The Telangana Gaddar Film Awards (TGFA) 2025 ceremony was held at the HITEX Convention Centre in Hyderabad on Thursday. The event was attended by Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, Kamal Haasan, Jayasudha, Madhuri Dixit, Rashmika Mandanna, Genelia Deshmukh, Ram Charan, Khushbu Sundar, Naga Chaitanya, and Sobhita Dhulipala, among others. Several members of the state’s political leadership were also present to celebrate Telugu excellence.
The Telangana Gaddar Film Awards are annual film awards instituted in 2025 by the Government of Telangana, named after the revolutionary Telugu poet and balladeer Gaddar. They are presented through the Telangana Film Development Corporation (TFDC) and recognise excellence in Telugu cinema in the years following the formation of the state of Telangana in 2014, replacing the Nandi Awards that were presented by the erstwhile Government of Andhra Pradesh.
The state government revived the awards in 2024 and renamed them after the legendary revolutionary poet and singer Gaddar, with officials stating the change was intended to honour his cultural and artistic contributions.
The winners list, announced earlier this month, spans the full breadth of Telugu filmmaking: from indie darlings to mainstream blockbusters.
The most celebrated aspect of tonight’s ceremony was the array of lifetime and honorary awards for stalwarts of Indian cinema.
The biggest highlight of the night was the NTR National Award for ‘Megastar’ Chiranjeevi. Named in honour of the legendary NT Rama Rao, the award is presented to personalities who have not only excelled in cinema but also elevated the global stature of Indian filmmaking.
The complete roll call of special honours reads like a who’s who of Telugu and Indian cinema: The ANR Award went to veteran actress Jayasudha; the Kantha Rao Award to R. Narayana Murthy; the B. N. Reddy Award to Singeetam Srinivasa Rao; the Paidi Jairaj Award to Kamal Haasan; the Nagireddy-Chakrapani Award to producer Ashwini Dutt; and the C. Narayana Reddy Award to lyricist Suddala Ashok Teja.
Story continues below this ad
This year, awards were presented across 17 categories, reflecting a broad recognition of cinematic excellence. In a notable addition, the government also introduced special awards aimed at encouraging socially conscious cinema, including the Best Social Message Film and the Dr C. Narayana Reddy Special Award.
Megastar #Chiranjeevi :
“మన మరో తెలుగు రాష్ట్రం తెలుగు సినిమాకి ఉత్సాహం పరచడంలో కొంచెం వెనకంజ వేసింది.
చంద్రబాబు నాయుడు గారు కూడా ఆలోచన పెట్టాలని విన్నవించుకుంటున్నాను.”#GaddarAwards pic.twitter.com/TV3YVMOAWq
— Gulte (@GulteOfficial) March 19, 2026
Best Leading Actor – Naga Chaitanya – [Thandel]#GaddarAwards pic.twitter.com/Fms4VOt8Ga
— Gulte (@GulteOfficial) March 19, 2026
Best Leading Actress – Rashmika Mandanna – [The Girlfriend]#GaddarAwards pic.twitter.com/gQhsrzPGUu
— Gulte (@GulteOfficial) March 19, 2026
First Best Feature Film – Raju Weds Rambai.#GaddarAwards pic.twitter.com/P9CIAB9P6j
— Gulte (@GulteOfficial) March 19, 2026
Second Best Feature Film – Dhandoraa #GaddarAwards pic.twitter.com/Rc7B1HYGh9
— Gulte (@GulteOfficial) March 19, 2026
Third Best Feature Film – The Great Pre Wedding Show.#GaddarAwards pic.twitter.com/1sKLQjZu6g
— Gulte (@GulteOfficial) March 19, 2026
Best Director – Sailu – [Raju Weds Rambai]#GaddarAwards pic.twitter.com/7dxRWFtxeW
— Gulte (@GulteOfficial) March 19, 2026
The union of #Nagarjuna and #AnilRavipudi at #GaddarAwards.
