Ethno-musicologist Saman Lenin is honored with prestigious Bunka Award to merit his music career. The Bunka Award is presented annually by the Japan Sri Lanka Friendship Cultural Fund (JSFCF) which was established in 1993, on the initiative of the Japanese Solidarity Association and the Japanese Commerce and Industry Association in Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan.

The Bunka Awards are aimed to encouraging and promoting Sri Lankan artists with artistic talents in such fields as drama, theatre, dance, music, painting, sculpture, pottery, photography, lyric writing, literature, video animation and visual arts.

Saman Lenin who is popular in Sri Lanka as an pioneer of Sri Lankan folk music, and incorporates traditional folk tunes into his music. Within the short career in the music industry he has sung over 100 songs. He is considered as one of the most talented folk artists in Sri Lanka.