Lalit Kala Akademi Awards 2026: 20 Artists Honoured at 65th National Exhibition

The Lalit Kala Akademi, which is the National Academy of Fine Arts of India, has announced 20 Lalit Kala Akademi Awards at the 65th National Exhibition of Art (NEA). Every year, this exhibition features the best in visual arts from around the country. In total, there were 6,175 artworks submitted by 2,495 artists from 27 States and Union Territories for the 2026 NEA. A First-Tier Jury panel selected 270 pieces of artwork to be displayed at the exhibition, while a Second-Tier Jury panel selected 20 artworks to receive the award.

20 Artists Awarded Lalit Kala Akademi Awards

The awards include various art forms such as paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings and others. The list also illustrates the range of mediums employed by Indian artists, which include terracotta, ceramics, teak wood, marble, copper, etching and canvases.

No.	Artist	Awarded Artwork	Medium	Category
1	Chandra Shekhar	Sain My Entire World – I	Terracotta	Sculpture
2	Gopal Chandra Naskar	The Tune of The Srimad Bhagavad Gita	Acrylic on Canvas	Painting
3	Kishor Kumar Narkhadiwala	Paryavaran	Oil on Canvas	Painting
4	Mrinal Dey	Hopeless Settlement	Acrylic on Canvas	Painting
5	Nidhi Chopra	Tangible Dreams	Ceramic	Sculpture
6	Nimai Singh	Sarungbam Mudra – I	Teak Wood	Sculpture
7	Pankaj Kumar Sharma	Haloed Traveler – II	Panel Works	Drawing
8	Pooja Rajpoot	Prakriti Shoshan	White Marble	Sculpture
9	Praveen Kumar	Where The Walls Remember	Mix Medium	Painting
10	Pritam Madhukar	Deuskar Of Time and The City	Etching	Printmaking
11	Rajendra Prasad	Sujata With Buddha	Water Color (Wash)	Painting
12	Ramesh Vithal	Thorat Untitled – II	Oil on Canvas	Painting
13	Raviram Ramakrishnan	Fisherwoman	Copper, Oxidised, Welded	Sculpture
14	Sanjay Kumar	When Memories Come Back – 7	Mix Media	Painting
15	Sanjay Kumar	Sahani Youth	Oil on Canvas	Painting
16	Sanjib Kumar Gogoi	Aakar Nirankar – II	Acrylic & Oil on Canvas	Painting
17	Santa Deb	Attraction of Simplicity	Ceramic	Sculpture
18	Siddharth Shahjirao Shingade	Trees	Mix Media	Painting
19	Usharanjan Mandal	Wheel of A Crowded City	Mix Media	Any Other Medium
20	Vijendra Sharma	Life 2025	Oil on Canvas	Painting

Key Numbers: 65th National Exhibition of Art

It is evident from the numbers involved that the exhibition is a truly national event.

From the total of 6,175 artworks submitted by 2,495 artists, First-Tier Jury has shortlisted 270 artworks for the exhibition. From those 270, the Second-Tier Jury has chosen 20 artworks for the awards.

This implies that the exhibition involved the artworks of 27 States/UTs in the country.

The exhibition also contributes to the development of the larger visual arts ecosystem through connecting the artists with audience, collectors and other cultural organizations.

National Academy of Art: About Lalit Kala Akademi

The Lalit Kala Akademi, or the National Academy of Art, is the institution in India dedicated to fostering the development of the visual arts. It was founded by the Government of India in 1954.

The Akademi’s mandate includes fostering the development of the visual arts in India as well as providing a platform to the artists through exhibitions, prizes and various cultural activities.

The National Exhibition of Art is one of such platforms organized by the Lalit Kala Akademi annually.