''Sumathi Awards'' ( si, සුමති සම්මාන) is an award bestowed to distinguished individuals involved with Sri Lanka's television screen, each year by the Sumathi Group of Company,

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

in recognition of the contributions made by them to the Sri Lankan teledrama industry and television programs. The Sumathi ceremony is one of the most popular television program events in Sri Lanka. The awards were first introduced in 1995.

History

The Sumathi film awards ceremony began in 1995 with the leadership of Mrs. Milina Sumathipala. Sumathi Group of Companies came forward and organized television festivals, acknowledging its significance and outstanding attainments to improve the quality of television programs to every age limit of the people and to acknowledge the behind the screen technicians to bring forward and value their efforts to Sri Lankan television. The award ceremony has been witnessed 25 times consecutively, with two interruptions in 2005 and 2020 where the Award ceremony did not celebrated.

Awards given

In 1995, there were 32 awards in total, categorized into 4 sections - best awards, popular awards, commercial awards and merit awards. In 1996 at the second Sumathi Awards ceremony, U.A Sumathipala Award was introduced. Since 2000, awards were given under those above five categories. In 2000 Sumathi Awards, Jury Award category was included. With that six categories were awarded until 2011. In 2011 Sumathi Awards, News and other broadcasting category was introduced. In 2014 Sumathi Awards, the child award category was introduced. Since then, 50-55 Sumathi Awards have been awarded under 8 categories.

Best awards

* Best Actor *

Best Actress Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress awar ...

* Best Supporting Actor * Best Supporting Actress * Best Upcoming Actor * Best Upcoming Actress *

Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * BA ...

* Best Art Director * Best Teledrama Series * Best Single Episode * Best Makeup Artist * Best Cameraman * Best Editor * Best Music Director * Best Script *

Best Lyrics Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporatio ...

* Best Singer * Best Current Affairs * Best Documentary * Best Musical Program * Best Magazine Program * Best Presenter * Best Children's Program * Best Educational Program * Best Sports Program * Best Women's Program * Best Audio Visual Program

Awards based on popular vote

Commercial awards

* Best Commercial

Talent awards

* Sumathi Merit Awards * Sumathi Jury Awards

Child awards

* Best Child Actor

Special awards

* U.W. Sumathipala Awards

News and Broadcasting awards

* Best Announcer * Best Investigative Reporting * Best Current Reporting

Award ceremonies

1995 Sumathi Awards

The first Sumathi Awards ceremony was celebrated in 1995, where 32 awards were given at the ceremony under 4 categories. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by

Buddhadasa Vithanarachchi Buddhadasa Vithanarachchi (born 30 June 1947 as බුද්ධදාස විතානාරච්චි) inhala is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. He is also a former member of the political party National Freedom ...

and best teledrama actress was Manel Jayasena. In popular award category,

Kamal Addararachchi Addararachchige Gunendra Kamal (born on 5 February 1962: si, කමල් අද්දරආරච්චි), popularly as Kamal Addararachchi, is an actor in Sri Lankan Sri Lankan cinema, theatre and television, as well as a singer and presen ...

won the most popular actor award, whereas

Nilmini Tennakoon Thennakoon Pathiranalage Nilmini (born January 23, 1965 as නිල්මිණි තෙන්නකෝන්) inhala, popularly as Nilmini Thennakoon, is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema and television. Highly versatile actress particularly ...

won the most popular actress award. Out of 32 awards given, teledrama ''Dandubasnamanaya'' won 12 awards, including best actor, supporting actor, television series, director and music director.

1996 Sumathi Awards

The second Sumathi Awards ceremony was celebrated in 1996, where 33 awards were given at the ceremony under 5 categories. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by

Lucky Dias Palandha Pathirage Lakshman Calistus Dias, popularly as Lucky Dias (born 5 February 1949), is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema and teledrama as well as a producer and director.He entered films in 1986 guided by his mentor, a famous actor and film d ...

and best teledrama actress was

Chandani Seneviratne Chandani Seneviratne, (born 28 December 1962: si, චාන්දනී සෙනෙවිරත්න), is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema, theatre and television. One of the most distinguished artists in Sinhala cinema, Seneviratne has recei ...

, whereas both won popular award categories as well. For the first time, U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was introduced, where veteran director

Titus Thotawatte Thotawattege Don Manuel Titus de Silva ( Sinhala:ටයිටස් තොටවත්ත), popularly as Titus Thotawatte, was a Sri Lankan director and editor who made several popular Sri Lankan action movies in the 1960s and 1970s and later ...

won this lifetime award. Out of 33 awards given, teledrama ''Sankranthi Samaya'' won 6 awards, including best actor, music director, singer and most popular teledrama.