Best Screenplay Writer – Anil Ravipudi [Sankranthiki Vasthunnam] pic.twitter.com/YtWxc4ExTG
— Gulte (@GulteOfficial) March 19, 2026
Best Costume Designer – Chandrakanth – [Champion]
Best Makeup Artist – Govind – [Akhanda 2]
Best Art Director – Thota Tharani – [Champion]
Best Choreographer – Sandeep [Gira Gira Gira-champion]
Best Audiographer – M. R. Rajakrishnan – [Kishkindapuri]
Best Editor… pic.twitter.com/tez1DVTTCe— Gulte (@GulteOfficial) March 19, 2026
Special Jury – #GaddarAwards 2025:
Special Jury Film – 23
Special Jury Actor – Chaitu Jonnalagadda – [Raju Weds Rambai]
Special Jury Hero – Roshan – [Champion]
Special Jury Actress – Ananthika – [8 Vasanthalu] pic.twitter.com/6LaZICQXB6— Gulte (@GulteOfficial) March 19, 2026
Kamal Haasan attended the #TelanganaGaddarFilmAwards event. pic.twitter.com/9Bd01gUget
— idlebrain.com (@idlebraindotcom) March 19, 2026
Story continues below this ad
Take a look at the complete list of winners at the Telangana Gaddar Film Awards 2025:
| Category | Film | Recipient | Role | Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Best Feature Film | Raju Weds Rambai | Sri Venu Udugula | Producer | Gold |
| First Best Feature Film | Raju Weds Rambai | Sri Sailu Kampati | Director | Silver |
| First Best Feature Film | Raju Weds Rambai | Akhil Raj Uddamari | Hero | Bronze |
| First Best Feature Film | Raju Weds Rambai | Ms. Tejaswi Rao | Heroine | Bronze |
| Second Best Feature Film | Dandora | Muppaneni Ravindra Benerjee | Producer | Silver |
| Second Best Feature Film | Dandora | Muralikanth Devasoth | Director | Bronze |
| Second Best Feature Film | Dandora | Nandhu | Hero | Bronze |
| Second Best Feature Film | Dandora | Ms. Manika Chikkala | Heroine | Bronze |
| Third Best Feature Film | The Great Pre Wedding Show | Sandeep Agaram | Producer | Bronze |
| Third Best Feature Film | The Great Pre Wedding Show | Rahul Srinivas | Director | Cash Only |
| Third Best Feature Film | The Great Pre Wedding Show | Thiruveer | Hero | Bronze |
| Third Best Feature Film | The Great Pre Wedding Show | Ms. Teena Sravya | Heroine | Bronze |
| Best Feature Film (National Integration) | Thandel | Allu Aravind; Gavara Udaya Srinivasu | Producers | Silver |
| Best Feature Film (National Integration) | Thandel | Chandu Mondeti | Director | Bronze |
| Best Feature Film (Environment/Heritage) | EGWA | Poorna Chand Battu | Producer | Silver |
| Best Feature Film (Environment/Heritage) | EGWA | Sri V K Raju | Director | Bronze |
| Best Debut Feature Film | Little Hearts | Sai Marthand | Director | Silver |
| Best Wholesome Entertainment Film | Sankranthi Ki Vasthunnam | V. Sirish Reddy | Producer | Silver |
| Best Wholesome Entertainment Film | Sankranthi Ki Vasthunnam | Anil Ravipudi | Director | Bronze |
| Feature on Social Messaging | Court | Tipirneni Prashanthi; Ghanta Naveen Babu | Producers | Silver |
| Feature on Social Messaging | Court | Ram Jagadeesh | Director | Bronze |
| Best Special Effects Film | Mirai | Tumbalam Gooty Vishwaprasad | Producer | Silver |
| Best Children’s Film | Anaganaga | Gaddam Rakesh Reddy | Producer | Silver |
| Best Children’s Film | Anaganaga | Sri Sunny Sanjay | Director | Bronze |
| Best Director | Raju Weds Rambai | Sri Sailu Kampati | Director | Silver |
| Best Leading Actor | Thandel | Akkineni Naga Chaitanya | Actor | Silver |
| Best Leading Actress | The Girl Friend | Rashmika Mandanna | Actress | Silver |
| Best Supporting Actor | Dandora | Sivaji | Actor | Bronze |
| Best Supporting Actress | Euphoria | Bhumika Chawla | Actress | Bronze |
| Best Music Director | Dandora | Mark K Robin | Music Director | Silver |
| Best Male Playback Singer | Raju Weds Rambai | Anurag Kulkarni | Singer | Silver |
| Best Female Playback Singer | Kannappa | Sahithi Chaganti | Singer | Silver |
| Best Comedian | Jigris | Krishna Teja Reddy Burugula | Actor | Silver |
| Best Cinematographer | Mirai | Karthik Ghattamaneni | Cinematographer | Silver |
| Best Editor | Mirai | Sreekar Prasad | Editor | Silver |
