72nd National Film Awards 2026 Winners: Complete List of Award Recipients

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced the highly anticipated 72nd National Film Awards 2026 winners on July 18, 2026, celebrating the finest achievements in Indian cinema. Honoring films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) during the 2024 calendar year, this year's ceremony showcased an incredible blend of massive commercial blockbusters, hard-hitting political dramas, and breathtaking regional art.

Evaluated by an 11-member jury chaired by the acclaimed Malayalam filmmaker Jayaraj, the selection process sifted through over 400 feature film submissions to finalize the ultimate champions of Indian storytelling. From Bollywood to the powerhouse industries of the South, the 2026 list reflects a rapidly evolving cinematic landscape where content and performance reign supreme.

Major Highlights & Defining Triumphs of the Year

The 72nd edition witnessed historic ties, maiden victories, and strong validation for technical marvels across multiple languages.

1. Article 370 Sweeps Top Honors

Aditya Suhas Jambhale’s gripping political thriller Article 370 emerged as the biggest winner of the ceremony. The movie clinched the coveted Best Feature Film title. Lead actor Yami Gautam won her maiden National Film Award for Best Actress, thanks to her powerful performance. The film also secured the Best Music Direction (Songs) title for Shashwat Sachdev.

2. A Historic Best Actor Split: Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan

The Best Actor in a Leading Role category saw a fascinating tie between two vastly different cinematic worlds. Bollywood star Kartik Aaryan earned his first-ever National Award for his physical transformation as Paralympic gold medalist Murlikant Petkar in Kabir Khan’s sports drama Chandu Champion.

He shared the honor with veteran Malayalam superstar Mammootty, who added a historic fourth Best Actor National Award to his legendary career for his eerie, black-and-white performance in Rahul Sadasivan's horror masterpiece Bramayugam.

3. Commercial Epics Claim Creative Space

Nag Ashwin’s mythological sci-fi epic Kalki 2898 AD earned high praise by winning Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment alongside Best Production Design. Meanwhile, Rajkumar Periasamy took home the Best Director trophy for the Tamil blockbuster Amaran, which also won big in technical categories like music and editing.

72nd National Film Awards 2026 Winners: Complete Feature Film List

Below is the definitive, official list of award recipients across the Feature Film categories, showcasing the pinnacle of Indian cinema's creative outputs.

Category	Winner(s)	Film / Work	Language
Best Feature Film	Aditya Dhar & Aditya Suhas Jambhale	Article 370	Hindi
Best Actor (Shared)	Kartik Aaryan & Mammootty	Chandu Champion & Bramayugam	Hindi / Malayalam
Best Actress	Yami Gautam	Article 370	Hindi
Best Director	Rajkumar Periasamy	Amaran	Tamil
Best Supporting Actor	Sanjay Mishra	Bhakshak	Hindi
Best Supporting Actress (Shared)	Ropashree Varkady & Sachana Namidass	Mithya & Maharaja	Kannada / Tamil
Best Feature Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment	Nag Ashwin	Kalki 2898 AD	Telugu
Best Film Promoting National, Social Values	Arun Matheswaran	Captain Miller	Tamil
Best Debut Film of a Director	Randeep Hooda	Swatantrya Veer Savarkar	Hindi
Best Screenplay (Original)	Sukumar	Pushpa 2: The Rule	Telugu
Best Dialogue Writer	Venky Atluri	Lucky Baskhar	Telugu
Best Cinematography	Shehnad Jalal	Bramayugam	Malayalam
Best Music Direction (Songs)	Shashwat Sachdev	Article 370	Hindi
Best Music Direction (Background Score)	GV Prakash Kumar	Amaran	Tamil
Best Male Playback Singer	Abhay Jodhpurkar	Gharat Ganpati (Song: "Navsachi Gauri Mazi")	Marathi
Best Female Playback Singer	Vaikom Vijayalakshmi	ARM (Song: "Angu Vaana Konilu")	Malayalam
Best Editing	R Kalaivannan	Amaran	Tamil
Best Production Design	Nitin Zihani Choudhary	Kalki 2898 AD	Telugu
Best Sound Design	Manas Choudhary	Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3	Hindi
Best Action Direction	Anl Arasu	Maharaja	Tamil
Best Choreography	Vijay Ganguly	Stree 2	Hindi
Best Costume Design	Deepali Noor & Sheetal Sharma	Pushpa 2: The Rule	Telugu
Special Mention	Dhanush & Suren G	Captain Miller & Meiyazhagan	Tamil

Language-Specific Regional Film Winners

The National Film Awards continuously uplift language diversity by designating dedicated space for regional gems that absolute dominance at local box offices and streaming queues.

• Best Hindi Film: Srikanth

• Best Tamil Film: Raayan (Directed by Dhanush)

• Best Telugu Film: Committee Kurrollu

• Best Malayalam Film: Feminichi Fathima

• Best Kannada Film: Mithya

• Best Bengali Film: Chalchitra Ekhon

• Best Marathi Film: Mukkam Post Bombilwadi

• Best Assamese Film: Juiphool

• Best Odia Film: Lahari

  
  

72nd National Film Awards 2026 Winners: Non-Feature Categories & Cinema Writing

Beyond standard theatrical releases, the non-feature section honors documentaries, short animations, and crucial analytical books written by film historians.

Non-Feature Film Categories

• Best Non-Feature Film: Bhangaar

• Best Documentary: Ram-Nami (Directed by Bharatbala Ganapathy)

• Best Short Film (Up to 30 Minutes): Hamsafar

• Best Direction (Non-Feature): Aanand L Rai for Statue of Unity – Ekta ka Prateek

• Best Animation Film: Touched as Water

• Best Biographical or Historical Reconstruction: Kakori

• Best Environment/Social Values Film: Piplantri: A Tale of Eco Feminism

Writing on Cinema

• Best Film Critic (Hindi): Sanjeev Shrivastava

• Best Book on Cinema: Naaniruvude Nimagaagi Naadiruvude Nanagaagi: Kannada Cinemada Thathva Matthu Rajakeeya by Kenchanuru Pradeep Kumar Shetty

  
  

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: Who won the Best Actor trophy among the 72nd National Film Awards 2026 winners?

The Best Actor accolade was jointly awarded to two stellar performers this year: Kartik Aaryan for his career-defining biographical performance in the Hindi film Chandu Champion, and Mammootty for his brilliant portrayal in the Malayalam horror film Bramayugam.

Q2: What was the selection criteria for the movies entering the 2026 awards?

To eligible for the 72nd edition, the films had to be certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024. The final verdicts were handed down by a specialized 11-member national jury.

Q3: Which movie won the Best Feature Film award this year?

The highly acclaimed political thriller drama Article 370, directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale, won the Best Feature Film category.

Q4: How many National Awards did Yami Gautam have before this win?

This marks the very first National Film Award win for Yami Gautam, earned for her incredible lead role in Article 370.

Stay Tuned with the Directorate of Film Festivals

The official presentation ceremony will be held later this winter at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, where the President of India will personally present the Rajat Kamal and Swarna Kamal medals to all the celebrated artists.

To explore detailed portfolios of past galas, read official jury citations, or check out full broadcasting schedules, utilize the resources below:

• Official Updates Portal: Visit the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to download the official press releases and structural breakdowns.

• Archive & Cinematic Research: Browse through the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) to look over past directories and heritage project logs.

• Direct Event Broadcasts: Watch live updates, red carpet files, and state assemblies directly via Doordarshan National Official Channel on the presentation day.