The National Film Awards are the country’s most prestigious honours for outstanding contributions to the field of cinema. Instituted in 1954, these awards are presented annually by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. For over seven decades, these awards have recognised extraordinary creative and technical achievements in Indian filmmaking. They cover three categories: Feature Films, Non-Feature Films, and Writing on Cinema.
The winners of the 72nd National Film Awards (for the year 2024) were announced on July 18, 2026, by the chairpersons of the three respective juries. President Droupadi Murmu will present these awards on September 22, 2026, at Ekta Nagar (formerly Kevadia) in Gujarat.
These awards reflect the rich linguistic, cultural, and regional diversity of filmmaking across the country. They bring together major commercial productions and small independent films on a single national platform. This inclusivity gives the award a unique stature among both filmmakers and audiences.
The National Film Awards are organised across three main categories and a lifetime honour. The Feature Film category is for full-length films. The Non-Feature Film category is dedicated to documentaries, short films, animation, and other allied genres. The ‘Best Writing on Cinema’ category honours the best book and the best film critic. Meanwhile, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award holds a special place as the highest honour in Indian cinema.
Winners of the 72nd National Film Awards
The list below details the major awards of the 72nd National Film Awards. Linguistic awards, technical craft awards, and special mentions are listed separately in the full list. Best Feature Film – Article 370 (Hindi); Producers: Jio Studios and B62 Studios; Director: Aditya Suhas Jambhale
Best Direction – Amaran (Tamil); Rajkumar Periasamy
Best Actor in a Leading Role – Bramayugam (Malayalam) and Chandu Champion (Hindi); Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan (Jointly)
Best Actress in a Leading Role – Article 370 (Hindi); Yami Gautam
Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Bhakshak (Hindi); Sanjay Mishra
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Maharaja (Tamil) and Mithya (Kannada); Sachana Namidas and Ropashree Varkadi (Shared)
Best Debut Film of a Director – Swatantrya Veer Savarkar (Hindi); Randeep Hooda
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment
Kalki 2898 AD (Telugu) – Producer: Vyjayanthi Movies; Director: Nag Ashwin Singireddy
Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social, and Environmental Values
Captain Miller (Tamil) – Producer: Sathya Jyothi Films; Director: Arun Matheswaran
Best Children’s Film – 35 – Chinna Katha Kaadu (Telugu) – Producers: S Originals and Waltair Productions; Director: Nanda Kishore Emani
Best Music Direction – Article 370 (Hindi) – Shashwat Sachdev (Songs); Amaran (Tamil) – G.V. Prakash Kumar (Background Score)
Best Non-Feature Film – Bhangar (Marathi and English); Producer & Director: Sumira Roy
Best Debut Film of a Director (Non-Feature) – Aangan (Santali); Director: Ravi Raj Murmu
Best Documentary – Ram-Nami (Hindi) – Producer: BBP Studio Virtual Bharat Pvt. Ltd.; Director: Bharatbala Ganapathy
Best Direction (Non-Feature) – Statue of Unity – Ekta Ka Prateek (Hindi); Anand L. Opinion
Best Book on Cinema – Naniruvude Nimagagi, Nadiruvude Nanagagi (Kannada); Author: Kanchanuru Pradeep Kumar Shetty; Publisher: Mirror Pustaka
Best Film Critic (Hindi) – Sanjeev Srivastava
Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2024 – The Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2024 will be conferred upon Anant Nag.
In fact, National Film Awards help audiences understand and appreciate the cultures of various regions across the country. By doing so, these awards also foster national unity and integrity. Furthermore, they promote the understanding, study, and appreciation of cinema as an art form. Books, articles, and reviews focused on cinema bring the critical evaluation of this art form to a wide readership.
