The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards 2026 have celebrated some of the biggest achievements in Indian cinema and digital entertainment. The 26th edition of the prestigious awards has attracted attention for the outstanding performance of Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, which emerged as the biggest winner with an impressive 12 awards.
Ranveer Singh won Best Actor for his powerful performance in Dhurandhar, while Aneet Padda received the Best Actress award for her role in Saiyaara. Director Aditya Dhar also enjoyed a successful year, winning several major awards for his work on the spy action thriller.
Apart from these major honours, Saiyaara, Chhaava, Jolly LLB 3, and The Ba**ds of Bollywood also received recognition across different categories. The awards celebrated achievements in acting, direction, music, technical production, digital films, and web series.
From the biggest Bollywood winners to the complete category-wise results, here is everything to know about the IIFA Awards 2026.
What Are the IIFA Awards?
The International Indian Film Academy Awards, popularly known as the IIFA Awards, are among the recognised award platforms celebrating Indian cinema. The awards honour the contributions of actors, directors, producers, musicians, writers, technicians, and other professionals working in the Indian entertainment industry.
Established in 2000, IIFA has developed an international identity by organising award celebrations in different destinations around the world. Its events bring together Indian film personalities, international entertainment professionals, and cinema fans.
The awards recognise achievements across mainstream films and digital entertainment. Categories cover acting performances, filmmaking, music, technical excellence, digital films, and web series.
The IIFA Awards have also helped introduce Indian cinema to international audiences by taking celebrations beyond India and connecting Bollywood with global entertainment markets.
IIFA Awards 2026: Major Highlights
The 26th edition of IIFA delivered several important results, with Dhurandhar leading the winners’ list.
The biggest highlights include:
- Dhurandhar emerged as the biggest winner with 12 awards.
- Ranveer Singh won Best Actor for Dhurandhar.
- Aneet Padda received Best Actress for Saiyaara.
- Aditya Dhar won Best Director for Dhurandhar.
- Akshaye Khanna received recognition for his negative role in Dhurandhar.
- Sanjay Dutt won Best Supporting Actor for the same film.
- Chhaava received multiple technical awards.
- Ahaan Panday and Rasha Thadani won the Best Male Debut and Best Female Debut awards, respectively.
- Aryan Khan’s The Ba**ds of Bollywood received major recognition in the digital series categories.
These results made the 2026 awards particularly memorable for the teams behind Dhurandhar and Saiyaara.
Complete IIFA Awards 2026 Winners List
The winners of IIFA 2026 were announced through the official IIFA Awards social media account. The following list covers the major categories across mainstream films, technical achievements, digital films, and web series.
Popular Category Winners
| Award Category | Winner | Film |
|---|---|---|
| Best Film | Jyoti Deshpande, Aditya Dhar and Lokesh Dhar | Dhurandhar |
| Best International Film | 20th Century Studios, Jon Landau and James Cameron | Avatar: Fire & Ash |
| Best Director | Aditya Dhar | Dhurandhar |
| Best Actor (Leading Role) | Ranveer Singh | Dhurandhar |
| Best Actress (Leading Role) | Aneet Padda | Saiyaara |
| Best Actor (Supporting Role) | Sanjay Dutt | Dhurandhar |
| Best Actress (Supporting Role) | Huma Qureshi | Jolly LLB 3 |
| Best Actor in a Negative Role | Akshaye Khanna | Dhurandhar |
| Best Music Direction | Shashwat Sachdev | Dhurandhar |
| Best Original Story | Aditya Dhar | Dhurandhar |
| Best Adapted Story | Basharat Peer, Sumit Roy and Neeraj Ghaywan | Homebound |
| Best Lyrics | Irshad Kamil | Saiyaara |
| Best Male Playback Singer | Faheem Abdullah | Saiyaara |
| Best Female Playback Singer | Shreya Ghoshal | Saiyaara Reprise |
| Best Female Debut | Rasha Thadani | Azaad |
| Best Male Debut | Ahaan Panday | Saiyaara |
Technical Category Winners
Technical awards recognise the professionals responsible for bringing a film’s creative vision to the screen. Cinematography, screenplay, editing, sound, background music, choreography, and visual effects all contribute to the final viewing experience.
At IIFA 2026, Dhurandhar performed particularly well in the technical categories, while Chhaava also secured important honours.
| Award Category | Winner | Film |
|---|---|---|
| Best Cinematography | Vikash Nowlakha | Dhurandhar |
| Best Screenplay | Aditya Dhar | Dhurandhar |
| Best Dialogues | Aditya Dhar | Dhurandhar |
| Best Editing | Shivkumar V. Panicker | Dhurandhar |
| Best Choreography | Bosco Leslie Martis | War 2 – Aavan Jaavan |
| Best Sound Design | Bishwadeep Chatterjee | Dhurandhar |
| Best Sound Mixing | Alok De | Chhaava |
| Best Background Score | A. R. Rahman | Chhaava |
| Best Visual Effects | Assemblage Entertainment and Redefine | Chhaava |
Digital Film Category Winners
Digital films have become an important part of India’s entertainment industry. Streaming platforms have created opportunities for filmmakers to experiment with different subjects, storytelling formats, and performances.
