The Padma Awards 2026 were announced on Republic Day, honouring 131 distinguished individuals for exceptional contributions to society. Five Padma Vibhushan awards were given to personalities including veteran actor Dharmendra (posthumous), classical violinist N Rajam, and former Kerala CM V S Achuthanandan (posthumous). The Padma Bhushan list features Alka Yagnik, Mammootty, Uday Kotak, Vijay Amritraj, and Piyush Pandey (posthumous).
The Padma Shri honours span diverse fields, with recipients such as Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma, women’s hockey player Savita Punia, and women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar. The awards include 19 women, six foreigners or persons of Indian origin abroad, and 16 posthumous recipients. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the awardees, highlighting their dedication and contribution to nation-building. The awards will be formally conferred by the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan later this year.