1997 Sumathi Awards

The third Sumathi Awards ceremony was celebrated in 1997 at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium on November 28, 1997 at 6.00 pm. The National Youth Services Council and Sumathi Newspapers (Pvt) Ltd jointly organized the event where 38 prizes were offered to the winners in various categories of teledrama production including youth award. A cash prize of SL Rs 50,000 was awarded to the best teledrama series and best single episode teledrama was awarded a cash prize of SL Rs 20,000. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by

Jackson Anthony Conganige Joseph Malsi Ushan Thimira Jackson Anthony (born July 8, 1958, as ජැක්සන් ඇන්තනී), commonly known as Jackson Anthony, is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. One of the most popular artists ...

and the best teledrama actress was

Malani Fonseka Wanniarachchige Malini Senehelatha Fonseka, popularly as Malini Fonseka ( Sinhala:මාලිනී ෆොන්සේකා) (born 30 April 1947, in Kelaniya) is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema, theatre and television as well as a director. ...

. In popular award category,

Jeewan Kumaranatunga Jeewan Kumaranatunga (born 7 November 1958: si, ජීවන් කුමාරතුංග), is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television, who later became a politician, a former member of the parliament and a former cabinet ministe ...

won the most popular actor award, whereas

Vasanthi Chathurani Vasantha Doreen Peterson (born 18 October 1959: si, වසන්ති චතුරානි), popularly as Vasanthi Chathurani, is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema and television. An extremely natural actress, Vasanthi Chathurani is one of the m ...

won the most popular actress award. The U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was given to the king of Sinhala cinema,

Gamini Fonseka Kala Keerthi Sembuge Gamini Shelton Fonseka () (21 March 1936 - 30 September 2004 as ගාමිණී ෆොන්සේකා), was a Sri Lankan film actor, film director and politician. Often considered as the Greatest Actor in the Sinhal ...

. Out of 38 awards given, teledrama ''Pitagamkarayo'' won 9 awards, including best actor, actress, director, script and television series.

1998 Sumathi Awards

The fourth Sumathi Awards ceremony was celebrated at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium on 28 November 2011, where 38 awards were given at the ceremony under 5 categories. A cash prize of Rs 50,000/- was awarded to the best teledrama serial and a cash prize of Rs 20,000/ was awarded to the best single episode teledrama. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by

Asoka Peiris Asoka Peiris (born 1942 – died 24 December 2007 as අශෝක පීරිස්) inhala, was a Sri Lankan actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. Highly versatile actor mainly appeared in dramatic roles, Peiris is best know ...

and best teledrama actress was Vasanthi Chathurani. In the popular award category,

Palitha Silva Garanduwa Baarage Palitha Silva (born August 30, 1967 as පාලිත සිල්වා) inhala is a Sri Lankan actor, dramatist, producer, director, scriptwriter and author. He started his career at 15 years of age when he was chosen to tr ...

won the most popular actor award, whereas

Yashoda Wimaladharma Yashoda Wimaladharma ( Sinhala: යශෝධා විමලධර්ම) is a Sri Lankan actress in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. Often referred to as the "innocent on the small screen", Wimaladharma excelled in cinema, telev ...

won the most popular actress award. For the first time, the U.W.S Sumathipala memorial award was given to two personalities, veteran actress

Denawaka Hamine Kala Suri Dona Meraya Denawaka, (20 February 1906 – 9 December 2002 as දෙනවක හාමිනේ), popularly known as Denawaka Hamine, was an actress in Sri Lankan cinema and television. Known as "The grand old lady" of Sinhala cine ...

and music director

Hugo Fernando Kanupulage Ugo Singho (July 14, 1912 – April 12, 1999), popularly known as Hugo Master or Hugo Fernando, was an actor and composer of Sri Lankan cinema. Debuting in the first Sinhalese film '' Kadawunu Poronduwa'', Fernando had an over 50 year ...

. Out of 31 awards given, teledramas ''Vilambheetha'' and ''Durganthaya'' won 4 awards each.

1999 Sumathi Awards

The fifth Sumathi Awards ceremony was celebrated at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium on 6 November 1999, where 31 awards were given at the ceremony under 5 categories. Tourism and Aviation Minister Dharmasiri Senanayake and Sports and Youth Affairs Minister S. B. Dissanayake took part as the chief guests. The cash prize of Rs 50,000 was given to the best television serial and cash prize of Rs 20,000 was given to the best single episode serial. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by

Suminda Sirisena Kala Keerthi Suminda Sirisena ( Sinhala: සුමින්ද සිරිසේන) (born July 4, 1948) is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. He has played a wide range of starring or supporting roles and a recipient of Be ...

and best teledrama actress was Chandani Seneviratne. In popular award category,

Sriyantha Mendis Hiddadura Jude Neil Sriyantha Mendis (Born 25 October 1957) ( si, ශ්‍රියන්ත මෙන්ඩිස්), popularly as Sriyantha Mendis, is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. Highly versatile actor from drama to ...

won the most popular actor award, whereas Yashoda Wimaladharma won the most popular actress award for the second consecutive time. The U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was given to, veteran director K. A. W. Perera and veteran actor

Joe Abeywickrama Deshabandu Gammana Patabendige Don John Abeywickrama ( Sinhala:ජෝ අබේවික්‍රම) (22 June 1927 – 21 September 2011), popularly as Joe Abeywickrama, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. Initially famed ...

