The 72nd National Film Awards will be held on September 22 at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat, marking the first time the prestigious ceremony will move out of Delhi. President Droupadi Murmu will present the honours to winners at a venue near the Statue of Unity.
The 72nd National Film Awards will make history this year as the prestigious ceremony moves out of Delhi for the first time in its long history.
The awards ceremony will be held on September 22, 2026, at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat's Narmada district, close to the iconic Statue of Unity.
The decision marks a major change for one of India's most important film award ceremonies.
Since the National Film Awards were introduced in 1954, Delhi has remained the traditional setting for the presentation ceremony for most of its history.
The 72nd edition will now take the event to Gujarat, bringing leading names from Indian cinema to the Statue of Unity complex.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced the official list of winners on July 18, 2026.
President Droupadi Murmu will present the honours to the winners during her visit to Gujarat.
The awards honour the finest achievements in Indian Cinema for films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) during the 2024 calendar year.
According to reports, a large temporary German aluminium structural dome is being constructed in the Bus Bay area of Gujarat to accommodate the ceremony.
The venue is expected to host around 1,000 guests, including dignitaries and prominent personalities from the Indian film industry.
The biggest honour, Best Feature Film, went to Article 370. The film also brought recognition to Yami Gautam, who won Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance.
Mammootty shared the Best Actor in a Leading Role award for Bramayugam and Kartik Aryan for Chandu Champion.
Their joint win is among the most talked-about results from this year's awards.
The Best Director award went to Rajkumar Periasamy for the Tamil film Amaran.
The film was among several major commercial and critically recognised movies that received honours this year.
Other major films recognised at the awards include Kalki 2898 AD, Pushpa: The Rule Part-02, Stree 2, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, Captain Miller and Maharaja.
Holding the ceremony at Ekta Nagar gives the National Film Awards a setting very different from its traditional Delhi venue.
Ekta Nagar, formerly known as Kevadia, is best known for the Statue of Unity, the towering monument dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
The monument has become one of Gujarat's most prominent landmarks and a major destination for visitors.
The connection is particularly notable because a film about the Statue of Unity is also among the works being recognised at this year's ceremony, giving the location an additional connection to the event.
The move also places the National Film Awards outside India's traditional cinema centres.
While Delhi has long been the administrative home of the ceremony, cities and states such as Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kerala have played enormous roles in the development of Indian cinema.
That is why the decision has generated both excitement and questions within the industry.
For some, the move represents an opportunity to take a major national cultural event beyond Delhi.
For others, the choice of Gujarat raises the question of why a state with an even stronger direct association with the film industry was not selected.
The September 22 ceremony will be more than just the presentation of this year's trophies.
It will also mark a significant change in the way the National Film Awards have traditionally been staged.
With President Droupadi Murmu presenting the awards, dozens of winners are being honoured, and hundreds of guests are expected at the specially constructed venue.
Whether the move becomes a one-time change or signals a wider decision to hold future National Film Awards ceremonies in different parts of the country remains unclear.
The government has not yet announced whether future editions will also be held outside Delhi.
