The Raigad Press Club has officially announced the recipients of its 2026 journalism awards, following a district executive committee meeting held recently in Panvel.
The awards will be presented at a felicitation ceremony scheduled for April 8, 2026, at the Adya Krantiveer Vasudev Balwant Phadke Natyagruha in Panvel.
A gathering of the district’s media fraternity
The meeting was chaired by Raigad Press Club President Prashant Gopale and saw the presence of several senior members of the media fraternity.
Among those present were:
Milind Ashtivkar (President, Marathi Patrakar Parishad), Manoj Khambe (Konkan Divisional Secretary), along with former presidents, office bearers, and representatives from across talukas in the district.
Awardees across categories announced
The Press Club has announced awardees across multiple categories, recognising contributions to journalism, media practice, and social engagement.
Key award recipients include:
- Acharya Atre State-Level Editor Award: Kamlesh Sutar (Editor, Zee 24 Taas)
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Umaji Keluskar (Alibag)
- Nishikant Joshi Memorial Journalist Award: Naresh Pawar (Pen)
- Savitribai Phule Women Journalist Award: Trupti Palakar (Panvel)
- Deepak Shinde Memorial Video Journalist Award: Swapnil Dudhane (Panvel)
- Prakash Katdare Memorial Courage in Journalism Award: Ravindranath Ovhal (Pali)
- Santosh Pawar Memorial Young Journalist Award: Shivraj Parte (Poladpur)
- Adv. Janardan Patil Investigative Journalism Award: Vidyanand Ovhal (Karjat)
- Dr Sachin Patil Journalism Award: Shashikant More (Roha)
- Active Journalist Awards: Chandrahass Nagarkar (Mahad), Amulkumar Jain (Murud)
- Special Recognition Awards: Ajay Kadam (Matheran), Ravindra More (Khopoli)
- Social Service Awards: Sahyadri Wildlife Conservation Organisation (Kolad), Help Foundation (Khopoli)
- Labour Journalism Awards: Haresh Sathe (Panvel), Vishwajeet Luman (Roha)
Anniversary and awards to be held together
The felicitation ceremony will coincide with the 21st foundation day of the Raigad Press Club, adding a commemorative layer to the event.
The programme is scheduled to begin at 11:00 am and will be organised by the Panvel Mahanagar Press Club.
A quiet marker of local journalism’s presence
While award ceremonies often pass without wider attention, they remain an important marker of the work being done across districts—often away from the glare of national headlines.
In recognising journalists across categories and geographies, the Raigad Press Club’s annual awards serve as a reminder of the depth and diversity of regional reporting.
