Padma Awards 2026 Winner List: The Government of India has announced the Padma Awards 2026, recognizing 131 distinguished individuals for their exceptional contribution across diverse fields, including arts, sports, medicine, science, literature, public affairs, social work, trade and industry. The awards, among the country’s highest civilian honours, are announced every year on the occasion of Republic Day. This year’s list features several prominent names, including late Bollywood icon Dharmendra, Malayalam cinema legend Mammootty, playback singer Alka Yagnik, Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma and industrialist Uday Kotak.
Several awards have also been conferred posthumously in recognition of outstanding lifetime contributions.
What Are the Padma Awards?
The Padma Awards are presented in three categories:
Padma Vibhushan
Padma Bhushan
Padma Shri
The Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service of the highest order. The Padma Bhushan honours distinguished service of a high order, while the Padma Shri recognizes distinguished contributions in a wide range of disciplines, including art, sports, public affairs, medicine, education, literature, science, engineering, trade, industry and social work.
131 Awards Approved For 2026
The Padma Awards 2026 comprise:
5 Padma Vibhushan awards
13 Padma Bhushan awards
113 Padma Shri awards
The recipients come from across India and abroad, representing a broad spectrum of professions and achievements.
Padma Vibhushan Winners 2026
Five personalities have been selected for the Padma Vibhushan this year:
| Name | Field | State/Country |
| Dharmendra (Posthumous) | Art | Maharashtra |
| K T Thomas | Public Affairs | Kerala |
| N Rajam | Art | Uttar Pradesh |
| P Narayanan | Literature & Education | Kerala |
| V S Achuthanandan (Posthumous) | Public Affairs | Kerala |
The Padma Bhushan has been awarded to 13 eminent personalities:
| Name | Field | State/Country |
| Alka Yagnik | Art | Maharashtra |
| Bhagat Singh Koshyari | Public Affairs | Uttarakhand |
| K. R. Palaniswamy | Medicine | Tamil Nadu |
| Mammootty | Art | Kerala |
| Nori Dattatreyudu | Medicine | United States |
| Piyush Pandey (Posthumous) | Art | Maharashtra |
| S. K. M. Maeilanandhan | Social Work | Tamil Nadu |
| Shatavadhani R. Ganesh | Art | Karnataka |
| Shibu Soren (Posthumous) | Public Affairs | Jharkhand |
| Uday Kotak | Trade & Industry | Maharashtra |
| V. K. Malhotra (Posthumous) | Public Affairs | Delhi |
| Vellappally Natesan | Public Affairs | Kerala |
| Vijay Amritraj | Sports | United States |
Padma Shri Winners 2026
The Padma Shri category includes 113 recipients from different walks of life. The names released in the official list include:
- A E Muthunayagam (Science & Engineering, Kerala)
- Anil Kumar Rastogi (Art, Uttar Pradesh)
- Anke Gowda M. (Social Work, Karnataka)
- Armida Fernandez (Medicine, Maharashtra)
- Arvind Vaidya (Art, Gujarat)
- Ashok Khade (Trade & Industry, Maharashtra)
- Ashok Kumar Singh (Science & Engineering, Uttar Pradesh)
- Asok Kumar Haldar (Literature & Education, West Bengal)
- Baldev Singh (Sports, Punjab)
- Bhagwandas Raikwar (Sports, Madhya Pradesh)
- Bharat Singh Bharti (Art, Bihar)
- Bhiklya Ladakya Dhinda (Art, Maharashtra)
- Bishwa Bandhu (Posthumous, Art, Bihar)
- Brij Lal Bhat (Social Work, Jammu & Kashmir)
- Buddha Rashmi Mani (Archaeology, Uttar Pradesh)
- Budhri Tati (Social Work, Chhattisgarh)
- Chandramouli Gaddamanugu (Science & Engineering, Telangana)
- Charan Hembram (Literature & Education, Odisha)
- Chiranji Lal Yadav (Art, Uttar Pradesh)
- Deepika Reddy (Art, Telangana)
- Dharmiklal Chunilal Pandya (Art, Gujarat)
- Gadde Babu Rajendra Prasad (Art, Andhra Pradesh)
- Gafruddin Mewati Jogi (Art, Rajasthan)
- Gambir Singh Yonzone (Literature & Education, West Bengal)
- Garimella Balakrishna Prasad (Posthumous, Art, Andhra Pradesh)
- Gayatri Balasubramanian & Ranjani Balasubramanian (Duo, Art, Tamil Nadu)
- Gopal Ji Trivedi (Science & Engineering, Bihar)
- Guduru Venkat Rao (Medicine, Telangana)
- H V Hande (Medicine, Tamil Nadu)
- Hally War (Social Work, Meghalaya)
- Hari Madhab Mukhopadhyay (Posthumous, Art, West Bengal)
- Haricharan Saikia (Art, Assam)
- Harmanpreet Kaur (Sports, Punjab)
- Inderjit Singh Sidhu (Social Work, Chandigarh)
- Janardan Bapurao Bothe (Social Work, Maharashtra)
- Jogesh Deuri (Agriculture, Assam)
- Juzer Vasi (Science & Engineering, Maharashtra)
- Jyotish Debnath (Art, West Bengal)
- K Pajanivel (Sports, Puducherry)
- K Ramasamy (Science & Engineering, Tamil Nadu)
- K Vijay Kumar (Civil Service, Tamil Nadu)
- Kabindra Purkayastha (Posthumous, Public Affairs, Assam)
- Kailash Chandra Pant (Literature & Education, Madhya Pradesh)
- Kalamandalam Vimala Menon (Art, Kerala)
- Kewal Krishan Thakral (Medicine, Uttar Pradesh)
- Khem Raj Sundriyal (Art, Haryana)
- Kollakal Devaki Amma (Social Work, Kerala)
- Krishnamurty Balasubramanian (Science & Engineering, Telangana)
- Kumar Bose (Art, West Bengal)
- Kumarasamy Thangaraj (Science & Engineering, Telangana)
One of the most talked-about inclusions in this year’s honours is Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma, who has been recognised for his contribution to Indian cricket. Women’s cricket star Harmanpreet Kaur has also been honoured, underlining the growing recognition of Indian sportspersons at the national level.
The list further reflects contributions from artists, doctors, scientists, social workers, educators, agricultural experts and public servants from across the country.
Ceremony To Be Held At Rashtrapati Bhavan
The Padma Awards 2026 will be presented by President of India Droupadi Murmu during the Civil Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The event will bring together awardees from across sectors and regions to celebrate excellence, service and achievement that have contributed to India’s development and cultural legacy.
The Padma Awards continue to remain one of the nation’s most prestigious recognitions, honouring individuals whose work has left a lasting impact on society.
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