Two Nagaland artistes, Hito Kiho and Ovungbeni Ovung, receive Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for choral music and folk dance
KOHIMA — Two artistes from Nagaland, Hito Kiho and Ovungbeni Ovung, have been conferred the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar by Sangeet Natak Akademi, under the Union Ministry of Culture, for their contributions to choral music and folk dance, respectively.
The awards were presented at a ceremony for the 2024 and 2025 editions of the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar at the Meghdoot Theatre Complex, Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, on Monday.
Ovungbeni Ovung received the award for 2024 in the field of folk dance, while Hito Kiho, leader of the Nagaland Madrigal Singers, was conferred the award for 2025 for his contribution to choral music.
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Congratulating Kiho, Abu Metha, Advisor to the Chief Minister of Nagaland and Chairman of the Investment and Development Authority of Nagaland (IDAN), said his contributions had helped promote music in the state and bring recognition to Nagaland at the national and international levels.
In a social media post, Metha highlighted Kiho’s role in leading the Nagaland Madrigal Singers to gold medals at the World Choir Games in New Zealand, describing the achievement as a source of pride for the state and the country.
He also commended Kiho’s continued efforts to strengthen the state’s music ecosystem, particularly his commitment to training, mentoring and professionalising the next generation of musicians.
Metha congratulated Kiho on the recognition and wished him continued success, acknowledging his contribution to music and his role in inspiring aspiring musicians in Nagaland.