. Out of 31 awards given, teledrama ''Nisala Vila'' won 8 awards, including best actor, actress, director and music director.

2000 Sumathi Awards

The sixth Sumathi Awards ceremony was celebrated at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium on 9 December 2000, where 36 awards were given at the ceremony under 5 categories. Meanwhile, 7 youth awards were presented by National Youth Services Council. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by

and best teledrama actress was Nilmini Tennakoon. In popular award category, Lucky Dias won the most popular actor award, whereas Yashoda Wimaladharma won the most popular actress award for the third consecutive time. The U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was given to, veteran actor

Tony Ranasinghe Deshabandu Ranasinghe Hettiarachchilage Ignatius Anthony Silva (31 July 1937 – 16 June 2015 as ටෝනි රණසිංහ), popularly as Tony Ranasinghe, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. He is known as the Lov ...

and veteran actor Christy Leonard Perera. Out of 31 awards given, teledrama ''Imadiya Mankada'' won 6 awards, including best actor, director, television series and supporting actor.

2001 Sumathi Awards

The seventh Sumathi Awards ceremony was celebrated in year 2001, where 34 awards were given at the ceremony under 5 categories. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by Sriyantha Mendis and best teledrama actress was Malani Fonseka. In popular award category,

Channa Perera Deepanath Channa Perera (born 16 August 1965 as චන්න පෙරේරා inhala, is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema and television as well as a filmmaker and screenplay writer. Personal life Channa Perera was born on 16 August 1965 as the ...

won the most popular actor award, whereas Yashoda Wimaladharma won the most popular actress award for the fourth consecutive time. The U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was given to, veteran actress

Iranganie Serasinghe Kala Keerthi Iranganie Roxanna Meedeniya, (born 9 June 1927"Irangani As Told to Kumar de Silva", Kumar de Silva, Samaranayake Publishers, 2013), popularly as Iranganie Serasinghe, is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. Since h ...

and queen of Sinhala cinema, Malani Fonseka. Out of 34 awards given, the teledrama ''Kemmura'' won 6 awards, including best actress, director, television series and supporting actress.

2002 Sumathi Awards

The eighth Sumathi Awards ceremony was celebrated in the year 2002, where 38 awards were given in the ceremony under 6 categories. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by

Jayalath Manoratne Kala Suri Kala Keerthi Dr. Keselgaspe Manatunga Jayalath Manoratne ( si, කෙසෙල්ගස්පේ මනතුංග ජයලත් මනෝරත්න; 12 June 1948 – 12 January 2020), popularly known as Jayalath Manoratne, was an ...

and best teledrama actress was Vasanthi Chathurani. In popular award category,

won the most popular actor award for second time, whereas Yashoda Wimaladharma won the most popular actress award for the fifth consecutive time. The U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was given to, veteran actor, director Henry Jayasena and veteran actor

Ravindra Randeniya Liyanage Boniface Walter Perera (born 5 June 1945), popularly known by his stage name Ravindra Randeniya, is a Sri Lankan actor and former politician. He rose to fame in Lester James Peries's film ''Desa Nisa'' in 1972, and was a popular actor d ...

. Out of 38 awards given, the teledrama ''Sanda Amawakai'' won 8 awards, including best actor, director, television series and cameraman.

2003 Sumathi Awards

The ninth Sumathi Awards ceremony was celebrated in year 2003, where 36 awards were given at the ceremony under 6 categories. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by

Mahendra Perera Mahendra Shrikantha Perera (born 17 August 1956: si, මහේන්ද්‍ර පෙරේරා), is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. One of the most influential actors in Sinhala cinema, Mahendra performed from ...

and best teledrama actress was Sasanthi Jayasekara. In popular award category, Channa Perera won the most popular actor award for the third consecutive time, whereas

Kanchana Mendis Kanchana Mendis, (born June 24, 1980 as :si:කාංචනා මෙන්ඩිස්, කාංචනා මෙන්ඩිස්) inhala is an actress in Cinema of Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. She is best know ...

won the most popular actress award. The U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was given to, veteran actors

Sathischandra Edirisinghe Patikirige Sathischandra Edirisinghe (born 11 February 1941 as Patikirige Sathischandra Edirisinghe, සතිස්චන්ද්‍ර එදිරිසිංහ) inhalais an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. Considere ...

and

Robin Fernando Pattiyage Robin Steven Fernando (born 15 June 1937 – died 8 January 2022 as රොබින් ප්‍රනාන්දු in inhala, popularly as Robin Fernando, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema and television as well as a stunt coord ...

