Sahitya Akademi Awards 2025 Announced for 24 Indian Languages

Sahitya Akademi Honours 24 Authors Across Languages and Genres

The Sahitya Akademi has announced the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2025 , recognising exceptional literary works across 24 Indian languages . The awards span diverse genres such as poetry, novels, short stories, essays, memoirs, literary criticism, and autobiography, highlighting India’s rich multilingual literary tradition and creative diversity.

Selection Process and Evaluation

The award process began in January 2025 following a public call for nominations issued on 30 January. Eligible works published within the prescribed period were considered across all recognised languages.

Expert juries comprising eminent writers and scholars evaluated submissions in each language. Their recommendations were reviewed and approved by the governing body of the Sahitya Akademi , ensuring a rigorous and transparent selection process focused on literary excellence.

Distribution Across Literary Genres

A total of 24 works have been selected for the 2025 awards. Poetry emerged as the most represented category with eight awards , followed by four novels and six short story collections .

Other categories include two essay collections, two memoirs, one autobiography, and one work of literary criticism . This distribution reflects a balanced recognition of both creative and reflective literary forms across Indian languages.

Notable Award-Winning Works

Among the prominent winners, Navtej Sarna received the award in English for the novel Crimson Spring . In Hindi, Mamta Kalia was honoured for her memoir Jeete Jee Allahabad .

In Malayalam, N. Prabhakaran won for the novel Maayaamanushyar . Other recognised works include Shrestha Kabita by Prasun Bandyopadhyay in Bengali, Bhattkhadaki by Yogesh Vaidya in Gujarati, and Animesha by Nandini Sidha Reddy in Telugu.

In literary criticism, Sa. Tamilselvan was recognised for Thamiz Sirukathaiyin Thadangal , while Raju Baviskar received the award for his autobiography Kalyanilya Resha .

Award Components and Ceremony

Each awardee will receive a copper plaque, a shawl, and a cash prize of ₹1,00,000 . The awards will be formally presented at a ceremony scheduled on 31 March 2026 in New Delhi .

The recognition celebrates literary excellence while promoting cultural expression across India’s diverse linguistic landscape.

Exam-Focused Points

• The Sahitya Akademi presents annual awards in 24 Indian languages .

• The Akademi was established in 1954 .

• Each award includes a plaque, shawl, and ₹1 lakh prize money .

• The 2025 awards cover genres like poetry, novels, short stories, memoirs, and criticism.

• The award ceremony will be held on 31 March 2026 in New Delhi .