Sangeet Natak Akademi has announced Yuva Puraskar instituted last year in the name of famed Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan.

This award which carries a purse money of Rs. 25,000 is given to young artistes below 35 years of age with the objective to identify and encourage outstanding young talents in diverse fields of performing arts.

Following are the awardees selected for the year 2007:

Music: Sikkil C.Gurucharan (Carnatic vocal), Akkarai S.Subbulakshmi (Carnatic Instrumental – Violin), Peravali Jaya Bhaskar (Carnatic Instrumental – Mridandam), Sandeep Harish Deshmukh and Meeta Pandit (Hindustani Vocal), Sarwar Hussain (Hindustani Instrumental–Sarangi), Bhimanna Jadhav (Hindustani Instrumental – Sundri), and Mairenbam Maniton Singh (Other major traditions of music – Nata Sankirtana).

Dance: C.Lavanya Ananth (Bharatanatyam), Yamini Reddy (Kuchipudi), Methil Devika (Mohiniyattom) and K.S.R. Anirudha (Music for Dance – Bharatanatyam, Mridandam), Sharvari Ashok Jamenis (Kathak), Kalamandalam Shanmukhadas C (Kathakali), Laishram Bina Devi (Manipuri), Madhusmita Mohanty (Odissi).

Theatre: Sohini Sengupta, Rajinder Sharma ‘Nanu’ and Anoop Trivedi for Acting, Vijay Kumar, Sanjeev Gupta and M. Ganesh for Direction and Aishram Ibochouba Singh and Sreekanth .T for Allied theatre arts-Lighting.

Traditional / Folk / Tribal Dance / Music / Theatre and Puppetry: Babu Peruvannan (Theyyam, Kerala), Aditi Sharma (Folk Dance – Rajasthan), Rojet Buhphang (Traditional Music – Meghalaya), Manu Yadav (Traditional Music – Birha, Uttar Pradesh), Lakshmi Sori (Tribal dance – Muriya, Chhattisgarh) and C. Lalrinsiami (Folk Dance – Mizoram).
For procedure for nomination and selection for this award, please visit the website of Sangeet Natak Akademi - http://www.sangeetnatak.org/guidelinesbkawards.html