Padma Awards 2026: Dharmendra, Satish Shah, Piyush Pandey honoured

NATIONAL: The government on the eve of Republic Day 2026 unveiled the full list of Padma awardees, celebrating distinguished contributions across cinema, advertising, business and public service. Veteran actors Dharmendra and Satish Shah were honoured posthumously for their enduring impact on Indian film.

Advertising legend Piyush Pandey was also named posthumously for shaping a distinctly Indian voice in the industry. Singer Alka Yagnik, Malayalam superstar Mammootty and banker-turned-industrialist Uday Kotak received the Padma Bhushan for their achievements in music, cinema and finance respectively.

Among the Padma Shri recipients were 75-year-old Anke Gowda and retired deputy inspector general of police Inderjit Singh Sidhu, alongside several grassroots contributors whose work has quietly transformed communities.

The Padma awards: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, remain among India’s highest civilian honours. While the list is traditionally announced on the Republic Day eve, the formal investiture ceremony will be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in March or April.

The full list is attached below:

The nomination window opened on March 15 and closed on 31 July last year, with entries submitted exclusively through the Rashtriya Puraskar Portal: a digital platform designed to make the process open and citizen-driven.

The initiative aims to widen participation and spotlight outstanding achievement across diverse fields. Particular emphasis is placed on recognising talent from marginalised sections, including women, people with disabilities, members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, and individuals driving change at the grassroots.