. Out of 36 awards given, teledrama ''Hada Wila Sakmana'' won 7 awards, including best actor, actress, director and television series.

2004 Sumathi Awards

The tenth Sumathi Awards ceremony was celebrated in year 2004, where 38 awards were given at the ceremony under 5 categories. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by

and the best teledrama actress was

Duleeka Marapana Wasala Kulauthum Wijekoon Mudiyanselage Duleeka Kumari Wijekoon Marapana commonly as Duleeka Marapana ( si, දුලිකා මාරපන; born 15 November 1975), is an actress in Sri Lankan stage, television and cinema as well as a public ...

. In the popular award category,

Roshan Pilapitiya Roshan Pilapitiya Abhayasinghe (born 21 March 1975: si, රොෂාන් පිලපිටිය), is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theatre and television as well as a singer. Largely active in television serials, Pilapitiya was awarded th ...

won the most popular actor award, whereas Nayana Kumari won the most popular actress award. The U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was given to, veteran actor

Wijeratne Warakagoda Rajakaruna Navaratne Atapattu Mudiyanselage Wijeratne Banda Warakagoda (Born 21 November 1933; as si, විජේරත්න වරකාගොඩ), popularly as Wijeratne Warakagoda, is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and televisi ...

and queen of Sri Lankan music

Latha Walpola Deshamanya Matharage Rita Genevieve Fernando, better known by her stage name Latha Walpola ( si, ලතා වල්පොල), is a prominent Sri Lankan vocal artist. It was during when Walpola was a member of a church choir, that she began a ...

. Out of 38 awards given, teledrama ''Ramya Suramya'' won 5 awards, including best actor, director, television series and supporting actress.

2006 Sumathi Awards

The eleventh Sumathi Awards ceremony was celebrated in year 2006, where 38 awards were given at the ceremony under 6 categories. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by

Jayalal Rohana Maha Egodage Jayalal Rohana Perera ( si, ජයලාල් රෝහණ; 1 November 1964 – 11 February 2021), popularly known as Jayalal Rohana, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. Highly versatile actor from drama to c ...

and best teledrama actress was Duleeka Marapana, for the second consecutive time. In popular award category,

won the most popular actor award for the second consecutive time, whereas

Chathurika Peiris Chathurika Jayamani Peiris (born 2 January 1981) ( si, චතුරිකා පීරිස්) is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema and television. She is best known for the roles in television serials ''Sepalika'', ''Swayanjatha'' and ''Hiru Tha ...

won the most popular actress award. The U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was given to, veteran actress

Shanthi Lekha Rita Irene Koys (July 1, 1929 – May 11, 2009), better known as Shanthi Lekha, was a Sri Lankan Film actress. She played the role of mother in more films than any other actress in Sinhala cinema. Personal life Lekha was born in Kalutara on July ...

and popular broadcaster

Shan Wickremesinghe Deshabandu Shanthilal Nilkantha Wickremesinghe, popularly as Shan Wickremesinghe, is a Sri Lankan media mogul, broadcaster, and a Broadcast Engineer. He is the founder of Sri Lanka's first television station, ITN, and the current chairman of ...

. Out of 38 awards given, teledrama ''Theth Saha Viyali'' won 5 awards, including best director, television series, cameraman and supporting actor.

2007 Sumathi Awards

The twelfth Sumathi Awards ceremony was celebrated in year 2006, where 38 awards were given at the ceremony under 6 categories. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by

Janak Premalal Lokupathirage Janak Premalal (born May 15, 1959 as ජනක් ප්‍රේමලාල්) inhala, is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. Highly versatile actor dominated in television, he has acted in more than 20 ...

and best teledrama actress was

Damitha Abeyratne Sedhavi Mudiyanselage Damitha Buddhini Abeyratne Bandara (born September 14, 1975), popularly as Damitha Abeyratne, is a Sri Lankan film and teledrama actress. Biography She schooled at Samudradevi Balika Vidyalaya, Nugegoda and St. Paul’s ...

. In popular award category,

Suraj Mapa Mapa Mudiyanselage Suraj Laksiri (born on 2 January 1980 as සුරාජ් මාපා) inhala, popularly as Suraj Mapa, is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema and television as well as a Teledrama Producer, model, dancer, and a choreographer ...

won the most popular actor award, whereas Oshadhi Hewamadduma won the most popular actress award. The U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was given to, veteran singer

Nanda Malini Mirihana Arachchige Nanda Malini Perera ( Sinhala:නන්දා මාලනී: born 23 August 1943), popularly as Nanda Malini, is a Sri Lankan songstress and playback singer. One of the best known and most honored singers of Sri Lanka, Malin ...

and veteran actor Stanley Perera. Out of 38 awards given, the teledrama ''Katu Imbula'' won 6 awards, including best actor, television series, music director and supporting actor.

