First-Time National Award Winners List 2026: Actors And Cast Who Stole The Show
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The 72nd National Film Awards 2026 bestowed the Indian film industry with due recognition for its excellent performance in various languages and genres of films. But the most special thing about this year’s National Film Awards function was that, along with recognising the experienced film stars, there were many new winners of the National Film Awards who had won for the first time in their lives. The first-time winners of the 2026 National Film Awards are listed below.
72nd National Film Awards 2026: First-Time And Major Winners
| Award Category | Winner / Film | Details and Contribution |
| Best Actor (Leading Role) | Kartik Aaryan (Chandu Champion) | Earned his first National Award for his intense physical transformation and emotional portrayal of Murlikant Petkar. |
| Best Actress (Leading Role) | Yami Gautam (Article 370) | Claimed her maiden National Award for her powerful leading performance in the socio-political drama. |
| Best Debut Director | Randeep Hooda (Swatantrya Veer Savarkar) | Won his first directorial honour for helming the biographical period film. |
| Best Supporting Actor | Sanjay Mishra (Bhakshak) | Awarded his first National Honour for his grounded, impactful supporting role. |
| Dadasaheb Phalke Award | Anant Nag | Honoured with India's highest cinematic award for over five decades of legendary contributions to Kannada and Hindi cinema. |
| Best Direction | Rajkumar Periasamy (Amaran) | Secured his first Best Director award for directing the biographical war drama. |
| Best Dialogue Writer | Venky Atluri (Lucky Baskhar) | Earned his maiden National Award for sharp, engaging dialogue writing. |
| Best Feature Film | Article 370 | Emerged as the biggest winner, taking top honours alongside Best Actress and Best Music. |
| Multiple Category Wins | Chandu Champion & Bramayugam | Secured major accolades across acting and technical categories, including Best Actor and Best Cinematography. |
| Technical Excellence | Amaran | Dominant performance with awards for Best Direction, Best Editing, and Best Background Score. |
| Best Popular Film | Kalki 2898 AD | Awarded for providing wholesome commercial entertainment on a grand scale. |
| Best Social Values Film | Captain Miller | Recognised for promoting national and social values. |
| Best Hindi Film | Srikanth | Named the Best Feature Film in Hindi. |
| Best Telugu Film | Committee Kurrollu | Won the Best Feature Film in Telugu. |
| Best Tamil Film | Raayan | Named the Best Feature Film in Tamil. |
| Best Malayalam Film | Feminichi Fathima | Named the Best Feature Film in Malayalam. |
Which Actors Won Their First National Award In 2026?
Kartik Aaryan
Secured his first National Film Award for Best Actor (Leading Role) for his dedicated physical transformation and emotional portrayal in Chandu Champion.
Yami Gautam
Claimed her maiden Best Actress (Leading Role) win for her intense, leading performance in the socio-political drama Article 370.
Randeep Hooda
Marked his debut as a director by winning the Best Debut Director honour for the biographical film Swatantrya Veer Savarkar.
Sanjay Mishra
Earned a well-deserved first National Award for Best Supporting Actor for his powerful, grounded performance in Bhakshak.
Anant Nag
The actor is an experienced Indian film actor and a former politician who is famous for his versatile acting roles both in Kannada-language films and the parallel Hindi cinema industry.
Prominent Directors And Writers Earning First National Honours
Rajkumar Periasamy
Won the Best Direction award for helming the biographical action drama Amaran.
Venky Atluri
Received his first National Award for Best Dialogue Writer for the period financial drama Lucky Baskhar.
Which Films Won Major National Awards For The First Time?
Article 370
Emerged as the biggest winner of the night, securing the coveted Best Feature Film award alongside Best Actress and Best Songs.
Chandu Champion and Bramayugam
Featured prominent wins across acting and technical categories, including Best Actor and Best Cinematography.
Amaran
Stole the show with multiple wins, including Best Direction, Best Editing, and Best Background Score.
72nd National Film Awards 2026: Other Major Winners
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Kalki 2898 AD
Best Film Promoting National & Social Values: Captain Miller
Best Hindi Film: Srikanth
Best Telugu Film: Committee Kurrollu
Best Tamil Film: Raayan
Best Malayalam Film: Feminichi Fathima
Why These First-Time Wins Are Significant
The 72nd National Film Awards have shown that there is more emphasis on the quality of performance and story rather than just star power. The debut awards received by actors such as Kartik Aaryan and Yami Gautam reflect the great decisions they have made for their careers, and awards received by seasoned artists like Sanjay Mishra prove the same.
Conclusion
The 72nd National Film Awards turned out to be a remarkable one for first-time winners who revolutionised their craft through the big screen. With mainstream actors and debutant directors being honoured alongside seasoned artists, the award show recognised the rich talents behind the success of Indian cinema.
Image credits: Instagram
Stay tuned for more such stories at Her Zindagi.
- Q1: Who won the Best Actor award at the 72nd National Film Awards 2026?
- Kartik Aaryan (Chandu Champion) shared the Best Actor honour with Mammootty (Bramayugam).
- Q2: Which film won Best Feature Film at the National Film Awards 2026?
- Article 370 won the award for Best Feature Film.
- Q3: Which award did Randeep Hooda win at the 72nd National Film Awards?
- Randeep Hooda won his first National Award for Best Debut Director for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar.
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