The IIFA Awards 2026 also recognised achievements in digital filmmaking.
| Award Category | Winner | Film |
|---|---|---|
| Best Picture | Baramulla | Baramulla |
| Best Original Story | Baramulla | Baramulla |
| Best Direction | Karan Tejpal | Stolen |
| Best Leading Performance (Male) | Abhishek Banerjee | Stolen |
| Best Leading Performance (Female) | Sanya Malhotra | Mrs |
| Best Supporting Performance (Female) | Monika Panwar | Nishaanchi 2 |
| Best Supporting Performance (Male) | Avinash Tiwary | The Mehta Boys |
Digital Web Series Category Winners
Web series have changed how audiences consume entertainment. Indian streaming platforms now offer a wide range of crime dramas, thrillers, comedies, documentaries, and reality shows.
At IIFA 2026, The Ba**ds of Bollywood and Paatal Lok Season 2 received important recognition.
| Award Category | Winner | Web Series |
|---|---|---|
| Best Series | The Ba**ds of Bollywood | The Ba**ds of Bollywood |
| Best Direction | Aryan Khan | The Ba**ds of Bollywood |
| Best Leading Performance (Male) | Jaideep Ahlawat | Paatal Lok Season 2 |
| Best Leading Performance (Female) | Tillotama Shome | Paatal Lok Season 2 |
| Best Supporting Performance (Female) | Anya Singh | The Ba**ds of Bollywood |
| Best Supporting Performance (Male) | Raghav Juyal | The Ba**ds of Bollywood |
| Best Original Story | Sudip Sharma, Tamal Sen, Rahul Kanojia and Abhishek Banerjee | Paatal Lok Season 2 |
| Best Docuseries/Docufilm | Rakesh Roshan and Shashi Ranjan, Netflix Entertainment Services India LLP | The Roshans |
| Best Reality/Non-Scripted Show | BBC Studios, All3Media and Prime Video | The Traitors |
| Best Title Track | Ujwal Gupta | Number 1 – The Ba**ds of Bollywood |
Dhurandhar Becomes the Biggest Winner at IIFA 2026
The biggest story of IIFA 2026 was undoubtedly the success of Dhurandhar. Directed by Aditya Dhar and featuring Ranveer Singh in the leading role, the spy action drama secured 12 awards across major categories.
The film’s success highlights the contribution of its cast and the creative professionals working behind the scenes. From direction and screenplay to cinematography, editing, music, and sound design, Dhurandhar received recognition across different aspects of filmmaking.
Ranveer Singh Wins Best Actor
Ranveer Singh received the Best Actor award for his performance in Dhurandhar. Known for his energetic screen presence and ability to transform himself for different roles, the actor delivered another major performance that received recognition at the awards.
His win was one of the biggest highlights of the 2026 IIFA results.
The award also adds another significant achievement to Ranveer Singh’s career, strengthening his position as one of the prominent performers in contemporary Hindi cinema.
Aditya Dhar Wins Best Director
Aditya Dhar emerged as another major winner of the evening. His work on Dhurandhar received recognition in multiple categories, including Best Director, Best Original Story, Best Screenplay, and Best Dialogues.
Winning across these categories reflects his contribution to the film’s storytelling and overall production.
His success also highlights the importance of strong writing and direction in creating a film that connects with audiences and receives industry recognition.
Akshaye Khanna and Sanjay Dutt Receive Acting Honours
Apart from Ranveer Singh, other members of the Dhurandhar cast also received important recognition.
Akshaye Khanna won Best Actor in a Negative Role, while Sanjay Dutt received Best Supporting Actor.
Their awards demonstrate how supporting and antagonist performances can become equally important to a film’s overall impact.
Saiyaara Also Makes a Strong Impression at IIFA 2026
While Dhurandhar dominated the awards, Saiyaara also enjoyed a successful evening.
The romantic drama received recognition for acting, music, and debut performances. Aneet Padda won Best Actress for her leading role, while Ahaan Panday received the Best Male Debut award.
The film’s music also performed strongly in the awards.
Faheem Abdullah won Best Male Playback Singer for the title song of Saiyaara, Shreya Ghoshal received Best Female Playback Singer for the reprise version, and Irshad Kamil won Best Lyrics.
These awards highlight the film’s impact beyond its performances and show how its music contributed to its popularity.
Aneet Padda Wins Best Actress
Aneet Padda’s Best Actress win for Saiyaara was one of the major highlights of the awards.
