Padma Awards 2026: Dharmendra, V.S. Achuthanandan get Padma Vibhushan posthumously

Rohit Sharma, Mammootty, Harmanpreet Kaur and Alka Yagnik among the notable recipients

Last updated: January 25, 2026 | 18:48

Balaram Menon, Senior Web Editor

2 MIN READ

Add as a preferred source on Google

Dharmendra, V.S. Achuthanandan

Veteran Bollywood actor Dharmendra and former Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan have been posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan as part of the Republic Day 2026 honours. Late JMM founder and former Jharkhand CM Shibu Soren, singer Alka Yagnik and Malayalam superstar Mammootty received the Padma Bhushan, while sportspersons Harmanpreet Kaur, Rohit Sharma and Savita Punia were honoured with the Padma Shri.

131 awards announced

The list includes five Padma Vibhushans, 13 Padma Bhushans and 113 Padma Shri awards, with 16 honours conferred posthumously. Among the recipients, 19 are women, and six are foreigners or NRIs/PIOs/OCIs. Two of the awards are in duo categories, where the honour is counted as one.

Padma Vibhushan recipients

Alongside Dharmendra and V.S. Achuthanandan, the Padma Vibhushan list features:

K.T. Thomas (Public Affairs)
Classical violinist N. Rajam (Art)
P. Narayanan (Literature and Education)

These awards recognise exceptional and distinguished service, the second-highest civilian honour in India.

Padma Bhushan honours

The Padma Bhushan, which honours distinguished service of high order, includes notable names from politics, arts, business and public life:

Shibu Soren (posthumous), former Jharkhand CM
Singer Alka Yagnik
Tennis legend Vijay Amritraj
Malayalam superstar Mammootty
Bhagat Singh Koshyari, former Uttarakhand CM
Nori Dattatreyudu, US-based scientist
Piyush Pandey (posthumous), advertising veteran
Uday Kotak, banker and businessman
V.K. Malhotra, veteran BJP leader and former MP
Vellappally Natesan, Kerala community leader and SNDP Yogam head

Padma Shri winners

The Padma Shri list includes a wide range of personalities from sports, arts and education, including:

Harmanpreet Kaur Bhullar, captain of the India women’s cricket team
Rohit Sharma, former India men’s cricket captain
Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, former UGC chairman and JNU vice-chancellor
Satish Shah (posthumous), veteran actor
Savita Punia, women’s hockey goalkeeper
Prosenjit Chatterjee, Tollywood star

About the Padma Awards

The Padma Awards recognise contributions across fields such as arts, social work, public affairs, science, industry, medicine, literature, sports and civil service. They are presented in three categories:

Padma Vibhushan – exceptional and distinguished service
Padma Bhushan – distinguished service of high order
Padma Shri – distinguished service in any field

This year’s list reflects a wide range of achievements, honouring both established figures and emerging contributors to Indian society.

Balaram MenonSenior Web Editor

Balaram brings more than two decades of experience in the media industry, combining sharp editorial judgment with a deep understanding of digital news dynamics. Since 2004, he has been a core member of the gulfnews.com digital team, playing a key role in shaping its identity. Passionate about current affairs, politics, cricket, and entertainment, Balaram thrives on stories that spark conversation. His strength lies in adapting to the fast-changing news landscape and curating compelling content that resonates with readers.