Awards & Honours - Current Affairs for February, 2017

Given below is the complete list of Oscar 2017 winners

Belgium captain John-John Dohmen and Netherlands’ Naomi Van were named as male and female International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) Player of the Year (2016) awards respectively.

The Olympic silver medallists Dohmen and Naomi were handed these awards at a ceremony hosted in Chandigarh.

FIH Hockey Stars Awards 2016 were conferred on 23 February 2017 in Chandigarh.

This marks the first time in the history of the sport that the ceremony was held to honour the best players, rising stars, goalkeepers, umpires and coaches.

Awardees for 2016-2017

• Hockey Stars 2016 female Goalkeeper of the Year: Won by Great Britain’s Olympic gold medallist Maddie Hinch.
• Hockey Stars 2016 male Goalkeeper of the Year: won by Ireland’s David Harte. He won the award for the second year in a row.
• Male Rising Star of the Year (2016): Belgium’s Arthur Van Doren
• Female Rising Star of the Year (2016): Argentina’s Maria Granatto
• Coach of Year awards male: Great Britain’s Danny Kerry
• Coach of Year awards female: Great Britain’s Karen Brown
• Umpire of the Year award male: Germany’s Christian Blasch
• Umpire of the Year award female: Belgium’s Laurine Delforge

Karnataka Bank has bagged two ‘IBA-Banking Technology’ awards.

The bank was the winner in ‘Best financial inclusion initiatives (small bank)’ category, and was runner-up in ‘Best use of digital and channels technology (small bank)’ category.

IBA-Banking Technology award recognises and rewards individuals, professionals and banks who have recorded noteworthy technology and business benefits in the previous year.

Karnataka Bank: Know More

• Headquarters: Mangalore
• CEO: Polali Jayarama Bhat (since 14 Jul 2009)
• Founded: 1924
• Motto: Your family bank. Across India
• Number of employees: 7,669

The Ahmedabad-based Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), an acknowledged national resource institute for entrepreneurship education, research, training and institution-building, has received the prestigious International Mercury Awards for the year 2016-17.

This is for the best overall presentation of its 2015-2016 annual report.

Instituted by MerComm, Inc. the world's only independent awards organization, the International Mercury Awards, honour outstanding achievement in professional communications in around 80 countries.

EDII has not only spearheaded entrepreneurship movement throughout India, but over the years has been instrumental in generating industry-specific content and knowledge through original research.

Founded in 1987, the Mercury Awards promote excellence, quality and performance in the various fields of public relations.

The award entertains participation from agencies, associations, corporations, government agencies, nonprofit groups, and organizations from around 80 countries worldwide every year.

Judges from the International Academy of Communications Arts and Sciences (IACAS) evaluate entries on the basis of objectivity, audience connection, use of imagination and original solutions, use of illustration and overall expression of the message.

EDII: Know More

• Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) is an acclaimed International Resource Centre. It is facilitating all facets of Entrepreneurship Development.
• EDII’s mission is to be a catalyst in facilitating emergence of competent first generation entrepreneurs and transition of existing SMEs into growth-oriented enterprises through entrepreneurship education, training, research & institution building.
• EDI’s mission has led to the emergence of several programmes under strategically planned centres to generate awareness, sensitise environment, strengthen institutional linkages and networking and impart training in specialised areas.

Focus Areas

1) Entrepreneurship Education & Research;
2) Micro Enterprises, Micro Finance and Sustainable Livelihood;
3) SMEs & Business Development Services;
4) Cluster Competitiveness, Growth & Technology;
5) Social Entrepreneurship & CSR;
6) Women Entrepreneurship & Gender Studies.

Tata Steel's Katamati iron mine was felicitated with the Best Green Organisation of the Year Award at the Global Green Future Leadership Awards in recognition of its environmental protection measures.

The award was presented at a function organised by World CSR Day on February 18 in Mumbai.

Rahul Kishore, Head (Mining Operations), Katamati Iron Mine, Tata Steel received the award on behalf of Tata Steel from Jordan Reeves, Consul General of Canada in Mumbai/

Katamati iron mine has been engaged in environmental protection efforts for years. It has successfully implemented Environmental Management System as per the requirements of ISO 14001:2004.

