Prateek Tanmay
3 min readUpdated: May 25, 2026 05:44 PM IST
Padma Awards 2026: President Droupadi Murmu presented the Padma Awards 2026 to the winners during an event held at the Ganatantra Mandap in Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, on Monday, May 25. The event was attended by Vice President CP Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, among others.
On the occasion, the President honoured iconic Bollywood actor Dharmendra, who passed away in November 2025, with a posthumous Padma Vibhushan. His second wife, actor-politician Hema Malini, accepted the award on his behalf, appearing visibly emotional. On the Padma Awards’ official website, he was cited as “one of the most versatile and successful actors in the history of the Hindi film industry. Popularly known as the ‘He-Man’ of Bollywood. [He] left an indelible influence through 300 films.” Dharmendra was conferred with the Padma Bhushan in 2012.
#WATCH | Delhi | Padma Vibhushan awarded to legendary veteran actor late Dharmendra by President Droupadi Murmu
BJP MP Hema Malini received the honour awarded to her late husband and legendary actor for his contribution in the field of Arts
(Video source: President of… pic.twitter.com/HglPJJAXRl
— ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2026
Mammootty, Alka Yagnik to get Padma Awards
In the field of arts, legendary Malayalam actor Mammootty, ace playback singer Alka Yagnik, and advertising legend Piyush Pandey (posthumous) were honoured with the Padma Bhushan. While Mammootty and Alka are yet to accept the honours, Piyush Pandey’s wife, Nita Pandey, arrived to receive the Padma Bhushan for him.
Actors R Madhavan, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Satish Shah, Murali Mohan, and Rajendra Prasad will also be awarded the Padma Shri. Madhavan, however, is not present on the occasion.
What are the Padma Awards?
The Padma Awards recognise the impeccable contributions made by civilians in various fields, including art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, and civil service, among others. In 2026, a total of five persons were awarded the Padma Vibhushan, 13 the Padma Bhushan, and 113 the Padma Shri.
During the May 25 ceremony, the President conferred two Padma Vibhushans, six Padma Bhushans, and 58 Padma Shri awards. The remaining awards will be distributed in the second round of the ceremony to be held later. The awards were announced on the occasion of Republic Day in January.
