Highlights
Conferred in three categories – Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, Padma Awards honour notable contributions in different disciplines such as art, public affairs, trade and industry, science and engineering, and literature and education.
‘Padma Vibhushan’ represent exceptional and distinguished service, ‘Padma Bhushan’ note distinguished service of higher order and ‘Padma Shri’ honour distinguished service in any field. They are usually announced on the occasion of Republic Day on January 26.
The President of India confers Padma Awards at ceremonial functions. For 2025, the President has green-lit conferment of 7 Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri. Let’s take a quick look at some of the celebrities honoured.
1. Sharda Sinha
Hailing from Bihar, Sharda Sinha predominantly sang in Maithili and Bhojpuri languages. Considered Bihar Kokila, she has sung many folk songs.
IG: instagram.com/shardasinha_official/
2. M T Vasudevan Nair
Popular Indian author and film director, M T Vasudevan Nair has made great contributions to post-independence Indian literature and modern Malayalam literature.
3. Ajith Kumar
Predominantly seen in Tamil cinema, Ajith Kumar has already starred in 61 films and received numerous accolades for his performances.
4. Nandamuri Balakrishna
Recently seen in ‘Daaku Maharaaj’, Nandamuri Balakrishna is an Indian actor, film producer and politician. He has made notable contributions to Telugu cinema.
5. Anant Nag
Anant Nag is famous for his performances in Kannada films. He has been part of more than 300 projects, including 200 Kannada films and others in different languages.
6. Pankaj Udhas
Pankaj Udhas has made his name as an Indian ghazal and playback singer. His notable projects include, ‘Na Kajare Ki Dhar’, ‘Mat Kar Itna Guroor’, and ‘Rishta Tera Mera’.
7. Shekhar Kapur
Shekhar Kapur is an Indian filmmaker. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a BAFTA, Golden Globe, Filmfare and multiple national honours.
IG: instagram.com/shekharkapur/
8. Arijit Singh
Arijit Singh is a prominent Indian playback singer and music composer. He has recorded songs in different Indian languages, predominantly in Hindi and Bengali.
IG: instagram.com/arijitsingh/
9. Barry John
Barry John is an English-born Indian theatre director, actor and acting coach. Some of his students are prominent actors such as Shah Rukh Khan and Manoj Bajpayee.
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