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   MADHU NATARAJ has been awarded the G. S. Sardesai Fellowship for History of Indian Archives by FIHCR for her project, ‘Archiving the Ephemeral: Dance, Memory, Historical Continuum’ for 2026-2027.  Sai Arts International and Gokulam School of Music present LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD to dance musicians G Gurumurthy (mridangam), N Narayana Swamy (mridangam), R Purushotama (mridangam), Pustakam Rama (vocal), C Madhusudan (violin), NR Narasimha Murthy (flute), DS Srivatsa (vocal) and A Shankar Raman (veena) on September 5, 2026 at Jayaram Seva Mandali, Bangalore.  Bharatanatyam practitioner and dance teacher INDU MITHA passed away in Dublin on August 31, 2026 at the age of 97. More info: Classical dance icon Indu Mitha is no more - Syeda Shehrbano Kazim  Legends of India presents LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD to The Dhananjayans (dance) and Margi Madhu (theatre) on September 5, 2026 at IIC, New Delhi.  On the 99th birth anniversary of Balkrishna Doshi, the Vastu Shilpa Foundation announced the BALKRISHNA DOSHI: GURU RATNA AWARD 2026 honouring LEELA SAMSON for her contribution to Bharatanatyam.  The recipients of GURU KELUCHARAN MOHAPATRA AWARD 2026 are Sharon Lowen (Odissi dance), Keshab Chandra Rout (Odissi music), Dhirendranath Mallick (Theatre) and Mahasweta Ray (Cinema). It carries a cash award of ₹1,00,000 and a citation. The GURU KELUCHARAN MOHAPATRA YUVA PRATHIBA SAMMAN awardees are Vrinda Chadha (Odissi dance), Aishwariya Singh Deo (Odissi dance), Nikita Banawalikar (Kathak) and Sowmya Ranjan Nayak (Odissi music-mardala) with a cash award of ₹25,000 and a citation. The GURU KELUCHARAN MOHAPATRA KALA SAMMAN carrying a cash award of ₹50,000 and a citation goes to Agnimitra Behera (violin) and Dr Nazia Alam (vocal). They will be awarded on the concluding evening of Srjan’s five-day GKCM Award Festival 2026 at Rabindra Mandap, Bhubaneswar, on September 9, 2026.  Natyanjali Trust confers THE FLAME OF BHARATANATYAM award on Alarmel Valli on September 11, 2026 at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chennai. On September 17, 2026 the NARTAKA AWARD will be conferred on Kuchipudi dancer MVN Murthy. Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, released two documentary films on the lives and artistic journeys of legendary maestros Kalamandalam Gopi and R.K. Singhajit Singh, on August 10, 2026 at Delhi.  Natyarangam presented NATYACHARYA RATNA to Guru Lalitha Srinivasan on August 14, 2026 on the inaugural day of its dance festival Pancha Bhootha Bharatham at Narada Gana Sabha, Chennai. Other awardees include Anand Satchidanandan (Senior dancer award), Dr Sridhar Vasudevan (Proficiency in dance and music), Mudikondan Ramesh (Veena accompaniment), Dr Shatavadhani R Ganesh (Outstanding contribution to Bharatanatyam), Jayashree Ramanathan (Nattuvangam), Manasvini KR (Outstanding talent), Saakshi Mohan (Dec season debutant, afternoon slot).  Srinidi Trust presented the SRINIDI 'IMPACT & INNOVATION' AWARD to NARTHAKI ONLINE on August 8, 2026 at Dakshinamurthy Hall, Chennai.  Utsav Educational & Cultural Society presented the UTSAV SAMMAN - LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD to Manipuri Guru Darshana Jhaveri, Kuchipudi exponent Rashmi Vaidyalingam, and Odissi Guru Ratikant Mohapatra on August 10, 2026 at Stein auditorium, New Delhi.  Natyacharya Udupi Laxminarayana Centenary Commemorative Award KALAA PRAVEENA PURASKAR was conferred on Natyacharya V.P. DHANANJAYAN for lifetime achievement along with MUGUR SUNDAR by Natya Manjari on 26th July 2026 at Narada Gana Sabha, Chennai. NARTHAKA PRAVEENA goes to Balagurunathan, Binesh Mahadevan, KB Madhusudhanan, K Gopinathan, L Narendra Kumar, Parshwanath Upadhye, Shanmuga Sundaram and Shivakumar.  The Dhananjayans receive the POORNA SHAKTI AWARD on 6th September 2026 at Chennai. Poorna Shakti Awards is a signature initiative that honours distinguished personalities and changemakers who continue to contribute, innovate and inspire beyond conventional age barriers.  Krishna Gana Sabha confers NRITYA CHOODAMANI award on Indira Kadambi for 2026 in December.  Government of Karnataka to confer NATYA RANI SHANTALA AWARD 2026 on Bharatanatyam dancer PRATHIBHA PRAHLAD. This is the highest Karnataka State Govt award instituted for the art of dance.  Madras Music Academy announced its dance awardees for 2026. NRITYA KALANIDHI: G Narendra NRITYA KALA ACHARYA: A Janardhanan DANCE MUSICIAN AWARD: S Rajeswari and TK Padmanabhan Dance awardees will receive the awards at the inauguration of The Music Academy's 20th Annual Dance Festival on January 3, 2027.  The Kerala Government's top national cultural award with a cash prize of Rs.3 lakhs in the name of legendary Guru Gopinath, will be given to the Bharatanatyam couple V.P. DHANANJAYAN and SHANTA DHANANJAYAN and Kerala Natanam artiste AMBIKA MOHAN. This Puraskar is organized by Guru Gopinath Natana Gramam on behalf of the cultural department. The awards will be given shortly by the Chief Minister of the State.  Urmila Sathyanarayanan is the convenor of the Natya Kala Conference in 2026 and 2027. Highlights ; Obituaries |
