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The 72nd National Film Awards ceremony will be held at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat's Narmada district on September 22, 2026, marking the first time in decades that the ceremony is being held outside New Delhi.
The state is set to host the prestigious ceremony at the foot of the Statue of Unity (SoU), where President Droupadi Murmu will present awards to the ceremony's 92 winners.
This year's ceremony will mark the first time the ceremony has stepped out of New Delhi in decades. In 1970, the 17th National Film Awards took place at University Centenary Auditorium, Madras (now Chennai).
The Union government has not publicly stated the reasons behind the shift in venue. The shift of venue is notable for several reasons. Among the 72nd edition's awardees is filmmaker Aanand L Rai, who won the Best Direction award in the non-feature category for Statue of Unity — Ekta Ka Prateek, a documentary about the Gujarati landmark near which the ceremony is being held this year.
As per a release issued by the Narmada District Administration on September 7, a temporary venue will be constructed in the bus bay area of the Statue of Unity complex, along with the installation of a German aluminium structural dome as well as seating and other required infrastructure. The ceremony is expected to run for approximately 75 minutes.
Reportedly, preparations have begun at the SoU complex, with the Gujarat government and the Narmada district administration jointly looking over the arrangements, including security, protocol and logistics for the arrival and departure of dignitaries in view of the President's attendance.
The winners of the 72nd National Film Awards were announced in New Delhi on July 18, 2026, recognising excellence in Indian cinema across feature films, non-feature films and writing on cinema. The awards honoured films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) between January 1 and December 31, 2024.
Article 370 emerged as the biggest winner, taking home the Best Feature Film award, while Kartik Aaryan (Chandu Champion) and Mammootty (Bramayugam) shared the Best Actor honour. Yami Gautam won Best Actress for Article 370, and Rajkumar Periasamy was named Best Director for Amaran.