The Indian Government has announced 131 Padma awards for 2026, which include 5 Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri. Former Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, actor Dharmendra, actor Mammootty, and JMM founder Shibu Soren received the Padma Vibhushan award posthumously.
Sports and Film Personalities Shine at Padma Awards 2026
Playback singer Alka Yagnik, former Uttarakhand CM Bhagat Singh Koshyari, and banker Uday Kotak were honored with the Padma Bhushan. Indian women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been awarded the Padma Shri.
Veteran actor and former MP Murali Mohan was awarded the Padma Shri, alongside the well-known actor Rajendra Prasad. They both received this honour in the arts category for their significant contributions to Indian cinema.
Former captain of the Indian men’s cricket team, Rohit Sharma, along with the current captain of the women’s team, Harmanpreet Kaur, are also present in the list of winners of Padma Shri awards 2026, as announced by the government on Sunday.
Among the recipients, tennis icon Vijay Amritraj will be honored with a Padma Bhushan, while hockey goalkeeper Savita Punia, the late Georgian wrestling coach Vladimir Mestvirishvili, Baldev Singh, Bhagwandas Raikwar, K Pajanivel, and Praveen Kumar will all be awarded Padma Shris.
These prestigious awards are presented by the President of India during ceremonial events typically held at Rashtrapati Bhawan around March or April each year.
Here are the details of the Padma Awards 2026 Major Members:
- Padma Vibhushan (5)
- Awarded for exceptional and distinguished service.
- Dharmendra Singh Deol (Posthumous) – Art (Maharashtra)
- V.S. Achuthanandan (Posthumous) – Public Affairs (Kerala)
- K.T. Thomas – Public Affairs (Kerala)
- N. Rajam – Art (Uttar Pradesh)
- P. Narayanan – Literature and Education (Kerala)
- Popular Padma Bhushan 2026 Recipients (Total 13)
- Mammootty: The Malayalam cinema icon was honoured in the field of Art for his prolific career and contribution to Indian cinema.
- Alka Yagnik: The veteran playback singer received the award in the field of Art for her decades-long impact on Indian music.
- Shibu Soren (Posthumous): The veteran leader and former Chief Minister of Jharkhand was recognised for his long career in Public Affairs.
- Uday Kotak: The prominent banker and industrialist was honoured for his contributions to Trade and Industry.
- Vijay Amritraj: The tennis legend and former player was awarded in the Sports category.
- Piyush Pandey (Posthumous): The advertising visionary was posthumously honoured in the field of Art for transforming Indian brand communication.
- Key Padma Shri Recipients (Total 113)
- Awarded for distinguished service in any field, this list includes prominent figures and unsung heroes.
- Sports: Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar (Cricket), and Savita Punia (Hockey).
- Art: Prosenjit Chatterjee, R. Madhavan, and Satish Shah (Posthumous).
- Social Work/Unsung Heroes: Anke Gowda M. for creating a free library and Armida Fernandez for establishing human milk banks.
- Science & Engineering: Kumarasamy Thangaraj and A.E. Muthunayagam
