The winners of the 72nd National Film Awards will be announced today, July 18, at 5:30 pm at the National Media Centre in New Delhi. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will reveal the winners during a press conference, which will also be streamed live on PIB India's YouTube channel.

The announcement comes after a delay of nearly two weeks, as the jury required additional time to complete its deliberations. Officials had earlier confirmed that the selection process was still underway and urged media outlets to avoid speculation until the final recommendations were submitted.

Films eligible this year

The awards will honour Indian films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024.

An 11-member jury, chaired by acclaimed filmmaker Jayaraj, evaluated entries from across the country before submitting its recommendations to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Strong contenders across languages

The 2024 film slate featured several critically acclaimed and commercially successful films across Indian cinema.

Among the films expected to be in contention are:

  • All We Imagine As Light
  • Laapataa Ladies
  • Pushpa 2: The Rule
  • Stree 2
  • Hanu Man
  • Manjummel Boys
  • Premalu
  • Bramayugam
  • Kishkindha Kaandam

Malayalam cinema is once again expected to have a strong presence after its successful run at last year's National Film Awards.

Mammootty, Sai Pallavi among performers in the spotlight

Much of the pre-announcement buzz surrounds Mammootty, whose performance in ‘Bramayugam’ has been widely praised. Having already won the Kerala State Film Award for the role, he is considered one of the leading contenders in the Best Actor category.

Other performances that have generated significant attention include:

  • Prithviraj Sukumaran for ‘Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life’
  • Kartik Aaryan for ‘Chandu Champion’
  • Sai Pallavi for ‘Amaran’
  • Yami Gautam for ‘Article 370’
  • Shraddha Kapoor for ‘Stree 2’
  • Kani Kusruti for ‘All We Imagine As Light’ and ‘Girls Will Be Girls’
  • Alia Bhatt for ‘Jigra’

Malayalam films eye major honours

Among Malayalam films, ‘Manjummel Boys’ is widely expected to feature prominently. The survival drama enjoyed both critical and commercial success and swept the Kerala State Film Awards, winning Best Film, while Chidambaram received honours for Best Director and Best Screenplay. The film also earned recognition in several technical categories, including cinematography, sound design and art direction.

‘Kishkindha Kaandam’ is another strong contender after earning praise for its screenplay, performances and storytelling.

India's highest film honours

The National Film Awards are India's most prestigious film honours, recognising excellence across feature films, non-feature films and writing on cinema. Awards are presented across acting, direction, screenplay, music, cinematography, editing and various technical categories.

The official list of winners will be announced today at 5:30 pm.