Padma Awards 2025: Sharda Sinha, Pankaj Udhas, Ajith, Arijit Singh among artistes honoured

New Delhi: Late musicians Sharda Sinha, Pankaj Udhas, Tamil superstar Ajith Kumar, veteran filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and singer Arijit Singh were among 139 recipients of the coveted Padma Awards for the year 2025 announced on the eve of Republic Day.

Folk singer Sinha and noted screenwriter-director M T Vasudevan Nair have been posthumously honoured with Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award for exceptional and distinguished service.

Renowned Ghazal singer Udhas has been posthumously honoured with third highest honour Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of high order.

Kapur, Ajith, Telugu actor Nandamuri Balakrishna, cinema veteran Anant Nag and Bharatnatyam dancer-actor Shobana have also been honoured with Padma Bhushan.

Theatre personality Barry John, known to have played a crucial role in the formative years of stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Manoj Bajpayee, as well as Arijit Singh, veteran Ashok Saraf and four-time Grammy Award-winner Ricky Kej and singer Jaspinder Narula are among the names to be selected for Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award.

Sinha, who died in November 2024, was known as ‘Bihar Kokila’ for her melodious rendition of Chhath and folk songs such as “Kartik Maas Ijoriya”, “Suraj Bhaile Bihaan” and Bollywood hits “Taar Bijli” and “Babul”. She was bestowed with Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, in 2018.

Nair, a literary icon, authored nine novels, 19 short story collections, 54 screenplays, six films, and several essays and memoirs over seven decades. He passed away at the age of 91 in December 2024,

His novel "Naalukettu" is a Malayalam classic, alongside acclaimed works like "Asuravithu", "Manju", and "Kaalam". Nair was honoured with the Jnanpith Award in 1995 and received the Padma Bhushan in 2005.

Renowned Ghazal singer Udhas has been posthumously honoured with Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of high order.

Udhas, who ruled the world of ghazals for several years, was best known for tracks such as “Chitthi Ayee Hai” and “Aur Ahista Kijiye Baatein”. He died in February 2024 after a prolonged illness. In 2006, Udhas was awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award.

Kapur is an influential name in Indian cinema and one of the earliest directors to establish a name for himself in Hollywood with his film "Elizabeth" and its sequel "Elizabeth: The Golden Age".

He has directed critically-acclaimed films such as "Masoom", "Mr India" and "Bandit Queen" in India.

Ajith is one of Tamil cinema's most celebrated stars and has delivered numerous blockbusters that have solidified his superstar status. Known for his versatility and larger-than-life screen presence, Ajith has headlined films like "Veeram", "Vedalam", "Viswasam", "Mankatha", "Valimai", "Billa" and "Thunivu".

Balakrishna is the sixth son of Telugu cinema icon NT Rama Rao and uncle of superstar JR NTR. Fondly called "Balayya" by his ardent fanbase, he has starred in many commercial blockbusters like "Samarasimha Reddy", "Narasimha Naidu" and "Legend".

Nag has appeared in over 300 films, including over 200 Kannada films as well as Hindi, Telugu, Marathi, Malayalam, and English films. He has appeared in plays, parallel cinema, and television shows.

He frequently collaborated with late Shyam Benegal on his critically-acclaimed movies “Nishant”, “Bhumika”, "Manthan”, "Kondra” and “Kaliyug” in the 1970s and 1980s.

Shobana is a renowned Bharatanatyam dancer and has appeared in over 230 films across multiple languages.

She has won two National Film Awards for Best Actress for her exceptional performances in the Malayalam classic "Manichitrathazhu" (1993) and the English film "Mitr, My Friend "(2001).

Renowned violinist L Subramaniam, classical vocalist Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande and sculptor Adwaita Charan Gadanayak have also been named for the Padma awards.

While Subramaniam has been honoured with Padma Vibhushan, Gadanayak and Bhide-Deshpande have been bestowed with the Padma Shri for their respective works.

Kathak doyenne Kumudini Lakhia has been recognised with Padma Vibhushan for her contribution to the classical dance form.

Economist and author Bibek Debroy, who is known for having translated Hindi scriptures such as Mahabharat, Gita, and Valmiki's Ramayan, has been posthumously honoured with Padma Bhushan .

Sattriya exponent Jatin Goswami, who has earlier received the Padma Shri in 2008, has been named for the Padma Bhushan this time.

Other luminaries to receive the Padma Shri include musicologist Bharat Gupt, calligrapher Achyut Ramachandra Palav, poet Chandrakant Sheth (posthumous), Odissi dancer Durga Charan Ranbir, Rajasthani folk singer Begam Batool, and American author Stephen Knapp.

Percussionist Guruvayur Dorai, chef K Damodaran, carnatic vocalist K Omanakutty Amma, poet Ramdarash Mishra, and sculptor Radhakrishnan Devasenapathy will also receive the Padma Shri.

The list comprises seven Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri Awards. 23 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and 13 posthumous awardees.

The awards are announced on the eve of Republic Day every year.