Some of India’s biggest names from cinema, music and theatre are set to be honoured at the Padma Awards 2026 ceremony in New Delhi. President Droupadi Murmu will present the honours during the first Civil Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan today, on May 25.
This year, the Government of India has announced 131 Padma Awards in total, including five Padma Vibhushan honours, 13 Padma Bhushan awards and 113 Padma Shri recognitions. The honours celebrate people who have made remarkable contributions in fields ranging from arts and literature to sports, science, medicine and public service.
Among the biggest names to be honoured this year is late actor Dharmendra, who will be awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously. Widely regarded as one of Hindi cinema’s most iconic stars, Dharmendra delivered memorable performances in films like Sholay, Chupke Chupke and Phool Aur Patthar. His journey in Indian cinema stretched across decades, and his work continues to be loved by generations of moviegoers.
Padma Awards for 2026 unveiled
From Dharmenda, Alka Yagnik, Satish Shah to Mammootty, the list of Padma awardees include prominent personalities as follows:
- Dharmendra – Padma Vibhushan (Posthumous)
- Satish Shah – Padma Shri (Posthumous)
- Alka Yagnik – Padma Bhushan
- Mammootty – Padma Bhushan
- Prosenjit Chatterjee – Padma Shri
- Madhavan Ranganathan – Padma Shri
- Piyush Pandey – Padma Bhushan (Posthumous)
The list also features singers, actors and artists from the field of art. Take a look below:
- N Rajam
- Shatavadhani R Ganesh
- Anil Kumar Rastogi
- Arvind Vaidya
- Bharat Singh Bharti
- Bhiklya Ladakya Dhinda
- Bishwa Bandhu (Posthumous)
- Chiranji Lal Yadav
- Deepika Reddy
- Dharmiklal Chunilal Pandya
- Gadde Babu Rajendra Prasad
- Gafruddin Mewati Jogi
- Garimella Balakrishna Prasad (Posthumous)
- Gayatri Balasubramanian and Ms Ranjani Balasubramanian (Duo)
- Hari Madhab Mukhopadhyay (Posthumous)
- Haricharan Saikia
- Jyotish Debnath
- Kalamandalam Vimala
- Menon
- Khem Raj Sundriyal
- Kumar Bose
- Prof (Dr) Lars-Christian Koch
- Maganti Murali Mohan
- Mir Hajibhai Kasambhai
- Nuruddin Ahmed
- Othuvaar Thiruthani
- Swaminathan
- Pokhila Lekthepi
- R Krishnan (Posthumous)
- Raghuveer Tukaram Khedkar
- Rajastapathi Kaliappa
- Goundar
- Sangyusang S Pongener
- Sarat Kumar Patra
- Simanchal Patro
- Taga Ram Bheel
- Tarun Bhattacharya
- Thiruvaarur Bakthavathsalam
- Tripti Mukherjee
- Yumnam Jatra Singh (Posthumous)
For those unaware, the Padma Awards are among India’s highest civilian honours and are presented to individuals for their outstanding contributions in different fields.
Padma Vibhushan – Awarded for exceptional and distinguished service
Padma Bhushan – Given for service of a very high order
Padma Shri – Presented for notable contributions across any field
Also read: Padma Awards: Dharmendra, Satish Shah and Piyush Pandey named for posthumous honours
