National Film Awards 2026 winners to be announced today
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will announce the 72nd National Film Awards in New Delhi today. The ceremony will live stream on PIB's YouTube channel.
by Prachi Arya · India TodayIn Short
- National Awards 2026 winners will be announced today
- An 11-member jury led by Jayaraj reviewed entries from across India
- The announcement was delayed as jurors continued deliberations and managed schedules
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is set to announce the winners of the 72nd National Film Awards today at 5:30 pm at the National Media Centre in New Delhi. The ceremony will be streamed live on PIB India's YouTube channel.
The announcement comes after a delay of nearly two weeks, reportedly because the jury was still finalising its selections. Earlier this month, sources indicated that deliberations were ongoing and that scheduling commitments of a few jury members had contributed to delay.
The 72nd National Film Awards will recognise films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) between January 1and December 31, 2024. The winners were chosen by an 11-member jury chaired by acclaimed filmmaker Jayaraj, which reviewed entries from across the country before submitting its recommendations to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Indian cinema witnessed a remarkable year in 2024, with several films earning both critical acclaim and commercial success across languages. Internationally acclaimed titles such as All We Imagine As Light and Laapataa Ladies brought global recognition to Indian cinema, while box-office hits including Pushpa 2: The Rule, Stree 2, HanuMan, Manjummel Boys and Premalu emerged as some of the year's biggest successes.
Much of the spotlight is on Mammootty, whose acclaimed performance in Bramayugam has positioned him as a strong contender for the Best Actor award. Sai Pallavi is also among the names generating significant buzz ahead of the announcement.
Other notable contenders include Hindi films Article 370, Srikanth and Chandu Champion, Tamil films Maharaja, Meiyazhagan and Amaran, as well as Telugu releases Kalki 2898 AD, Lucky Baskhar and Devara: Part 1.
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