TATA Steel has always been committed towards the environment protection.

The focus has always been responsible environmental practices and optimal resource utilisation while upgrading skills of workmen through training as technologies evolve.

The Global Green Future Leadership Awards is for any organisation that participates in environmentally friendly or green activities.

It is awarded to ensure that all processes, products, and manufacturing activities adequately address environmental concerns while maintaining a profit.

Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar has been honoured with the ‘Legendary Award’ by The Brand Laureate.

The Brand Laureate recognises world-class achievement in branding amongst individuals and companies.

The Brand Laureate Legendary Award has been earlier given to the likes of former South African president Nelson Mandela.

Other awardees are Nobel Laureate Mohammad Yunus, Indian businessman Ratan Tata, late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and F1 racer Michael Schumacher.

Lata Mangeshkar: Know More

• Born: 28 September 1929, Indore
• Nickname: The Nightingale of Bollywood
• Awards: Bharat Ratna, Padma Bhushan.

Renowned Hindi litterateur and playwright Surendra Verma has been selected for 2016 Vyas Samman.

This is for his novel Kaatna Shami Ka Vriksha Padma Pankhuri Ki Dhar Se.

This novel was published in the year 2010.

The Vyas Samman is a literary award in India, first awarded in 1991 . It is awarded annually by the K.K. Birla Foundation and includes a cash payout of Rs 250,000 (as of 2005).

To be eligible for the award, the literary work must be in the Hindi language and have been published in the past 10 years.

Usain Bolt and Simone Biles, the 2016 Rio Olympic champions won top awards of ‘Sportsman of the Year’ and ‘Sportswoman of the Year’ at the Laureus World Sports Awards 2017, held in Monaco.

Usain Bolt was conferred with the top honour for the fourth time, equalling the record set by tennis legends Roger Federer and Serena Williams and surfer Kelly Slater.

He received his award from one of the world’s greatest sprinters, Michael Johnson.

Many-times Olympic champion Michael Phelps received the award for ‘Comeback of the Year’ from Boris Becker, former world number one in Tennis.

Phelps who had retired after 2012 London Olympics came back to win 5 gold medals at Rio Olympics.

The Laureus award for ‘Breakthrough of the Year’ was conferred to Formula One World champion Nico Rosberg.

Rosberg who was a runner-up in both 2014 and 2015, finally won the title in 2016, after which he announced his retirement from the sport.

The only quadruple amputee in international wheelchair fencing, Beatrice Vio was honoured with “Sportsperson of the Year with a disability’ trophy.

In other categories, professional racing cyclist Rachel Laura Atherton won the ‘Action Sportsperson of the Year’ award, the American baseball team Chicago Cubs won the Laureus ‘Team of the Year’ award.

The popular football club Leicester City was awarded ‘Spirit of Sport’ award.

Waves for Change- a South African charity was recognised for their outstanding community work with the ‘Sport for Good’ award, and the ‘Sport Inspiration’ award was given to Refugee Olympic Team.

For the first time, sports fans were given a chance to voice their choice in a brand new category – ‘Best Sporting Moment of the Year’ award, which was conferred to Barcelona’s under -12 team.

The ceremony was hosted by popular actor Hugh Grant.

Associated Press photographer Burhan Ozbilici summoned the composure to stand his ground and keep taking pictures, and now his image of gunman Mevlut Mert Altintas looming over the body of Ambassador Andrei Karlov was named World Press Photo of the Year.

Ozbilici's image of a political murder's immediate aftermath was part of a series titled "An Assassination in Turkey" that also won the Spot News - Stories category in the prestigious awards.

The photos were captured in the moments before and after Altintas drew a handgun and shot Karlov at an Ankara gallery on Dec. 19 2016.

The gunman shouted: "Don't forget Aleppo! Don't forget Syria!"

In the winning photo, the assassin, wearing a suit and tie, stands defiantly, pistol in his right hand pointed at the ground and with his left hand raised, his index finger pointing upward.

His mouth is wide open as he shouts angrily. The ambassador's body lies on the floor just behind Altintas.

The winning image was among 80,408 photos submitted to the prestigious competition by 5,034 photographers from 125 countries.

The World Press jury awarded prizes in eight categories to 45 photographers from 25 countries.