2008 Sumathi Awards

The thirteenth Sumathi Awards ceremony was celebrated at the

Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall The Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), ( si, බණ්ඩාරනායක ජාත්‍යාන්තර සම්මන්ත්‍රණ ශාලාව ta, பண்டாரநாயக்க சர்வத� ...

on 14 June 2008. 38 awards were given at the ceremony under 6 categories. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by

Roger Seneviratne Joseph Roger Seneviratne (born 5 May 1962 as රොජර් සෙනෙවිරත්න) inhala, is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television as well as singer and politician by profession. Highly versatile actor who dominat ...

and best teledrama actress was Chandani Seneviratne. In the popular award category,

Roshan Ranawana Roshan Ranawana ( si, රොෂාන් රණවන) (born 23 March 1981) is a Sri Lankan film actor and a model. Ranawana was awarded the most popular actors award at the Derana film awards in 2013. Ranawana made his acting debut with ''Hiri ...

won the most popular actor award, whereas Manjula Kumari won the most popular actress award. The U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was given to, veteran director

Roy de Silva Chathurartha Devadithya Gardiyawasam Lindamulage Roy Aloysius Felix de Silva, popularly known as Roy de Silva (රෝයි ද සිල්වා; 30 August 1937 – 30 June 2018), was a Sri Lankan actor and film director in Sri Lankan cinema a ...

and veteran actor

Rex Kodippili Rex Joseph Kodippili (born 6 October 1938: Sinhala:රෙක්ස් කොඩිප්පිලි) is a Sri Lankan film actor and film director. Primarily acted as a villain for the most of his career, Kodippili appeared in more than 130 ...

. Out of 38 awards given, teledramas ''Rala Bindena Thena'' and ''Sandagalatanna'' won 5 awards each.

2009 Sumathi Awards

The fourteenth Sumathi Awards ceremony was celebrated at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium on 24 October 2009, accompanied by Nature’s Secrets and MassCom Limited. First Lady

Shiranthi Rajapaksa Mahinda Rajapaksa ( si, මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ, ta, மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஷ; born Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa; 18 November 1945) is a Sri Lankan politician. He served as the President of Sri Lanka from 2005 to ...

took part as the chief guest. 41 awards were given at the ceremony under 6 categories. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by Sriyantha Mendis and best teledrama actress was Vasanthi Chathurani. In popular award category, Chandika Nanayakkara won the most popular actor award, whereas Nehara Peiris won the most popular actress award. The U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was given to, veteran actresses Clarice de Silva and Jeevarani Kurukulasuriya.

2010 Sumathi Awards

The fifteenth Sumathi Awards ceremony was celebrated at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium on 16 October 2009 with the participation of Shiranthi Rajapaksa as the chief guest. 40 awards were given at the ceremony under 6 categories. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by Sriyantha Mendis and best teledrama actress was Duleeka Marapana. In popular award category, Chandika Nanayakkara won the most popular actor award for the second consecutive time, whereas Umayangana Wickramasinghe won the most popular actress award. The U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was given to, veteran artist

Sunil Ariyaratne Vidyodaya Vibhushana Sahithya Kala Shiromani Prof. Sunil Ariyaratne Kuruwita Bandara (born 28 July 1949 as සුනිල් ආරියරත්න), popularly as Sunil Ariyaratne, is a Sri Lankan scholar, film director, author, poet and a l ...

and veteran actress

Sriyani Amarasena Kalasuri Palamakumbura Herath Mudiyanselage Sriyani Weerakoon Kumarihami (born 14 June 1944 as ශ්‍රියානි අමරසේන), popularly as Sriyani Amarasena, is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema and television as well as a produ ...

. Out of 40 awards given, the teledrama ''Ridee Ittankaraya'' won 7 awards including the best actress, director, cameraman and supporting actor.

