National Film Awards 2026: 72-Year Tradition Is Moving Out Of Delhi, But There's More To This Venue Story

This year's National Film Awards ceremony 2026 will be marked in history. The winner list was announced in July. Some big names in Indian film industry will come together on September 22, 2026, to be honoured with the awards, and they won't be going to Delhi this year.

72nd National Film Awards ceremony will take place in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, thus breaking decades-long tradition. President Droupadi Murmu is expected to award the winners at the event.

National Film Awards 2026 Date And Venue

72nd National Film Awards ceremony 2026 is planned to take place on September 22 in Ekta Nagar, previously called Kevadia, in Gujarat's Narmada district. This year the venue will be Statue of Unity complex.

Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi has been the traditional venue of National Film Awards ceremony for many years. It first took place in 1954 and continued to be organised there. 17th National Film Awards ceremony is an exception that took place in Chennai in 1970.

Why is The Ceremony Being Conducted in Gujarat Instead of Delhi?

Naturally, the decision to hold the ceremony in Gujarat has made people wonder why the event is not being held in Delhi. As per a report by India Weekly, this change may be attributed to the upcoming visit of President Droupadi Murmu to Gujarat. However, there has been no official announcement yet, and hence, it cannot be considered a confirmed reason for now.

National Film Awards to be held outside Delhi for the first time.> It will be hosted in Gujarat. In Ekta Nagar, home to the Statue of Unity First time ever, India's biggest film honours move out of Delhi. twitter/RqpKmzN2re

- The Analyzer (News Updates️) (@Indian_Analyzer) September 7, 2026

What is most interesting about the venue of this year's event is its relation to one of the awarded movies. Indeed, Statue of Unity appears in the awarded non-feature movie, Statue of Unity – Ekta Ka Prateek by Aanand L Rai.

Yami Gautam, Mammootty, and Kartik Aaryan among Biggest Winners

On July 18, the results of the competition have been announced. Article 370 has become the winner of the Best Feature Film category Actress went to Yami Gautam for her role in the film.

The Best Actor award has been given to Mammootty for his role in Bramayugam and Kartik Aaryan for his performance in Chandu Champion. Rajkumar Periasamy received the Best Director award for Amaran, and Kalki 2898 AD became the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.

The 72nd National Film Awards winners are out! From Article 370 taking home Best Feature Film to Yami Gautam winning Best Actress and Kartik Aaryan and Mammootty sharing the Best Actor honour, here's a look at the biggest names celebrated this year.#72ndNationalFilmAwards... twitter/H4cZaU9OZf

- IIFA (@IIFA) July 19, 2026

Now, all eyes are on September 22. With a new venue, a major list of winners and the Statue of Unity setting the stage, the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony is set to open a new chapter in the awards' long history.

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