The first-ever Indian National Cine Academy Awards will take place in Mumbai on April 16, 2026. Filmmaker Karan Johar and actor Rana Daggubati will host the grand awards night, adding glamour and excitement to the prestigious event.
Moreover, the ceremony aims to celebrate excellence in Indian cinema while bringing together talent from across multiple film industries.
25 Categories Across 12 Indian Languages
Recently, the nominations for the inaugural INCA Awards were announced. This year, the awards span 25 categories, highlighting achievements across Indian cinema.
The four main awards include:
- Best Film
- Best Director
- Best Actor
- Best Actress
These honours will be presented across 12 Indian languages. Additionally, 21 other categories will recognise excellence in performance, music, writing, and technical crafts. As a result, the awards aim to represent the diversity of Indian cinema.
Films Leading the Nomination List
Meanwhile, several films have emerged as strong contenders this year. The Top 10 films with the most nominations include:
- Dhurandhar — 17 nominations
- Lokah Chapter One: Chandra — 15 nominations
- Kantara: Chapter 1 — 13 nominations
- Chhaava — 13 nominations
- Saiyaara — 13 nominations
- Laalo: Krishna Sada Sahaayate — 12 nominations
- Rudra — 11 nominations
- Mirai — 10 nominations
- Homebound — 9 nominations
- The Girlfriend — 8 nominations
These films have received recognition across multiple categories, further highlighting the depth of talent in Indian cinema.
A Unified Platform for Indian Cinema
Furthermore, the INCA Awards were established to encourage collaboration among India’s diverse film industries. The academy aims to bring together artists, technicians, producers, and institutions under one unified framework.
The initiative is supported by the Producers Guild of India, which serves as the Chief Patron.
A Star-Studded Night Ahead
Meanwhile, the INCA Awards ceremony is expected to attract leading filmmakers, actors, technicians, and industry leaders from across the country.
With celebrated hosts, top nominees, and industry-wide participation, INCA Awards Night 2026 promises to be one of the most significant gatherings of the Indian film fraternity. ✨🎬
About the author
Neha Nikharge is Assistant Editor at Awesome TV and a writer for AWSM Times. Neha covers Bollywood, OTT releases, celebrity interviews and pop culture for South Asian audiences in the US and around the world, and has written more than 4,500 stories for Awesome TV. Story tips and corrections: hello@awesometv.com.
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