Achievers Award or NBC Award is an award organized annually by a daily National newspaper with Maharashtrian roots to applaud the winners in journalism, in fields like healthcare, education, business, unity, and social action.

The NA award was founded by Vaidehi Taman in 2009 and the award ceremony is usually held in Maharashtra.

Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Women Mediapersons

The Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Women Mediapersons is an Indian Journalism award names after Chameli Devi Jain, an Indian Independence Activist. This was was instituted in 1980 and the first award was given to Neerja Chowdhury, in the year 1981.

The Media Foundation presents this award to celebrate the work of women journalists in social development, gender justice, politics, human rights, and other fields. Until now, total 54 women journalists have received this award.

Red Ink Awards

The Red Ink Award is given by the Mumbai Press Club annually, to recognize the work of journalists in print, TV, digital journalism, photojournalism, and other fields. These awards were started in 2011.

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