The Padma Awards 2026 ceremony was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, where President Droupadi Murmu presented the country’s prestigious civilian honours to distinguished personalities from different fields. This year’s awards recognised achievements in cinema, arts, literature, medicine, sports, public affairs and social work.
One of the most emotional moments of the ceremony came when legendary actor Dharmendra was posthumously honoured with the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award, for his immense contribution to Indian cinema. Veteran actress and politician Hema Malini accepted the honour on behalf of her late husband. She was accompanied by daughter Ahana Deol during the ceremony.
Malayalam cinema superstar Mammootty was conferred with the Padma Bhushan for his remarkable contribution to Indian cinema spanning several decades. Singer Alka Yagnik, businessman Uday Kotak and former tennis player Vijay Amritraj were also among the notable recipients of the Padma Bhushan this year.
The Padma Shri category included several prominent names from the entertainment industry. Actor R. Madhavan, Bengali cinema icon Prosenjit Chatterjee, veteran theatre and film personality Anil Kumar Rastogi and actor-director Arvind Vaidya were honoured for their contribution to the arts. Late actor and television veteran Satish Shah also received the Padma Shri posthumously for his contribution to Indian entertainment.
Apart from cinema and arts, the awards recognised contributions from personalities across multiple sectors. Cricketer Rohit Sharma, Indian women’s hockey goalkeeper Savita Punia and cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur were among the sports personalities honoured with the Padma Shri. Several experts from science, medicine, literature, education and social work were also recognised for their exceptional achievements.
The Padma Awards are among India’s highest civilian honours and are presented annually to individuals for distinguished service and outstanding contribution in their respective fields.
