Journalism Awards for Excellence 2025: lifetime achievement awards for five senior journalists

Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to five senior journalists who have served the Sri Lankan media industry for decades, at the Journalism Awards for Excellence 2025 event.

Asoka Goonetilleke began his media career at Lake House in 1976, working in the central news division and the foreign news division. He later joined Upali Newspapers in 1982 and rose to become sports editor of Divaina.

Anura Bandara Rajaguru, an old boy of Colombo Ananda College, began his career at Lake House in 1980 on the Janatha and Yowun Janatha newspapers, and continued working in the media for over four decades.

Chandra Fernando has more than 45 years of experience in the media industry. He began his career in 1977 as an assistant editor on the Thavasa group's Sinthamani and Thinapathi newspapers. Rohan Abeywardena entered journalism in 1980 as a trainee journalist at the Sun Newspaper.

Senior journalist Ariyaratne Ganegoda, born in 1944, stepped into the media industry in mid-1966. The awards were presented to these five in recognition of their long service to Sri Lankan journalism.