adma Awards 2026: Mammootty, Alka Yagnik Among Stars to Be Honoured Today

India’s biggest civilian honours are set to celebrate some of the country’s most beloved names from cinema, music and theatre this weekend.

From iconic actors to legendary singers and theatre veterans, several stalwarts from the entertainment industry will be honoured at the Padma Awards 2026 ceremony in New Delhi.

President Droupadi Murmu will confer the Padma Awards on May 25 during the first Civil Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan. This year, the Government of India has announced 131 Padma honours, including five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri awards.

Among the most prominent names being honoured this year are late Dharmendra, Mammootty and Alka Yagnik.

Instituted in 1954, the Padma Awards are among India’s highest civilian honours and recognise exceptional contributions across fields such as arts, literature, education, sports, medicine, science, public affairs and social work.

Veteran Hindi cinema legend Dharmendra will be honoured posthumously with the Padma Vibhushan. Widely regarded as one of Indian cinema’s greatest stars, Dharmendra is remembered for classics including Sholay, Chupke Chupke, Satyakam and Phool Aur Patthar.

Malayalam superstar Mammootty will receive the Padma Bhushan for his immense contribution to Indian cinema. The actor has enjoyed a celebrated career spanning Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi films and was earlier awarded the Padma Shri in 1998.

Actor R. Madhavan has been selected for the Padma Shri. Popularly known as “Maddy”, he is known for acclaimed films such as Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, Rang De Basanti, 3 Idiots and Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, which also earned him a National Award.

Late actor Satish Shah will be posthumously honoured with the Padma Shri. Famous for his impeccable comic timing, Satish Shah became a household name through television shows such as Sarabhai vs Sarabhai and Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, besides memorable roles in films like Main Hoon Na and Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!.

Playback singer Alka Yagnik will receive the Padma Bhushan for her decades-long contribution to Indian music. One of Bollywood’s most successful singers, she has delivered countless chartbusters across multiple languages.

Bengali cinema icon Prosenjit Chatterjee has been chosen for the Padma Shri. One of the biggest stars of Bengali cinema, Prosenjit has featured in more than 350 films during a career spanning nearly five decades.

Veteran theatre and film personality Anil Kumar Rastogi will also receive the Padma Shri. Apart from his contribution to theatre, he is known for films such as Ishaqzaade, Mulk and Thappad, while also being recognised for his work in academia and science.

Senior actor and director Arvind Vaidya is another Padma Shri recipient this year. With a career spanning over six decades in theatre and cinema, he is currently popular among television audiences for playing Hasmukh “Babuji” Shah in the hit TV show Anupamaa.