The biggest names from the worlds of cinema and OTT gathered under one roof as the News18 Showsha Reel Awards 2026 celebrated outstanding performances, storytelling, and creative excellence at a star-studded ceremony held at the JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu on March 7.

The glittering evening brought together some of the finest talents of the entertainment industry, recognising films, web series, artists, and creators whose work resonated strongly with audiences over the past year.

According to a press release, the event was hosted by the charismatic duo of Maniesh Paul and Mini Mathur and was guided by an eminent jury comprising noted filmmaker Priyadarshan, actors Tanvi Azmi and Mahima Chaudhry, filmmaker Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, casting director Shruti Mahajan, and actor Saurabh Sachdeva. Together, the panel honoured the best films, web series, and performances released between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025.

The grand finale began on a soulful note with a captivating performance by singer Kailash Kher, whose rendition of his iconic songs set the mood for the night. The event saw the presence of several prominent personalities from the entertainment world, including Madhuri Dixit, Manoj Bajpayee, Pankaj Tripathi, Shabana Azmi, Asha Parekh, Farida Jalal, Anupam Kher, Ananya Panday, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ahaan Panday, Aneet Padda, Ishaan Khatter, Mona Singh, Sanya Malhotra and Vishal Jethwa, among many others.

Among the major winners of the night, Ishaan Khatter and Yami Gautam Dhar bagged the Popular Choice Best Actor and Best Actress awards in films for their performances in ‘Homebound’ and ‘Haq’, respectively. In the web series category, Zahan Kapoor won Best Actor (Male) for ‘Black Warrant’, while Madhuri Dixit received Best Actor (Female) for her role in ‘Mrs. Deshpande’, making it one of the most celebrated wins of the evening.

Accepting the award, Madhuri Dixit expressed heartfelt gratitude and said she felt deeply touched by the honour. She noted that the character of ‘Mrs. Deshpande’ was very close to her heart because it told the story of an ordinary woman with extraordinary strength. She also thanked the director, writer, her co-actors and her fans for their unwavering support over the years.

The jury awards also highlighted powerful performances and strong storytelling across cinema and OTT platforms. Vishal Jethwa received the Best Actor (Male – Jury) award for ‘Homebound’, while Sanya Malhotra won Best Actor (Female – Jury) for ‘Mrs..’ In the OTT segment, Manoj Bajpayee took home the Best Actor (Web Series – Jury) award for ‘The Family Man Season 3’, while Mona Singh won Best Actress (Web Series – Jury) for ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’. Filmmaker Reema Kagti was honoured with Best Director (Jury) for ‘Superboys of Malegaon’, while ‘Homebound’ also received the Best Film (Jury) award.

Music also took centre stage during the awards, with the soundtrack of ‘Saiyaara’ dominating the Popular Choice category. Composers Mithoon, Tanishk Bagchi, Vishal Mishra, Sachet Tandon, Parampara Tandon, Faheem Abdullah, Arslan Nizami and The Rish were recognised for Best Music. Singer Shilpa Rao won Best Singer (Female) for ‘Gustaakh Ishq’, while Faheem Abdullah secured Best Singer (Male) for ‘Saiyaara’ and ‘Tere Ishk Mein’.

Several notable performances were also recognised across supporting and special categories. Vineet Kumar Singh won Best Supporting Actor (Male) for ‘Chhaava’ and ‘Nishaanchi’, while Sheeba Chadha and Saumya Tandon were honoured as Best Supporting Actress for ‘Haq’ and ‘Dhurandhar’, respectively. Saurabh Sachdeva received Best Performance in a Negative Role for ‘Dhadak 2’, while Pankaj Tripathi won Best Performance in a Comic Role for ‘Metro… In Dino’.

One of the most emotional moments of the night came when veteran actor Rakesh Bedi was honoured with the Extraordinary Performance of the Year award for ‘Dhurandhar’. Reflecting on the recognition, he shared that he had been working in the industry since 1979 and had been nominated several times earlier but had never received an award.

The ceremony also acknowledged emerging talent shaping the future of Indian cinema. Aaishvary Thackeray and Shubhangi Dutt won the Best Debut (Male and Female – Jury) awards for ‘Nishaanchi’ and Tanvi The Great, respectively. Siddhant Chaturvedi received the Breakthrough Performance award for ‘Dhadak 2’, while Ananya Panday was honoured with the Outstanding Performance award for Kesari Chapter 2.

A major highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Star of the Year awards to Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, celebrating their growing popularity and strong connection with audiences. Meanwhile, ‘Dhurandhar’ won the Popular Choice Best Film award, while Black Warrant emerged as the Best Web Series in the Popular Choice category.

The ceremony also paid tribute to legends of Indian cinema. Veteran actors Asha Parekh and Farida Jalal were honoured with the prestigious Reel Legend awards, while Shabana Azmi and Anupam Kher were felicitated with the Reel Icon awards.

With its distinguished jury, star-studded attendance and a wide range of categories recognising both mainstream and emerging talent, the News18 Showsha Reel Awards 2026 once again stood out as a grand celebration of storytelling, creativity and artistic excellence across cinema and OTT platforms.