Renowned folk singer Sharda Sinha, also known as "Bihar Kokila", who passed away last year has been awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously. See the list of Indian celebs
Arijit Singh, Shobana, Ajith Kumar Pic/AFP, Instagram
The Padma Awards 2025 were announced coinciding with Republic Day. This year, India has conferred seven Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri awards, recognizing exceptional contributions across various fields. The Padma awards, among the country's highest civilian honors, are conferred in three categories: Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan.
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Celebs who have been awarded
Renowned folk singer Sharda Sinha, also known as "Bihar Kokila", who passed away last year has been awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously. Her career, which began in the 1970s, spanned decades and included countless contributions to Bhojpuri, Maithili, and Hindi folk music. She was particularly celebrated for her renditions of the songs associated with the Chhath festival, a key cultural event in Bihar, which her music had become synonymous with.
The Padma Vibhushan will also be awarded to Kathak exponent Kumudini Rajnikant Lakhia, and legendary violinist Lakshminarayana Subramaniam.
The list of Padma Bhushan awardees includes Kannada actor Anant Nag, actor Jatin Goswami, Telugu actor Nandamuri Balakrishna, Tamil star S Ajith Kumar, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and actress Shobana Chandrakumar. Veteran ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas is also being posthumously honoured with Padma Bhushan.
Bollywood singer Arijit Singh, comedian and actor Ashok Laxman Saraf, classical vocalist Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, Barry Godfray John, Bhimavva Doddabalappa Shillekyathara, singer Jaspinder Narula, Nirmala Devi, Nitin Nohria, P Datchanamoorthy, Pandit Ram Mandavi, Grammy-winning musician Ricky Kej, are among those being awarded Padma Shri.
Ajith Kumar on being conferred Padma Bhushan
Actor Ajith Kumar expressed gratitude to the government for honouring him with the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honour. On behalf of Ajith, his manager Suresh Chandra issued a statement on his X account that read, "I am deeply humbled and honoured to receive the esteemed Padma Award by the President of India. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Hon'ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu and the Honourable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi for this prestigious honour. It is a privilege to be recognized at such a level and I am truly grateful for this generous acknowledgment of my contributions to our nation."
I am deeply humbled and honoured to receive the esteemed Padma Award by the President of India.
— Suresh Chandra (@SureshChandraa) January 25, 2025
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Hon'ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu and the Honourable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi for this prestigious honour. It is a…
Ajith also remembered his late father, hoping he would have been proud of the legacy he had achieved. "I wish my late father had lived to see this day. Yet, I like to think he would be proud that his spirit and legacy live on in all that I do. I want to thank my mother for her unconditional love and the sacrifices that enabled me to become all that I could be," he added.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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