The Raigam Lifetime Award was given to veteran artiste Cyril Wickremage. The Most Popular Actor was Saranga Disasekara while the Most Popular Actress was Udari Warnakulasuriya. The Best Actor of the year was Vishwajit Gunasekara. Chandani Senevirate succeded in clinching the Best Actress Award.

Addressing the Awards Festival, President Maithripala Sirisena said that certain non-Governmental media institutions which accuses the Government of lack of media freedom should inquire from their conscience whether they are properly using the media freedom in the presentation of these programmes.

The pride of development in developed countries in the world lies on the activities and responsibilities built based on their heritages. As a developing country, Sri Lanka should further strengthen the local entrepreneur and the manufacturer. The President said that he believes that within this short span after assuming office, he had succeeded in endowing freedom and democracy to some extent to the people in various fields.

The President asserted that State media should be freed from political power and the freedom in State Television should be clearly portrayed to the people. The President commented that it is the Non-Governmental Media that is talking about democracy and freedom and the rights that should be given to the people. Non-Government institutions, whether they be the radio or television, should ask from themselves whether they had given this freedom to the artistes in their institutions. The President said that if that freedom was given to them, they would be able to do much more in their respective fields.