2011 Sumathi Awards

The sixteenth Sumathi Awards ceremony was celebrated at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium on 16 November 2011 with the participation of Shiranthi Rajapaksa as the chief guest. 54 awards were given at the ceremony under 7 categories. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by

Roshan Ravindra Roshan may refer to: People * Roshan (music director) (1917–1967), Indian musician and music director, born Roshan Lal Nagrath * Hrithik Roshan (born 1974), Hindi film actor, son of Rakesh Roshan * Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan (1980–2012), Iranian n ...

and best teledrama actress was Himali Sayurangi. In popular award category,

Saranga Disasekara Saranga Disasekara ( si, සාරංග දිසාසේකර) (born 31 January 1983) is a Sri Lankan actor, singer, model and a host by profession. Saranga was awarded the most popular television actor in Sri Lanka award at Sumathi Awards, Ra ...

won the most popular actor award, whereas

Udari Warnakulasooriya Udari Chamika Warnakulasooriya (born 22 March 1988) is a Sri Lankan actress who appears in Sri Lankan films and television. She is best known for the roles in TV serials such as '' Bonda Meedum'' and ''Pini''. Early life Udari was born on 22 M ...

won the most popular actress award. The U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was given to, veteran actress

Anula Karunathilaka Anula Karunathilaka ( si, අනුලා කරුණාතිලක, born 23 January 1946) is a Sri Lankan film actress and theatrical performer. Her work is noted during the 70s film and cinema history in Sri Lanka. One of the most popular a ...

and veteran singer

Angeline Gunathilake Angelina Rachel de Lanerolle ( si, ඇන්ජලීන් ගුණතිලක; 23 December 1939 – 29 March 2019), popularly known as Angeline Gunathilake or Anjalin Gunathilaka, was a Sri Lankan singer, primarily working as a playback sin ...

. Out of 54 awards given, teledrama ''Thaksalawa'' won 7 awards including best actress, director, television series and supporting actor.

2012 Sumathi Awards

The seventeenth Sumathi Awards ceremony was celebrated at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall on 3 December 2012, accompany with Lux. 50 awards were given at the ceremony under 7 categories. In the best award category,

Dinesh Subasinghe Dinesh Subasinghe (born 10 July 1979, Colombo) is a Sri Lankan composer, violinist, and music producer. He composed ''Karuna Nadee'', a Buddhist oratorio, and re-introduced a lost, ancient musical instrument known as the ''ravanahatha'' to Sri ...

has won the Best Music Director Award.& Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by

Jagath Chamila Jagath Chamila Fernando ( si, ජගත් චමිල: born 6 June 1972) is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theatre and television. He made his film debut in 1992 in the Sinhalese film ''Guru Gedara'', portraying a child. In 2013, he won the aw ...

and best teledrama actress was Samdhi Laksiri. In popular award category, Dananjaya Siriwardana won the most popular actor award, whereas Nadeesha Hemamali won the most popular actress award. The U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was given to, veteran actor

Cyril Wickramage Cyril Wickramage (born 26 January 1932: Sinhala:සිරිල් වික්‍රමගේ) is an actor and director in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television as well as a singer. Wickramage is known for participating mainly in artistic ...

and veteran musician

Victor Rathnayake Rathnayake Arachchilage Victor ( Sinhala: වික්ටර් රත්නායක; born 18 February 1942), popularly known as Victor Rathnayake, is a Sri Lankan singer, composer, lyricist and a renowned musician. He was the first Sri Lankan a ...

. Out of 50 awards given, the teledrama ''Swaynjatha'' won 7 awards including best actress, director, television series and supporting actor.

2013 Sumathi Awards

The eighteenth Sumathi Awards ceremony was celebrated at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall on 30 October 2013 with the participation of Shiranthi Rajapaksa as the chief guest. 52 awards were given at the ceremony under 7 categories. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by Wishwajith Gunasekara and best teledrama actress was

. In the popular award category, Wishwanath Kodikara won the most popular actor award, whereas

Dinakshie Priyasad Baminnahennadige Dinakshie Priyasad (born 18 March 1990) ( Sinhala: දිනක්ෂි ප්‍රියසාද්) is a Sri Lankan actress and television presenter. Priyasad made her acting debut at the age of two in the film ''Apaye Tha ...

won the most popular actress award. The U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was given to, veteran actress

Punya Heendeniya Heendeniya Vidanaralalage Punya Heendeniya (born 31 July 1938: si, පුණ්‍යා හීන්දෙනිය), popularly as Punya Heendeniya, is a former Sri Lankan cinema actress who currently resides in England. Personal life Punya He ...

and veteran musician

Sanath Nandasiri Prof. Sangeeth Nipun Herath Mudiyanselage Sanath Nandasiri (born 15 February 1942): si, සනත් නන්දසිරි) is a Sri Lankan singer, musician, music director, composer and playback singer. He is the current Chancellor of the ...

. Out of 52 awards given, teledrama ''Me Wasantha Kalayay'' won 5 awards including best actress, actress, director and television series.

