Republic Day 2026: Full List of Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri Winners Announced

On the eve of Republic Day (January 25, 2026), the Government of India announced the Padma Awards, one of the highest civilian honors in the country. President Droupadi Murmu has approved the conferment of 131 awards this year, spanning diverse fields like Art, Social Work, Public Affairs, Science, and Sports.

The 2026 list is particularly notable for its heavy representation from the film industry and sports, alongside 45 "Unsung Heroes" who have made significant grassroots contributions.

---

1. Padma Vibhushan (5 Awardees)

Conferred for exceptional and distinguished service, this is the second-highest civilian award.

• Dharmendra Singh Deol (Posthumous): Legendary Bollywood actor (Art).
• V. S. Achuthanandan (Posthumous): Former Chief Minister of Kerala and veteran CPM leader (Public Affairs).
• K. T. Thomas: Former Supreme Court Judge (Public Affairs).
• N. Rajam: Renowned classical violinist (Art).
• P. Narayanan: Noted academician (Literature and Education).

---

2. Padma Bhushan (13 Awardees)

Conferred for distinguished service of a high order.

• Mammootty: Malayalam cinema megastar (Art).
• Alka Yagnik: Prolific playback singer (Art).
• Vijay Amritraj: Tennis legend and pioneer (Sports).
• Shibu Soren (Posthumous): JMM founder and former Jharkhand CM (Public Affairs).
• Uday Kotak: Veteran banker and industrialist (Trade and Industry).
• Piyush Pandey (Posthumous): Advertising and branding icon (Art).
• Bhagat Singh Koshyari: Former Governor and Uttarakhand CM (Public Affairs).

---

3. Padma Shri (113 Awardees)

Conferred for distinguished service in any field. This category highlights popular figures and grassroots workers.

• Rohit Sharma: Indian Cricket Captain, recognized after leading India to major ICC titles (Sports).
• Harmanpreet Kaur: Indian Women’s Cricket Captain (Sports).
• R. Madhavan: Actor and filmmaker (Art).
• Savita Punia: Indian Women's Hockey goalkeeper (Sports).
• Prosenjit Chatterjee: Tollywood (Bengali) superstar (Art).
• Satish Shah (Posthumous): Beloved veteran actor (Art).
• Mangala Kapoor: Acid attack survivor and social activist (Social Work).

---

Award Breakdown and Diversity

The 2026 honors list reflects a broad demographic and geographic spread:

Key Statistics:

• Women: 19 recipients.
• Posthumous: 16 awards (including Dharmendra and Shibu Soren).
• Foreigners/NRI/OCI: 6 awardees (including Dr. Nori Dattatreyudu from the USA).
• Unsung Heroes: 45 individuals, such as Anke Gowda (a former bus conductor who built a library of 2 million books).