Sangeet Natak Akademi, the national academy for music, dance and drama has selected 33 young artists of India who have made a mark in their respective fields of performing arts for Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar 2008.
Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar carries a purse money of Rs 25,000/. The Yuva Puraskar will be presented at a special ceremony, presided over by the Chairman, Sangeet Natak Akademi in the coming months.

The Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, given to artistes below the age of 35 years, was introduced in the year 2006 with the objective of identifying and encouraging outstanding young talents in diverse fields of performing arts and giving them national recognition early in their life, so that they may work with greater commitment and dedication in their chosen fields.

Carnatic music artistes who are to be honoured include V.Sumitra and Manasi Prasad for Carnatic Vocal Music and C.S.Balabhaskar (Violin) and B.S.Purushotham (Kanjeera) for Carnatic Instrumental Music.

In classical dance, the artistes to be honoured are Gayatri Balagurunathan (Bharatanatyam), Gauri Diwakar (Kathak), Vijaykumar N. (Kathakali), Bimbavati Devi (Manipuri), Rahul Acharya (Odissi), Arunima Kumar (Kuchipudi), Meernanda Barthakur (Sattriya), and Purvadhanshree (Other Major Traditions of Dance - Vilasani Natyam).