2014 Sumathi Awards

The nineteenth Sumathi Awards ceremony was celebrated in year 2014, where 57 awards were given at the ceremony under 8 categories. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by Jackson Anthony and best teledrama actress was Paboda Sandeepani. In popular award category, Wishwanath Kodikara won the most popular actor award for the second consecutive time, whereas Ruwangi Rathnayake won the most popular actress award. The U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was given to, veteran composer

Rohana Weerasinghe DR. Rohana Weerasinghe (born February 18, 1949), is a Sri Lankan musician, composer and singer. Early life Weerasinghe was born on 18 February 1949 in Algiriya, Matara in southern Sri Lanka. He was the youngest child to his parents Henry Weer ...

and veteran singer Sujatha Aththanayaka. Out of 57 awards given, teledrama ''Appachchi'' won 9 awards including best actor, actress, director and television series.

2015 Sumathi Awards

The twentieth Sumathi Awards ceremony accompany with Anchor, was celebrated at the

Nelum Pokuna Theatre The Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre ( si, නෙළුම් පොකුණ මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ රඟහල, ''nelum pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa rangahala''; often known as Nelum Pokuna; previously the National Performin ...

on 9 July 2015 with the participation of President

Maithripala Sirisena Maithripala Yapa Sirisena ( si, පල්ලෙවත්‍ත ගමරාළලාගේ මෛත්‍රීපාල යාපා සිරිසේන; ta, பல்லேவத்த கமராளலாகே மைத்திரி� ...

as the chief guest. 53 awards were given at the ceremony under 8 categories. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by

and best teledrama actress was

Thisuri Yuwanika Thisuri Yuwanika Madduma Liyanage ( si, තිසුරි යුවනිකා මද්දුම ලියනගේ; born March 6, 1991), popularly as Thisuri Yuwanika, is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. Started as a ...

. In popular award category, Kavinga Perera won the most popular actor award, whereas

Shalani Tharaka Gonakumbura Pangukarage Shalani Tharaka Wijayabandara ( sinhala: ශලනි තාරකා; born 15 November 1990), popularly known as Shalani Tharaka, is a Sri Lankan actress and model. One of the most popular television actresses in Sri La ...

won the most popular actress award. The U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was given to, popular artist, journalist A. D. Ranjith Kumara and veteran singer Indrani Wijebandara. Out of 53 awards given, teledrama ''Girikula'' won 7 awards including best actor, actress, television series, music director and supporting actress.

2016 Sumathi Awards

The 21st Sumathi Awards ceremony was celebrated at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall on 18 August 2016 with the participation of President

as the chief guest. 55 awards were given at the ceremony under 8 categories. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by Sriyantha Mendis and best teledrama actress was Nilmini Tennakoon. In popular award category, Kavinga Perera won the most popular actor award for the second consecutive time, whereas Ishara Sandamini won the most popular actress award. The U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was given to, veteran actor

Amarasiri Kalansuriya Amarasiri Kalansuriya, (born 20 September 1940: si, අමරසිරි කලංසූරිය), popularly known as Kalan, is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theatre and television. Kalansuriya made his first film appearance alongside Vijaya ...

and veteran actress

Anoja Weerasinghe Paranapalliya Guruge Anoja Kanthi Siriwardena ( Sinhala:අනොජා වීරසිංහ), popularly as Anoja Weerasinghe (born January 21, 1955), is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. One of the most respected film ...

. Out of 55 awards given, teledrama '' Daskon'' won 12 awards including best actor, director, television series, music director and cameraman.

2017 Sumathi Awards

The 22nd Sumathi Awards ceremony was celebrated at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre on 20 September 2017 with the participation of Honorable speaker

Karu Jayasuriya Deshabandu Karu Jayasuriya, MP ( si, කරු ජයසුරිය, ta, கரு ஜயசூரிய; born 29 September 1940) is a Sri Lankan politician. He was the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. Previously he was Mayor of Colo ...

as the chief guest. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by Sumith Rathnayake and best teledrama actress was

Umali Thilakarathne Irudini Umali Thilakarathna () is a Sri Lankan cinema, teledrama and stage actress. She was awarded the best actress in 2017 for her role in "Bohimiyanuwa" in both Sumathi Tele Awards and Raigam Tele Awards. In addition to working in Sri Lanka, ...

. In popular award category, Kavinga Perera won the most popular actor award for the third consecutive time, whereas Nayanathara Wickramaarchchi won the most popular actress award. The U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was given to, veteran actress

Nita Fernando Nita Fernando (born 5 September 1947, නීටා ප්‍රනාන්දු) in Negombo, Sri Lanka is an actress in the Sri Lankan cinema. She has starred in films like '' Duhulu Malak'' and ''Pavuru Walalu''. Biography Early life Nita ...

and

Swarna Mallawarachchi Swarna Mallawarachchi (born 1 August 1948: si, ස්වර්ණා මල්ලවාරච්චි), is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema. Often known as the "Golden star of Sinhalese cinema", Swarna began her acting career whilst still a scho ...