The eclectic selection of winners in the photo competition's eight categories highlighted the dominant news topics of the last year _ including conflict in Syria and Iraq, Europe's migrant crisis, the death of longtime Cuban leader Fidel Castro and the Olympic Games in Rio.

AP photographer Vadim Ghirda, based in Romania, won second prize in the Contemporary Issues - Singles category with an emotionally charged photo of migrants crossing a river as they attempt to reach Macedonia from Greece.

Another AP photographer, Felipe Dana, came third in the Spot News - Singles category for his image of an explosion in Mosul, Iraq.

Santi Palacios won second in the General News-Singles category for a photo that ran on the AP wire of two Nigerian children whose mother died on a rescue boat in the Mediterranean Sea of the coast of Libya.

For the first time, the World Press Photo awards for still images were announced at the same time as those for Digital Storytelling in the categories of:

• Innovative Storytelling,
• Immersive Storytelling,
• Long Form and Short Form.

Indian tabla player Sandeep Das is a part of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble ‘Sing Me Home’ that has won the Grammy in ‘World Music’ category.

Yo-Yo Ma’s ‘Sing Me Home’ features tunes composed or arranged by different global artists.

The album was released to accompany a documentary on Ma’s project titled ‘The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and The Silk Road Ensemble’.

NY based Syrian clarinet player Kinan Azmeh, who was recently stranded overseas when U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a ban, was among those who worked on the album.

Yo-Yo Ma’s Sing Me Home features tunes composed or arranged by different global artists as it examines the ever-changing idea of home.

The album was released to accompany a documentary on Ma’s project entitled The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and The Silk Road Ensemble.

Grammy Award winning album White Sun II has a strong Indian connection, too.

With popular names such as Adam Berry, Gurujas and Hari Jiwan Singh Khalsa, this time the band had roped in the noted tabla player Abhiman Kaushal.

White Sun II, which won the 59th Grammy for being the Best New Age Album on 12th Feb 2017, features Kaushal along with Grammy-winning kora player Mamadou Diabate, and violinist Gabe Witcher.

Kaushal, originally from Hyderabad, currently works as the Adjunct Associate Professor at the department of ethnomusicology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Kaushal has accompanied several leading musicians, singers and dancers of North Indian classical music.

He has also recorded a soundtrack for National Geographic's Man Eaters of North India and the movie Zoolander.

Adele, the English pop singer scored a perfect five awards at the 59th Grammy Awards, sweeping the top categories of album, record and song of the year.

She also restarted a tribute to George Michael.

As she accepted the album of the year award for the blockbuster “25,” the singer, born Adele Adkins, paid homage to Beyoncé.

Adele’s hit single “Hello” also collected the song award, which recognizes songwriting, and record of the year, which factors in vocal performance and record production.

In addition, she won the awards for pop vocal album and solo performance.

Beyonce, who received the most nominations this year, won two of her nine categories;

“Lemonade” won for urban contemporary album, and “Formation” won the music video award.

David Bowie’s final album “Blackstar” also picked up five Grammy Awards for alternative music album, rock song, rock performance, engineered nonclassical album and recording package.

Far more direct was the call-out to “President Agent Orange” from hip-hop collective A Tribe Called Quest.

The music was choreographed with people taking the stage in burkas and other attire representing a variety of ethnicities and genders.

Chance the Rapper, also had a big night with three Grammys. In the first award handed out, he was crowned best new artist, solidifying the industry’s broader definition of “record” and “album.”

His first Grammy, in the rap performance category, was for the track “No Problem,” featuring Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz.

Beyoncé was not the only artist with a wide nomination/win gap. Rihanna, Drake and Kanye West had eight nominations each, yet only Drake won a Grammy; his single “Hotline Bling,” won for rap/sung performance.

Comedy album winner Patton Oswalt, nominee and award presenter Margaret Cho and sibling pop duo Jesse & Joy, who won the Latin pop album Grammy for “Un Besito Mas,” also referenced social and political issues.

Country artist Sturgill Simpson, the long-shot overall album-of-the-year nominee for his boundary-pushing effort, “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth,” won the country album category.

Popular musical La La Land took five prizes including best picture at BAFTA, but major awards also went to tough welfare-state drama I, Daniel Blake and fractured-family stories Lion and Manchester by the Sea.

