Journalism Awards for Excellence 2009: Winners/Merit Award list

Mervyn de Silva Journalist of the Year

Winner: Namini Nimilamalee Wijedasa

- Lakbimanews

Scoop of the Year

Winner: News Desk - The Sunday Times

Investigative Journalist of the Year

Winner: Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema

- The Sunday Leader

Merit: Raknish Savan Wijewardene

- The Sunday Leader

Best Environmental Reporter of the Year

Winner: Karunaratne Gamage - Irida Divaina

Merit (Tamil): Kulanthaivel Jeyandran

- Thinakkural

Merit (English): Ifhan Nizam

- The Island

Subramaniyam Chettiar Award for Reporting on Social Issues

Winner: Mohamed Hussian Fathima Husna

- Thinakkural

Merit (Sinhala): Ratna B. Ekanayake - Divaina

Merit (English): Solonachchige Chathuri Prarthanie Dissanayake - The Sunday Times

Sports Journalist of the Year

Winner: Channaka de Silva - Daily Mirror

Merit: Mohamed Naushad Amit - The Nation

Merit: Ehamparan Ravivarmah - Metro News

Denzil Peiris Young Reporter of the Year

Winner: Yahalawelge Surekha Sanjeevani Samarasena - Ravaya

Merit: Nadia Fazlulhaq - The Sunday Times

Merit: B. Dianne Geraldine Silva

- Daily Mirror

Photojournalist of the Year

Winner: Hettiarachige Ganasiri Samantha Perera - Daily Mirror

Merit: Sanka Gayashan Vidanagama

- The Sunday Times

Best designed Newspaper of the Year

Winner: Irida Lakbima

Merit (English): The Nation

Merit (Tamil): Metro News

Cartoonist of the Year

Winner: Suppiah Jeyapalan - Virakesari

Merit: Wasantha Kanthilal Siriwardena

- The Nation

Merit: J.M. Kelaart de Silva - The Island

Prof. K. Kailasapathy Award for Reporting Under Special Circumstances

Winner: Sunday Leader newspaper

Merit (Sinhala): M. Mihiri Mangala Fonseka - Irida Lakbima

Merit (Tamil): Arun Arokianathan - Daily Virakesari

Upali Wijewardene Feature Writer of the Year (S/T/E)

Winner (Sinhala): Udani Wijesundara

- Irida Lakbima

Merit (Sinhala): Sanjeewika Samaratunga

- Irida Lankadeepa

Winner (Tamil): Balasubramaniam Kirubharan - Thinakkural

Merit (Tamil): Hassthani Radhakrishnan

- Virakesari (daily)

Winner (English): Ranee Mohamed

- The Sunday Leader

Merit (English): Randima Attygalle

- The Nation

Business and Finance Journalist of the Year (S/T/E)

Winner (Sinhala): Shyam Nuwan Ganewatta

- Divaina/Irida Divaina

Winner (Tamil): Yogarajah Nimalraj

- Thinakkural

Winner (English): Walimuni Cheranka Apeksha Mendis - Daily Financial Times

Merit: Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema

- The Sunday Leader

B. A. Siriwardena Columnist of the Year (S/T/E)

Winner: (Sinhala): Amarasiri Wickramaratne

- Lanka

Merit (Sinhala): Sujeewa Wimalanath Weeraratne - Ravaya

Winner (Tamil): Ayakkannu Titokugan

- Thinakkural

Merit (Tamil): A.H. Siddeque Kariyapper

- Virakesari weekly

Winner (English): Chandani Kirinde

- The Sunday Times

Merit (English): Emil Hals Van Der Poorten

- The Sunday Leader

By nomination: Sepala Gunasena Award for Defending Press Freedom of Sri Lanka

* Main Award to: Lasantha Wickrematunge

* Honorable mention to: Upali Tennakoon, J.S. Tissainayagam, Poddala Jayantha, N. Vithyatharan.

By nomination: D.R. Wijewardene Awad for earning the Appreciation of Peers and the Public

Main Award to: Iqbal Athas. Honorable mention: Shamindra Ferdinando - The Island, Sirimevan Kasthuriarachchi - Daily Divaina, Mihiri Fonseka - Irida Lakbima, Ramesh Warallegama

- Daily Lakbima.