Hyderabad: Eminent novelist Ampasayya Naveen and folk singer Anthadupula Ramadevi will receive this year’s Ponnam Sattayya Lifetime Achievement Awards, instituted by the Ponnam Sattayya Goud Charitable Trust.
Jury finalises selections
The awards, given annually in memory of Ponnam Sattayya, father of state minister Ponnam Prabhakar, honour distinguished writers and artists. This year, the jury chose Naveen for literature and Ramadevi for the arts.
Convener Dr. Ponnam Ravichandra led the selection committee. Members included senior journalist and former Information Ministry commissioner Madabhushi Sridhar, journalist Dilip Reddy, Telangana Language and Culture Department director Mamidi Harikrishna, and writer Anampudi Sri Lakshmi. They submitted their recommendations to Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, who chairs the trust.
In earlier years, the awards went to Naleshwaram Shankaram, Nalimela Bhaskar, and Chandrabose for literature. Oggu Dharmayya, Comrade Vimalakka, and Komuramma of Balagam fame received recognition in the arts.
Ampasayya Naveen’s contribution
Naveen pioneered psychological realism in Telugu literature. His novels stand out for their honesty, social awareness, and exploration of human psychology through issue-based and revolutionary themes.
Anthadupula Ramadevi’s role in Telangana folk culture
Ramadevi has played a central role in Telangana’s cultural life for decades. Through Bathukamma songs, devotional music, and folk ballads, she inspired people during the Telangana movement and earned recognition as a people’s singer.
Awards presentation on September 13
The trust will present the awards on September 13 at Ravindra Bharathi in Hyderabad, marking the 15th death anniversary of Ponnam Sattayya. Each award carries ₹51,000 in cash, a memento, and a citation, according to trust vice-chairman Ponnam Ashok Goud.