The official winners for the 26th edition of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards have been formally unveiled through the organization's official Instagram platform. Leading the pack across multiple major honours was director Aditya Dhar's spy action drama Dhurandhar, which dominated both performance and behind-the-scenes disciplines. Alongside its sweep, romantic drama Saiyaara and historical spectacle Chhaava collected key recognitions, while Aryan Khan made an impressive debut in the digital entertainment sector with his streaming production The Bads of Bollywood sweeping several episodic categories.
Top Cinematic Honors in Popular Categories
The headline category of Best Picture went to Dhurandhar, celebrating its production team comprising Jyoti Deshpande, Aditya Dhar, and Lokesh Dhar. Aditya Dhar further solidified the film's standing by taking home the prize for Best Director. In the primary acting competitions, Ranveer Singh lifted the trophy for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in Dhurandhar, while Aneet Padda (credited as Anita Padda) secured the award for Best Actress in a Leading Role following her standout work in Saiyaara.
Veteran talent shone in the supporting lineup as well. Sanjay Dutt earned Best Supporting Actor for his screen presence in Dhurandhar, while Huma Qureshi took the Best Supporting Actress title for Jolly LLB 3. The villainous turn in Dhurandhar delivered an additional victory for Akshaye Khanna, who won Best Actor in a Negative Role. On the international stage, James Cameron, Jon Landau, and 20th Century Studios were awarded Best International Film for Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Music and Screenwriting Accolades
Composers, writers, and vocal artists shared the spotlight with several standout achievements. Shashwat Sachdev received the award for Best Music Direction for Dhurandhar, with Aditya Dhar also bagging the Best Original Story trophy for the espionage film. In the Best Adapted Story bracket, the collaborative writing team of Basharat Peer, Sumit Roy, and Neeraj Ghaywan took the title for Homebound.
The lyrical and vocal resonance of Saiyaara earned repeated trips to the winner roster. Renowned lyricist Irshad Kamil collected the Best Lyrics award, while Faheem Abdullah was declared Best Playback Singer (Male). Shreya Ghoshal claimed the Best Playback Singer (Female) honour for the female reprise version of the track. In the newcomer brackets, the Best Female Debut trophy went to Rasha Thadani for Azaad, while Ahaan Panday earned Best Male Debut for his inaugural work in Saiyaara.
Technical Precision and Craft Achievements
The technical roll call mirrored the expansive visual scale seen in theaters over the past season. Cinematographer Vikash Nowlakha earned the award for Best Cinematography on Dhurandhar. Aditya Dhar expanded his tally of accolades by winning both Best Screenplay and Best Dialogue for the same project. Technical editing laurels went to Shivkumar V. Panicker, while veteran Bishwadeep Chatterjee collected the prize for Best Sound Design on the spy feature.
Period drama Chhaava showcased its audio and visual execution by picking up three coveted craft titles: Alok De won Best Sound Mixing, celebrated composer A. R. Rahman received the Best Background Score honour, and Assemblage Entertainment alongside ReDefine shared the award for Best Visual Effects. In dance staging, Bosco Leslie Martis was awarded Best Choreography for the energetic track Aawan Jaawan from War 2.
Digital Feature Films and Streaming Series
The streaming landscape formed a significant portion of the ceremony, honoring web originals and episodic dramas. In the Digital Feature Film category, Baraoriginala secured both Best Picture and Best Original Story. Director Karan Tejpal won Best Direction for Stolen, which also earned Abhishek Banerjee the Best Lead Actor (Male) title. Sanya Malhotra won Best Lead Actress (Female) for Mrs. Supporting honors went to Monika Panwar for Nishanchi 2 and Avinash Tiwary for The Mehta Boys.
In the digital series contest, The Bads of Bollywood secured top honors for Best Series, while series creator Aryan Khan was named Best Director. Cast members Anya Singh and Raghav Juyal won Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor respectively, and Ujjawal Gupta claimed Best Title Track. The gritty investigation drama Paatal Lok 2 captured Best Original Story alongside dual lead wins: Jaideep Ahlawat took Best Lead Actor (Male) and Tillotama Shome won Best Lead Actress (Female). In nonfiction streaming, The Roshans produced by Netflix Entertainment Services India LLP, Rakesh Roshan, and Shashi Ranjan won Best Docuseries/Docufilm, while BBC Studios, All3Media, and Prime Video earned Best Reality/Non-Scripted for The Traitors.
