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AWARDS AND HONOURS - January 2025

Jan 2025

May 25, 2026

Violinist N Rajam to receive Padma Vibhushan

N Rajam, renowned Hindustani classical violinist associated with Gayaki Ang, has been named for the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award. The Republic Day honours list is announced each year on the eve of Republic Day by the Government of India. Rajam, born in 1938 in Chennai, is celebrated for integrating Carnatic and Hindustani styles and for a long academic tenure at Banaras Hindu University. The Padma awards recognise achievements across arts, science, and public service, underscoring Rajam’s influence on Indian classical music and pedagogy.

Padma Vibhushan recipient: N Rajam
Born 1938, Chennai; known for Gayaki Ang violin style
Long tenure at Banaras Hindu University (BHU)
Padma awards announced on eve of Republic Day
Significant contribution to Indian classical music

May 24, 2026

Taiwan Travelogue wins 2026 International Booker Prize; first Mandarin work to win

Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ, translated by Lin King, won the 2026 International Booker Prize, the prize's 10th edition. It is the first Mandarin work to win the award. The author and translator are the first Taiwanese winners. The prize money is £50,000 to be split between author and translator. Judges described the novel as captivating and slyly sophisticated. The book presents a fictional travel memoir set in 1930s Japan-occupied Taiwan, with two main characters touring Taiwan through food. The win continues a recent trend of translated works gaining global recognition, following the title's 2024 National Book Award for translated literature.

Winner: Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ, translated by Lin King.
First Mandarin Chinese work to win the International Booker Prize.
Prize money: £50,000 to be shared between author and translator.
Story: a fictional travel memoir set in 1930s Japan-occupied Taiwan focusing on a culinary tour.
Previous recognition: 2024 National Book Award for translated literature.

Padma Shri for Kantha embroidery artist Tripti Mukherjee

Kantha embroidery artist Tripti Mukherjee will receive the Padma Shri, India’s high civilian award, on 25 May 2026. She hails from West Bengal and has spent nearly four decades promoting Kantha craftsmanship, creating livelihoods for rural women. Born on 28 April 1966, she drew early inspiration from her mother. The Padma Shri is conferred by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, at an official ceremony. Mukherjee’s work has helped preserve traditional handicrafts, supported women artisans through skill development, and kept Kantha embroidery alive in contemporary design markets.

Recipient: Tripti Mukherjee, Kantha embroidery artist.
Award: Padma Shri, 25 May 2026 ceremony.
Origin: West Bengal; decades of promoting Kantha embroidery.
Birthdate: 28 April 1966.
Impact: preservation of traditional crafts; empowerment of rural women artisans.

May 21, 2026

Indian-Origin Scientists Receive Order of Mapungubwe

Two Indian-origin public health scientists were honoured with South Africa’s Order of Mapungubwe on 20 May 2026 in Pretoria. Professor Salim Abdool Karim received the Order in Gold for his work in medical science and public health, while Professor Keertan Dheda received the award in recognition of his contributions. The Order of Mapungubwe is South Africa’s highest civilian honour and acknowledges excellence with direct benefit to the country and the world. Abdool Karim serves as director of CAPRISA and is a professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. His HIV/AIDS, TB, and COVID‑19 epidemiology work is cited in the citation.

Award presented on 20 May 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa.
Order of Mapungubwe is South Africa’s top civilian honour.
Abdool Karim received Gold class; Dheda honoured as well.
Abdool Karim leads CAPRISA and works in HIV/AIDS, TB, and COVID‑19 epidemiology.

May 18, 2026

Padma Awards 2026: President to confer honours on May 25

President Droupadi Murmu will confer Padma Awards for 2026 on 25 May at Rashtrapati Bhavan, as announced by the Home Affairs Ministry. A total of 131 Padma Awards have been announced, including five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri. Among the awardees, 19 are women, and 16 will be posthumous. The Padma Awards recognize distinguished service across fields such as arts, literature, education, science, public affairs and industry. The civil investiture ceremony marks one of India’s highest civilian honours, conferred annually on Republic Day or special occasions.

Date of ceremony: 25 May 2026; location: Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Total awards: 131 (5 Vibhushan, 13 Bhushan, 113 Shri).
Notable demographics: 19 women recipients; 16 posthumous awards.
Fields recognized: arts, literature, education, science, public affairs, industry.
Significance: among India’s premier civilian honours.

May 11, 2026

Archibald Prize 2026 Held; Richard Lewer Wins

The Archibald Prize 2026 was awarded on 8 May 2026 to Melbourne‑based artist Richard Lewer for a portrait of Pitjantjatjara Elder Iluwanti Ken. The prize carries a cash award of $100,000. The Archibald Prize is Australia’s premier portraiture award, established in 1921 and administered by the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The winner was selected from 1,034 entries. Lewer is a six‑time Archibald finalist, with previous nominations in 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2025, and 2026. The winning portrait highlights Indigenous representation in contemporary Australian art.

Winner: Richard Lewer, 8 May 2026
Prize: $100,000
Subject: Pitjantjatjara Elder Iluwanti Ken
Entries: 1,034; Prize administered by Art Gallery of New South Wales
Lewer: six‑time Archibald finalist
Significance: Indigenous representation in art

Kuljeet Kaur Marhas Becomes First Indian Woman Fellow of The Meteoritical Society

Kuljeet Kaur Marhas was elected a Fellow of The Meteoritical Society for 2026 on 9 May 2026, becoming the first Indian woman to receive this international honour in meteoritics and planetary science. She is affiliated with the Planetary Science Division of the Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad. The Society recognises researchers for work on meteorites, planetary materials, and Solar System studies. Marhas has studied short‑lived radionuclides and stable isotopes in extraterrestrial materials, including pre‑solar grains, Calcium‑Aluminium‑rich Inclusions, chondrules, and organic matter in meteorites, contributing to cosmochemistry and early Solar System research.

Fellowship announced: 9 May 2026
First Indian woman fellow in meteoritics (The Meteoritical Society)
Affiliation: Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad
Research areas: radionuclides, isotopes, cosmochemistry
Impact: recognition in planetary science

Archibald Prize Exhibition Opens in Sydney

The Archibald, Wynne, and Sulman Prizes exhibition opened on 9 May 2026 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney. The show features 59 finalist works across three prize categories and runs through 16 August 2026. The Archibald Prize draws significant public and media interest in portraiture, with works from leading Australian artists alongside emerging talents. The concurrent Wynne and Sulman Prizes showcase landscape and narrative painting. The 2026 exhibition emphasizes diversity in subject matter and technique while attracting international attention to Australia’s contemporary art scene.

Opening date: 9 May 2026
Venue: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
Finalists: 59 across Archibald, Wynne, Sulman Prizes
Exhibition runs until 16 August 2026
Focus: diversity in portraiture and contemporary art
Public and media interest high

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