Padma Awards 2026: The highly anticipated Padma Awards for 2026 were announced on Sunday on the eve of Republic Day, recognising the impeccable contributions made by civilians in various fields, including art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, and civil service, among others. While five persons will be presented with the Padma Vibhushan, 13 will receive the Padma Bhushan, and 113 will receive the Padma Shri.
In the field of art, iconic Bollywood actor Dharmendra, who passed away in November 2025, will be conferred with a posthumous Padma Vibhushan. One of the most celebrated actors in the history of Hindi cinema, he won the Padma Bhushan in 2012. Legendary Malayalam actor Mammootty, ace playback singer Alka Yagnik, and advertising legend Piyush Pandey have been named as recipients for the Padma Bhushan.
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Meanwhile, actors R Madhavan, Prosenjit Chatterjee, and Satish Shah will receive the Padma Shri. The awards will be conferred by President Droupadi Murmu at a ceremonial event, which will be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan later this year.
Widely regarded as an actor par excellence, Dharmendra was often called the “He-Man” of Bollywood, thanks to his many memorable action roles. Hailing from a village in Ludhiana district of Punjab, he was born to a school teacher in 1935. While his family had no links to the film industry whatsoever, Dharmendra harboured acting dreams from a young age. After winning a talent hunt in 1958, he made his film debut in 1960 at the age of 25 and subsequently became one of the most successful stars in Bollywood, delivering more hits than even Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.
Mammootty, meanwhile, is often regarded as one of the most celebrated and revered actors in the history of Indian cinema. He has won a record three National Film Awards for Best Actor, the second-most by any thespian, an honour he shares with Kamal Haasan and Ajay Devgn. He has acted in over 400 films across various languages.
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One of the most popular playback singers in Indian cinema, Alka Yagnik has sung thousands of songs in various film industries across the country. Piyush Pandey, who passed away in October of last year, was one of the most influential creative minds in the Indian advertising scene.
