So far, the Jnanpith prize has been given to sixty (60) writers, seven of them are women. Sanjay Suri was the most recent recipient of the award in 2021. Sanjay Suri is the most recent Jnanpith award laureate in 2021, having received the honor in 2020. He is a writer and journalist who has worked with The Indian Express since 1995. Before joining The Indian Express, he had an article published in India Today magazine in 1993. The Jnanpith awards are administered by the Department of Culture of the Government of Maharashtra. The awards are given annually for outstanding contributions to literature. The winners are selected by a committee of literary figures appointed by the government of Maharashtra. Of the seven women who have won the award, two were from Maharashtra: one from Marathi language literature and the other from Hindi language literature. The others came from different parts of India including Kashmir, Punjab, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Delhi. In addition to the Jnanpith awards, the Government of Maharashtra also awards another state-level literary prize called the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. This award is given to artists in various disciplines such as music, dance, drama, and film. It was created by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's highest institution for the promotion of music and dance.