The were conferred on Tuesday, 22 September, at a ceremony in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, with President Droupadi Murmu presenting the honours to winners from across Indian cinema.
The ceremony, held against the backdrop of the , marked the first time the National Film Awards were presented outside Delhi.
Veteran actor Anant Nag received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024, recognising his contribution to Indian cinema over a career spanning more than five decades. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had announced the honour ahead of the ceremony, describing Nag’s body of work as an enduring contribution to and Indian cinema.
The biggest feature-film honour went to Article 370, which was named Best Feature Film. The film also brought recognition to its lead actor , who won Best Actress in a Leading Role. Directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale, the film had already emerged as one of the major winners when the awards were announced in July.
The Best Actor in a Leading Role award was shared by Kartik Aaryan for Chandu Champion and for Bramayugam. Aaryan’s win came for his portrayal in the sports drama, while Mammootty was recognised for his performance in the period folk horror film.
Director Rajkumar Periasamy received the Best Director award for , while Randeep Hooda was honoured with the Best Debut Director award for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. Other major feature-film awards included Kalki 2898 AD for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and Captain Miller for Best Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values.
In the supporting acting categories, Sanjay Mishra won Best Supporting Actor for Bhakshak. Ropashree Varkady and Sachana Namidass shared the Best Supporting Actress honour for Mithya and , respectively.
Regional cinema also featured prominently. Srikanth won Best Hindi Film, Mithya won Best Kannada Film, Raayan was named Best Tamil Film, Committee Kurrollu won Best Telugu Film and Feminichi Fathima received the Best Malayalam Film award. Chaalchitra Ekhon, Mukkam Post Bombilwaadi, Maaran and Juiphool won in their respective regional categories.
In the non-feature section, Bhangaar was named Best Non-Feature Film, while Ram-Nami won Best Documentary. received the Best Direction honour in the non-feature category for Statue of Unity: Ekta Ka Prateek.
The 72nd National Film Awards winners were announced on 18 July 2026, nearly two months before the awards were formally conferred on 22 September.
The announced the winners at the National Media Centre in New Delhi, with the announcement led by the chairpersons of the three juries. The awards recognised films certified during the 2024 calendar year.
The formal presentation ceremony was subsequently held at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat, where President presented the honours to the winners.
The awards recognise Indian films certified during 2024, although the winners were announced on 18 July, 2026, ahead of Tuesday’s formal presentation ceremony.
