The 2023 Sumathi Awards ceremony, the 27th edition of a popular television awards show in Sri Lanka, was held at the Water’s Edge Hotel in Colombo on February 9 under the patronage of South Korea’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Woonjin Jeong and with the participation of the founder of Sumathi Awards, Thilanga Sumathipala, artists and other invitees. While the awards ceremonies were not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the crisis in the country, the talent of local artists during both years were felicitated at the event. The award for the best sports program was won by ITN Sports World produced by Kapila Liyanage who passed away recently. His award was accepted by his son.
Manjula Athugala received the award for the best television documentary program in 2020 for the Supipi Siyapatha program of Janamadhya Pokura about Edwin Ariyadasa. Chandima Premaratne’s Kala Manjari program was awarded as the best TV magazine program in 2021.
The U.W. Sumathipala Memorial Award, which is given only once in a lifetime, was awarded this year to award-winning actor Sanath Gunathilake and talented singer Indrani Perera.
The award for the best teledrama director of 2020 was won by Roshan Ravindra, the director of ‘Thanamalwila Kollek’ telecast by ITN.
Priyantha Fernando received the award for the best TV drama director in 2021 for ‘Sakarma’. The 2020 award for the best teledrama was also won by ‘Thanamalwila Kollek’ produced by Fahim Mowjood.
The same award for 2021 went to ‘Sakarma’ produced by Chandana P. Liyanagunawardena. ITN was presented the best award-winning channel for broadcasting the best teledramas in 2020 and 2021.
Dasun Pathirana, who acted in the teledrama ‘Giridevi’, was awarded as the Best Teledrama Actor of 2020 while the Bbest Teledrama Actor of 2021 was Thusitha Laknath, who played the role of Kiriputha in ‘Sakarma’.
The Best Actress of 2020 award was presented to Udari Warnakulasuriya, who played the role of Lamathani in the television drama ‘Sansaranya Asabada’, which was aired on ITN. Umali Thilakaratne, who played Thilaka in ‘Sakarma’ won the award for 2021.
The Best Supporting Actor award for 2021 was won by Pujana Dandeniya, who acted as Pushpakumara in ‘Sakarma’. Sulochana Weerasinghe was awarded as the Best TV Actress of 2020 for her performance in the ‘Thanamalwila Kollek’ as Samanthi.
Geetha Kanthi Jayakody, who played the role of Redhi Nanda in the ‘Maha Polowa’ TV drama, won the Best Supporting Actress 2021 award. Sangeeth Prabu who acted in Pork Street won the award for the Best Upcoming Actor in 2021.
Teledramas aired on ITN in 2020 and 2021 won a large number of awards at the event. Susith Indika Vijayamuni, who wrote ‘Thanamalwila Kollek’, won the award for the Best Teleplay Screenplay in 2020.
Lal Wasantha who wrote the screenplay for ‘Sakarma’ won the same award in 2021. The ‘Thanamalwila Kollek’ teledrama won the 2020 best teledrama editing award. Its editor Lakruwan Seram accepted the award. Buddhika Ranasinghe, who edited ‘Sakarma’ received the award for best editing in 2021.
For the year 2020, Nadeeka Guruge, who scored the music for ‘Sansaranya Asabada’, won the award for the best teledrama music direction. For 2021, Samantha Perera won the award for the music direction of ‘Sakarma’.
The 2020 best teledrama cinematography award was also won by ‘Thanamalwila Kollek’. Its cameraman Thisara Tulvan accepted the award.
Ravindra Ariyaratne Samaranayake won the award for the best camera-manship in the year 2021 for ‘Sakarma’.
Mangalika Dissanayake, who wrote the song ‘Heena Nomeru’ for ‘Giridevi’, won the award for the best teledrama song composition in 2020. In 2021, the award went to Sumit Ratnayake, who composed the song ‘Maha Polowa Handuruwane’ for ‘Maha Polowa’.
The 2020 Jury Special Appreciation Awards were presented to Netali Nanayakkara, who played the role of Seethamma in ‘Giridevi’ and the role of the grandmother in ‘Satya’.
The 2021 Special Jury Award went to Asanka Sayakkara who wrote ‘International’ and ‘Pork Street’.
The Jury’s Special Appreciation Award for 2021 was awarded to Sujeewa Priyalal, who directed ‘International’ and played the role of Roshan in it.