After a gap of nearly 15 years in holding regular award ceremonies, the Andhra Pradesh government is set to revive the Nandi Film and Television Awards, the state’s flagship honours recognising talent in the Telugu film and television industries.
The Nandi Awards, instituted in 1964, were presented regularly until 2011. The awards process was disrupted following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. Although the state government announced the winners for 2012 and 2013 in 2017, followed by the awards for 2014, 2015, and 2016 later that year, the awards were not subsequently held as a regular annual ceremony.
On Tuesday, September 22, Andhra Pradesh State Film, Television and Theatre Development Corporation (APSFT&TDC) Chairman P Bharat Bhushan and Managing Director K Viswanathan announced the revival plans at a press conference in Vijayawada.
According to Bharat Bhushan, the pending Nandi Film and Television Awards for 2012 to 2016 will be presented based on the awards that had already been announced. Nearly 330 awards across the film and television categories are expected to be presented for this period.
For 2017 to 2024, when no Nandi award functions were held, fresh applications will be invited, but awards will be limited to four categories in the film segment: Best Film, Second Best Film, and two Special Jury Awards. A similar format will be followed for television awards, with awards for the first and second best productions and Special Jury categories.
The Nandi Awards for 2025, however, will return to the full-fledged format, with awards across the regular categories.
The Nandi Film Awards ceremony is proposed to be held in Amaravati or Vijayawada in December 2026, while the Nandi Television Awards will be held in Tirupati during the fourth week of December.
The government has set December 2026 as the deadline for completing the award ceremonies. Award committees are expected to be constituted in October, followed by the application and selection process in November.
The Nandi Film Awards will cover 46 categories, including feature films, films promoting national integration, children's films, documentaries, educational films, and writing on Telugu cinema. Major categories include Best Feature Film, Second and Third Best Feature Films, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress.
Awardees will receive Nandi statuettes in gold, silver, bronze or copper, along with citations and cash prizes. Eight gold medals will also be presented in various categories.
The government will also present the previously announced National Film Awards at the same ceremony. These include the NTR National Film Award, which carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh, and the B N Reddy National Film Award, Nagireddy-Chakrapani National Film Award, and Raghupathi Venkaiah Film Award, each carrying Rs 2 lakh.
The Nandi Television Awards will cover 48 categories, including telefilms, television features, mega serials, daily serials, children's productions, documentaries, and programmes based on social issues and education. Awards will also recognise actors, actresses, supporting actors, comedians, villains, child artistes, directors, and screenplay writers.
Television award recipients will receive Nandi statuettes, citations, and cash prizes.
Viswanathan said notifications for the awards would be issued on September 22 and applications would be accepted from Wednesday, September 23. He said the corporation's objective was to revive and strengthen the Nandi brand, which had been built over several decades.
He also said the government viewed Telugu cinema as a source of pride and wanted to encourage the industry and its contribution at the national and international levels.
The officials said the revival was intended to recognise artistes and technicians across the Telugu film and television industries and promote the cultural heritage of Andhra Pradesh.