Accepting the best-actress trophy for playing a barista who dreams of Hollywood stardom, Emma Stone said that “this country and the US, and the world seems to be going through a bit of a time.”

The UK awards, known as BAFTAs, are often seen as an indicator of who will win at Hollywood’s Academy Awards, held two weeks later.

La La Land already is a dominant force at the Oscars, with 14 nominations. It also has won seven Golden Globes.

La La Land had 11 nominations for the British awards and won prizes for Stone, director Damien Chazelle, music and cinematography as well as best picture.

Casey Affleck, who played a grieving handyman in Manchester by the Sea won the best male actor.

The wintry New England drama also won Lonergan the prize for best original screenplay.

British actor Dev Patel pulled off an upset, beating favourite Mahershala Ali, from Moonlight, to the best supporting actor trophy for Lion.

He said Lion, which co-stars Nicole Kidman is “a film, about family, about a love that transcends borders, race, colour, anything.

Lion also took the BAFTA for best adapted screenplay.

Ken Loach’s I, Daniel Blake was named best British film.

BAFTA: Know More

• The 70th British Academy Film Awards, and for sponsorship reasons the EE British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs, were held on 12 February 2017.
• Host: Stephen Fry
• Location: The Royal Albert Hall, London, United Kingdom

‘Sexy Durga’ by Malayalam filmmaker Sanal Sasidharan became the first Indian film to win the Hivor Tiger Award.

This International Film Festival of Rotterdam.

The award also includes a cash prize of ₹28.9 lakh (40,000 euros).

Shot without a script in 20 days, the film is about a couple who elopes at night and hitches a ride with men.

Sexy Durga is a road movie that follows the horrifying experience of two hitchhikers, a man and a woman, at the hands of two men, in the dead of the night.

The film was rewarded “for its daring and resourceful approach in creating a mood of constant tension. The particular use of the camera and acting give a sense of immediacy and momentum, while providing an insight into multi-layered power dynamics of gender, class and authority,” said the jury report.

The lead female character is named Durga, which is the name of the goddess.

The realistic film sheds light on the hypocrisy of the society, where women is worshiped in the form of idol and abused in the flesh.

International Film Festival: Rotterdam

• Location: Rotterdam, Netherlands
• Founded: 1972
• Awards: Tiger Award
• Website: http://www.IFFR.com/

Well known Indian-origin British sculptor Anish Kapoor was on 6th Feb 2017 named the winner of a prestigious $1 million Genesis Prize.

This prize was given by Israel for his commitment to Jewish values.

Mr. Kapoor also spoke out against “abhorrent government policies” towards refugees as he was named the recipient of this year’s Genesis prize, dubbed Jewish Nobel.

The prize committee, headed by Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky, acknowledged Mr. Kapoor as “one of the most influential and innovative artists of his generation.”

Mr. Kapoor joins Itzhak Perlman, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and actor-director Michael Douglas as recipients.

Mr. Kapoor said he would use the award money to help alleviate the refugee crisis and try to expand the Jewish community’s engagement in a global effort to aid Syrian refugees.

Stan Polovets, chairman and co-founder of the Genesis Prize Foundation, has said the profound impact of Mr. Kapoor’s work continues a long history of Jewish contribution to the arts.

Alongside, his social activism reaffirms the commitment of the Jewish people to humanitarian causes.

About Genesis Prize

• Outstanding achievement by individuals who have attained excellence and international renown in their chosen professional fields.
• Award is given to those whose actions, in addition to their achievements, embody the character of the Jewish people through commitment to Jewish values, the Jewish community and/or to the State of Israel.
• Date: 2013
• First awarded: 2014
• Official website: www.genesisprize.org
• Also called Jewish Nobel.

Ever since making his Test debut in India in 2006, skipper Alastair Cook has produced some brilliant knocks.

He struck his maiden Test century in the very second innings that he played.

Last year, he became the youngest batsman to reach the 10000 run mark in Test cricket.

He remains to be the leading run-scorer for England in the longest format of the game.

Recently, Alastair Cook was given one of the top 5 British honors.

He received the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) from Prince Charles at the Buckingham Palace in London.