Her recognition marks an important achievement in her acting career. Winning a leading acting category also brings additional attention to her performance and future projects.
Ahaan Panday Wins Best Male Debut
Ahaan Panday received the Best Male Debut award for Saiyaara.
Debut awards are particularly important for emerging actors because they recognise their first major achievements in the film industry.
His win adds another milestone to the film’s successful awards journey.
Rasha Thadani Wins Best Female Debut
Rasha Thadani received the Best Female Debut award for her performance in Azaad.
The recognition marks an important beginning for the actress and places her among the emerging talents receiving attention in Hindi cinema.
Chhaava Wins Important Technical Awards
Another film that received recognition at IIFA 2026 was Chhaava.
The historical drama secured multiple technical awards, including Best Sound Mixing for Alok De, Best Background Score for A. R. Rahman, and Best Visual Effects for Assemblage Entertainment and Redefine.
These categories highlight the importance of technical excellence in historical and large-scale cinematic productions.
Background music helps establish the emotional atmosphere of a film, while sound mixing creates a balanced and immersive experience. Visual effects also play an important role in presenting large-scale scenes convincingly.
The recognition received by Chhaava demonstrates that IIFA 2026 celebrated contributions beyond acting and direction.
The Ba**ds of Bollywood Leads the Web Series Recognition
Digital entertainment received significant attention at the 2026 IIFA Awards.
Aryan Khan’s directorial debut, The Ba**ds of Bollywood, won Best Series and Best Direction. The show also received recognition for supporting performances by Anya Singh and Raghav Juyal, along with its title track.
Meanwhile, Paatal Lok Season 2 received recognition for its leading performances by Jaideep Ahlawat and Tillotama Shome, along with its original story.
The digital awards also recognised The Roshans as Best Docuseries/Docufilm and The Traitors as Best Reality/Non-Scripted Show.
These results reflect the growing importance of streaming platforms in India’s entertainment industry.
Why the IIFA Awards 2026 Winners Matter for Indian Cinema
The IIFA Awards are not just about celebrating popular actors and successful films. They also provide recognition to writers, editors, cinematographers, sound designers, music directors, and other professionals who contribute to filmmaking.
The 2026 results highlight several important developments in the entertainment industry.
First, the success of Dhurandhar demonstrates how a film can receive recognition across acting, storytelling, and technical production.
Second, Saiyaara highlights the continued importance of music and fresh acting talent in Hindi cinema.
Third, the digital entertainment categories show that web series and streaming films have become an important part of the Indian entertainment landscape.
The recognition of both established performers and emerging artists also demonstrates the changing nature of the industry.
Frequently Asked Questions About IIFA Awards 2026
Who won the Best Actor award at IIFA 2026?
Ranveer Singh won the Best Actor award for his performance in Aditya Dhar’s film Dhurandhar.
Who won Best Actress at IIFA Awards 2026?
Aneet Padda won the Best Actress award for her performance in Saiyaara.
Which film won the most awards at IIFA 2026?
Dhurandhar emerged as the biggest winner at IIFA 2026, securing 12 awards across multiple categories.
Who won the Best Director award at IIFA 2026?
Aditya Dhar won Best Director for Dhurandhar.
Who won the Best Supporting Actor award at IIFA 2026?
Sanjay Dutt won Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Dhurandhar.
Who won the Best Supporting Actress award at IIFA 2026?
Huma Qureshi won Best Supporting Actress for Jolly LLB 3.
Who won the Best Male Debut award at IIFA 2026?
Ahaan Panday won Best Male Debut for Saiyaara.
Who won the Best Female Debut award at IIFA 2026?
Rasha Thadani won Best Female Debut for Azaad.
Who won Best Music Direction at IIFA 2026?
Shashwat Sachdev won Best Music Direction for Dhurandhar.
Which web series won Best Series at IIFA 2026?
The Ba**ds of Bollywood won the Best Series award at IIFA 2026.
Who won Best Background Score at IIFA 2026?
A. R. Rahman won Best Background Score for Chhaava.
Conclusion
The IIFA Awards 2026 celebrated a memorable year for Indian cinema, with Dhurandhar emerging as the biggest winner with 12 awards. Ranveer Singh’s Best Actor victory, Aneet Padda’s Best Actress recognition, and Aditya Dhar’s success across multiple categories were among the biggest highlights.
Meanwhile, Saiyaara received recognition for its performances and music, Chhaava secured important technical honours, and The Ba**ds of Bollywood made a strong impression in the digital series categories.
The winners list also highlights how Indian entertainment continues to evolve, with established film stars, emerging actors, filmmakers, and digital creators all receiving recognition. Overall, IIFA 2026 offered a snapshot of the films, performances, and creative contributions that made an impact across the entertainment industry.
