National Film Awards to get a new venue every year, government releases statement

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has said the National Film Awards will now be held in different parts of the country instead of being confined to the national capital. The announcement came a day after the ministry said the 72nd National Awards will be held in Gujarat.

Ever since the awards began, the honours have been presented in Delhi by the President. This year, the presentation is scheduled to take place on September 22, marking a break from that long-standing practice.

In a statement, the ministry said, "In a major policy initiative, it has been decided by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to hold National Film Awards in various parts of the country taking beyond National Capital. The ceremony at Ekta Nagar this year will bring together cinematic talent from across India, embodying the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’."

The 72nd edition is likely to be held in Ekta Nagar in Gujarat, which is home to



the Statue of Unity.

The proposed venue would mark a shift from the recent practice of holding the ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi, where the President has traditionally presented the awards to the winners. President Droupadi Murmu is expected to present the awards during her Gujarat visit later this month, and is likely to travel to Ekta Nagar as part of that visit.

The 72nd National Film Awards were announced in New Delhi in July. The awards recognised films released in 2024, with Article 370 winning Best Feature Film and Yami Gautam being named Best Actress. Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan shared the Best Actor award. In the non-feature category, Aanand L Rai won Best Direction for Statue of Unity – Ekta ka Prateek.

With the ceremony set for September 22 in Gujarat, the ministry has indicated that the National Film Awards will hereafter be hosted in different parts of the country, moving the event beyond Delhi after decades of tradition.