. Out of 43 awards given, teledrama ''Maddahana'' won 9 awards including best actor, director, television series, script and lyrics.

2018 Sumathi Awards

The 23rd Sumathi Awards was held at Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre on 29 August 2018. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by

Shyam Fernando Shyam Fernando ( si, ශ්‍යාම් ප්‍රනාන්දු), is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. He is a dubbing artist and was nominated for several dramatic roles. Career Fernando started his drama car ...

and best teledrama actress was Nadee Kammalweera. In popular award category, Raween Kanishka won the most popular actor award, whereas

won the most popular actress award. The U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was given to, veteran actor

Tissa Wijesurendra Don Bhathiyatissa Wijesurendra (තිස්ස විජේසුරේන්ද්‍ර 3 April 1949 – 11 May 2020), popularly as Tissa Wijesurendra, was a Sri Lankan actor. One of the most popular actors of the 1970s, Wijesurendra played ma ...

and veteran actress

Geetha Kumarasinghe Kumara Vidugalage Dona Geetha Samanmalee Kumarasinghe (born 5 July 1955: si, ගීතා කුමාරසිංහ), popularly known as Geetha Kumarasinghe, is a Sri Lankan film actress and Member of a Parliament. She is the current State M ...

. Out of 43 awards given, teledrama ''See Raja'' won 9 awards including best actor, director, television series, script and lyrics.

2019 Sumathi Awards

The 24th Sumathi Awards was held at Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre on 24 October 2019. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by

Uddika Premarathna Uddika Premarathna (born 16 September 1980; උද්දික ප්‍රේමරත්න) is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema and television. Apart from acting, he is also a singer, TV announcer and a member of parliament. Personal life He i ...

and best teledrama actress was

. In popular award category, Sumiran Gunasekara won the most popular actor award, whereas Nayomi Thakshila won the most popular actress award. The U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was given to, veteran actor Alexander Fernando and veteran actress

Sumana Amarasinghe Denipitiya Vithanage Sumana Amarasinghe ( si, සුමනා අමරසිංහ; 21 February 1948 – 5 June 2022) was an actress in Sri Lankan cinema and television. Highly versatile actress from drama to comedy, she is usually known as th ...

. Out of 43 awards given, teledrama ''Thaththa'' won 9 awards including best director, television series, supportive actor and supportive actress.

2021 Sumathi Awards

The 25th Sumathi Awards was held at Waters Edge on 26 March 2021. The Sumathi Awards Committee has decided to evaluate the creations of the year 2020, even though the awards ceremony scheduled to be held in 2020 had to be postponed due to the global COVID-19 health epidemic rules. Audiences was also able to watch the awards ceremony live on the Sumathi Awards Facebook page on March 26. For the first time, two awards being presented: ''Pulse.lk'' won the Best Digital Award for National Interest while ''Manusath Derana'' won the Best Digital Award for CSR Activation. In the best award category, Sumathi Award for the best teledrama actor was won by Roshan Ravindra and best teledrama actress was Samanalee Fonseka. In popular award category, Sajitha Anuththara won the most popular actor award, whereas Senali Fonseka won the most popular actress award. The U.W. Sumathipala memorial award was given to, veteran actor

Douglas Ranasinghe Morathennage Douglas Ranasinghe (born May 27, 1945, si, ඩග්ලස් රණසිංහ), is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater, and television. He acted in many supportive roles in movies including ''Akkara Paha'', ''Yuganthaya'', '' ...

and veteran actress

Manel Wanaguru Manel Chinthamani Wanaguru ( si, මානෙල් වානගුරු; born 18 October 1951), is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. Personal life Manel Wanaguru was born on 18 October 1951. Her father Dudley Samuel W ...

. Out of 60 awards given, teledrama ''Weeraya Gedara Awith'' won 7 awards including best director, best actor, television series, supportive actress and child actor.

References

{{Reflist

History

Awards given

Best awards

Awards based on popular vote

Commercial awards

Talent awards

Child awards

Special awards

News and Broadcasting awards

Award ceremonies

1995 Sumathi Awards

1996 Sumathi Awards

1997 Sumathi Awards

1998 Sumathi Awards

1999 Sumathi Awards

2000 Sumathi Awards

2001 Sumathi Awards

2002 Sumathi Awards

2003 Sumathi Awards

2004 Sumathi Awards

2006 Sumathi Awards

2007 Sumathi Awards

2008 Sumathi Awards

2009 Sumathi Awards

2010 Sumathi Awards

2011 Sumathi Awards

2012 Sumathi Awards

2013 Sumathi Awards

2014 Sumathi Awards

2015 Sumathi Awards

2016 Sumathi Awards

2017 Sumathi Awards

2018 Sumathi Awards

2019 Sumathi Awards

2021 Sumathi Awards

See also

References