70th Filmfare Awards South 2026: Nominations Announced, Kochi to Host the Grand Ceremony
~Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life), Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi and Amaran lead nominations in Malayalam, Kannada and Tamil cinema respectively~
~In Telugu, Pushpa 2: The Rule, Lucky Baskhar and Hanu-Man dominate with seven nominations each~
National, February 11, 2026:
Filmfare has officially announced the nominations for the 70th Filmfare Awards South with Kerala Tourism, celebrating outstanding cinematic excellence across Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu films released in 2024. Marking a historic milestone, the prestigious awards ceremony will be hosted for the first time in Kerala, taking place on February 21, 2026, at the Adlux International Convention Centre, Kochi.
Malayalam Cinema
Malayalam cinema saw Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life) emerge as the frontrunner with eight nominations.
The Best Film category features an impressive line-up including Aattam, Aavesham, Bramayugam, Manjummel Boys, Aadujeevitham, Premalu, Ullozhukku, Kishkindha Kaandam and Prabhayay Ninachathellam (All We Imagine As Light).
In Best Actor (Male), nominees include Mammootty, Fahadh Faasil, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Tovino Thomas, Asif Ali and Basil Joseph.
The Best Actor (Female) category showcases stellar performances by Mamitha Baiju, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Urvashi, Nazriya Nazim, Divya Prabha, Kani Kusruti and Zarin Shihab.
Kannada Cinema
Kannada cinema is led by Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi, followed closely by Bheema and Blink.
The Best Film category includes Bagheera, Bheema, Blink, Hadinelentu, Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi and Shakhahaari.
The Best Actor (Male) nominations feature industry stalwarts Shivarajkumar, Sudeep and Duniya Vijay.
In Best Actor (Female), nominees include Akshatha Pandavapura, Ankita Amar, Bindu Shivaram, Chaithra Achar, Roshini Prakash and Rukmini Vasanth.
Tamil Cinema
Tamil cinema witnessed Amaran lead with 10 nominations, followed by Lubber Pandhu and Meiyazhagan.
The Best Actor (Male) category features Arvind Swami, Attakathi Dinesh, Vikram, Dhanush, Sivakarthikeyan, Soori and Vijay Sethupathi.
The Best Actor (Female) nominations include Sai Pallavi, Anna Ben, Keerthy Suresh, Simran, Sri Gouri Priya and Urvashi.
Telugu Cinema
Telugu cinema’s biggest contenders this year are Pushpa 2: The Rule, Lucky Baskhar and Hanu-Man, each securing seven nominations.
In Best Actor (Male), nominees include Allu Arjun, Dulquer Salmaan, Jr. NTR, Nani, Siddu Jonnalagadda and Teja Sajja.
The Best Actor (Female) category features Rashmika Mandanna, Nivetha Thomas, Anupama Parameswaran, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Priyanka Mohan and Ashika Ranganath.
The Best Film category includes Pushpa 2: The Rule, Lucky Baskhar, Hanu-Man, Kalki 2898 AD, 35 Chinna Katha Kaadu and Committee Kurrollu. Adding to the excitement, Amitabh Bachchan earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Kalki 2898 AD.
What They Said
Shri P.A. Mohamed Riyas, Hon’ble Minister for Public Works Department & Tourism, Government of Kerala, said that hosting the landmark 70th edition reflects Kerala’s deep-rooted connection with cinema and strengthens its vision of promoting film tourism and creative exchange.
Mr. Rohit Gopakumar, Director – WWM & Times Strategic Solutions Ltd. and CEO (Digital), Times Television Network, expressed delight in bringing Filmfare Awards South to Kochi, calling it the nerve centre of Malayalam cinema and a celebration of South India’s collective cinematic legacy.
Mr. Kamar D, Founder of Kamar Film Factory, highlighted the shared values between Filmfare and Kamar Film Factory in honouring meaningful storytelling and creative excellence.
Mr. Jitesh Pillaai, Editor-in-Chief, Filmfare, congratulated all nominees and emphasised the global impact and originality of South Indian cinema.
For the complete list of nominations and latest updates, log on to Filmfare.com.
Partners
Destination Partner: Kerala Tourism
Special Partner: Kamar Film Factory
Co-Powered By: TTK Prestige | Sensodent DSP
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