Andhra Pradesh to Revive Nandi Awards, Ceremonies by December 2026

The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to bring back the Nandi Film and Television Awards, with ceremonies for multiple years scheduled to be wrapped up by December 2026.

The decision was announced in Vijayawada on Tuesday by P. Bharat Bhushan, Chairman of the A.P. State Film, Television, and Theatre Development Corporation, along with Managing Director K. Viswanathan.

Under the plan, awards that were previously announced for 2012 to 2016 will be presented. For 2017 through 2024, four awards will be given each year — two Production Awards and two Special Jury Awards — across the film and television categories. The Nandi awards for 2025 will also be presented.

According to the officials, the Nandi Film Awards and the National Film Awards will be held at a ceremony proposed for either Amaravati or Vijayawada, while the Nandi Television Awards will take place in Tirupati.

The award committees are expected to be formed in October, with the selection process following in November and the events slated for December. The government has set December 2026 as the deadline for completing all ceremonies.

The Nandi Film Awards will span 46 categories, covering feature films, films promoting national integration, children's films, documentary and educational films, and the best writings on Telugu cinema. Key honours include Best Feature Film, Second and Third Best Feature Films, and the Best Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress awards.

Winners will receive gold, silver, bronze or copper Nandi statuettes, along with citations and cash prizes. Eight gold medals will also be presented across various categories.

The National Film Awards include the NTR National Film Award, which carries a cash prize of ₹5 lakh, while the B. N. Reddy National Film Award, the Nagi Reddy–Chakrapani National Film Award and the Raghupathi Venkaiah Film Award will each carry ₹2 lakh. Recipients will also get commemorative mementoes and citations.

The Nandi Television Awards will cover 48 categories, including telefilms, TV features, mega serials, daily serials, children's films, documentary films, and programmes on social issues and education. Actors, actresses, supporting actors, comedians, villains, child artistes, directors and screenplay writers will also be recognised. Television awardees will receive Nandi statuettes, citations and cash prizes.