Kannada cinema had a notable presence at the 72nd National Film Awards, with veteran actor Anant Nag receiving the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024. The honour recognises his contribution to Indian cinema over a career spanning more than five decades.
At the ceremony held on September 22, 2026, President Droupadi Murmu presented the awards at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat.
The Kannada film Mithya also won multiple honours. Ropashree Varkady won the Best Actress in a Supporting Role award for Mithya. She shared the award with Sachana Namidass, who won for the Tamil film Maharaja.
Athish S Shetty won the Best Child Artist award for Mithya. He shared the honour with Arundev Pothula for 35 – Chinna Katha Kaadu and the child artists of Bengali film Onko Ki Kothin.
Mithya also won Best Kannada Film. The award went to producer Paramvah Pictures and KRG Studios and director Sumanth Bhat.
