The Andhra Pradesh government has announced the opening of applications for its annual Best Journalist Awards, aiming to recognize and honor outstanding contributions to the field of journalism. The awards, which were revived after an eight-year hiatus, will be presented for the year 2025-26 and encompass twelve distinct categories. Cash prizes ranging from ₹1 lakh to ₹2 lakh will be awarded to the recipients.
Information and Public Relations Director K.S. Viswanathan stated in a press release that eligible journalists are invited to submit their applications by 5 p.m. on September 28. The application should be sent to the Director, Information and Public Relations Department, located on the second floor of the NTR Administrative Building at Pandit Nehru Bus Station, Vijayawada-520013. To be considered, applicants must provide details and submit at least five works that were published or broadcast during the year 2025.
Award Categories and Prizes
The prestigious Kasinadhuni Nageswara Rao Pantulu Best Journalist Award carries the highest cash prize of ₹2 lakh. This award is open to full-time journalists with a minimum of 10 years of experience, working for newspapers or periodicals published in Andhra Pradesh, either in Telugu or English.
Additionally, three Best Rural Journalist Awards, named after Khasa Subbarao, Mutnuri Krishna Rao, and Madduri Chandrasekhar Rao, will each confer a cash award of ₹1 lakh. Several other categories also offer a ₹1 lakh cash prize, including the Savitribai Phule Best Woman Journalist, Best Cartoonist, Abul Kalam Azad Best Urdu Journalist, Best Electronic Media Journalist, and Best Video Journalist awards.
The selection process for some awards, such as the V.R. Narla Lifetime Achievement Award, Kokku Ahobalarao Best Photo Journalist Award, and Madduri Annapurnayya Award, will be made directly by a designated committee, and applications will not be required for these specific honors.
Committee and Revival of Awards
The Andhra Pradesh government has formed a four-member committee, chaired by C.R. Media Academy Chairman Alapati Suresh Kumar, to oversee the selection and presentation process. Other members of this committee include former India Today editor A.A.V. Prasad, Andhra Kesari University in-charge Vice-Chancellor Prof. D.V.R. Murthy, and retired High Court judge Justice Satyanarayana Murthy. The Information and Public Relations Director, K.S. Viswanathan, serves as the member-convener.
The government has expressed its commitment to reviving this tradition, which had been discontinued after 2017. Officials indicated that the award presentation ceremony is tentatively scheduled to take place in July, though detailed guidelines and eligibility criteria will be announced shortly.
The awards aim to acknowledge and reward the dedication, skill, and significant contributions made by journalists in various spheres of media reporting within Andhra Pradesh. The committee’s decisions regarding the awardees will be considered final.
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