‘Ada Derana Sri Lankan of the Year’ to celebrate icons of Sri Lanka

Ada Derana has launched ‘Sri Lankan of the Year,’ an award that seeks to honour and celebrate individuals and groups whose efforts and achievements have far reaching influence on the country, positively impacting the local community and helping to profile Sri Lanka among the international community. 

The ‘Ada Derana Sri Lankan of the Year’ is designed as an exhaustive, rigorous and credible platform to nominate and select Sri Lankans whose dedication and commitment in their chosen fields have inspired pride and patriotism. In recognising such achievement, it is hoped that fellow Sri Lankans, especially the younger generations, will be inspired to emulate the hard work, passion, and vision of their idols. 

The two tiered selection process is a robust and transparent one with nominees being shortlisted through an editorially driven process under the supervision of the Ada Derana editorial leadership in collaboration with industry/category specialists. 

The final selection of awardees will be by a jury of eminent personalities of distinguished stature and achievement: they are  Deshamanya Radhika Coomaraswamy, the former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict until 13 July 2012 and current civil representative to Sri Lanka’s Constitutional Council; Nalaka Gunawardene, science writer, development communicator and journalist par excellence; business icon Dian Gomes, Chairman of Hela Clothing and current Vice President of the National Olympic Committee, who is one of the foremost figures in the development of sports in the country; respected intellectual Professor Carlo Fonseka who currently serves as Chairman of the Sri Lanka Medical Council; emeritus Professor of Sinhala, Desamanya J. B. Disanayaka, one of the leading Sinhala language scholars of Sri Lanka; Vijitha Yapa, the Founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Vijitha Yapa Associates and a Founding Editor of three national newspapers of Sri Lanka, The Island, The Sunday Island and the Sunday Times; the 20th Commander of the Sri Lanka Army General R. M. Daya Ratnayake, WWV, RWP, RSP, USP, ndu, psc; leading educator and women’s right advocate Jezima Ismail, the founder of the Muslim Women’s Research and Action Forum (MWRAF), and the President of the Sri Lanka Muslim Women’s Conference (SLMWC); and film maker Chandran Rutnam who has been pivotal in reaching out to the international cinema fraternity and was once referred to as “Our most valued friend in the Far East” by Steven Spielberg.

Under the program, winners will be nominated across multiple categories such as Sports, Global Entertainer, Unsung Hero, Entertainer, Global Scientist, Icon, Entrepreneur, and Global Businessman. Other awards to be presented will be a Popular Award, a Sri Lankan Heroes Award, Public Servant Award and a Special Award. 

Derana Chairman Dilith Jayaweera speaking about the program said, “The national reach of Derana will generate mass appeal for the ‘Ada Derana Sri Lankan of the Year,’ creating awareness at the very grassroots for those Sri Lankans whose magnificent achievements are worthy of celebration. We are excited to present the very first edition of this program and planning to carry out the Sri Lankan of the Year program annually.”

The Ada Derana Sri Lankan of the Year will be presented on Sunday 3 July at the Hilton, Colombo at a glamorous, red carpet ceremony of international standard. This ceremony will be presented in a grand manner that befits the titles of stardom being bestowed on awardees and will therefore, be on a scale never seen before in Sri Lanka.