The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has announced the 72nd National Film Awards, the country’s highest recognition for achievement in cinema. The winners were declared on 18 July 2026, and the President of India will present the awards on 22 September 2026 at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat. The awards honour films certified during 2024 across feature films, documentaries, short films, animation and writing on cinema.
Award Details and Categories
The 72nd National Film Awards span three main sections. The Feature Film section includes 26 categories with special mentions, while the Non-Feature Film section covers 16 categories. A separate section recognises the best book and best film critic on cinema. Winners in feature and non-feature films receive either the Swarna Kamal (gold medal) with a cash prize of Rs 3,00,000, or the Rajat Kamal (silver medal) with Rs 2,00,000. Best writing on cinema receives the Swarna Kamal with Rs 1,00,000.
Article 370 won the Best Feature Film award. Yami Gautam received the Best Actress in a Leading Role award for the same film, while Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan shared the Best Actor in a Leading Role award. Rajkumar Periasamy won Best Direction for the Tamil film Amaran. Other major awards included Best Children’s Film, Best Cinematography, Best Music Direction and Best Costume Design across all languages listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest honour in Indian cinema, will be presented to veteran actor Anant Nag for 2024. He receives a Swarna Kamal medal along with Rs 10,00,000. Anant Nag has acted in over 300 films across six Indian languages and won five Filmfare Awards and five Karnataka State Best Actor Awards.
What This Means for You
If you work in cinema or related arts, a National Film Award offers credibility and opens doors for future projects. The award recognises films that meet the nation’s highest standards and brings them to wider audiences beyond initial release circles. For audiences, the awards serve as a guide to films of artistic merit and social relevance across all Indian languages. The shift of the awards ceremony from Delhi to different states and cities means the recognition of cinema will now travel across the country, giving filmmakers outside major entertainment hubs greater visibility on a national platform.