Veteran superstars Mammootty and Mohanlal commanded the spotlight at the Mazhavil Entertainment Awards 2026, which brought together Malayalam cinema’s biggest stars for a glittering, star-studded evening.
Mammootty took home the Entertainer of the Year– Actor award for his compelling performances in ‘Kalamkaval’ and ‘Patriot’. In a special moment, Mohanlal presented the award to Mammootty, making their reunion one of the memorable highlights of the event. The Mollywood heavyweights were also honoured for their recent landmark achievements, including Mohanlal’s Dadasaheb Phalke Award and Mammootty’s fourth National Film Award and Padma Bhushan.
Director and actor Balachandra Menon was honoured with the Ultimate Entertainer Award, while actor Mukesh received the Master Entertainer Actor Award. Director Kamal was honoured with the award for Best Director. Blockbuster film ‘Vaazha 2’ won the Best Picture award, while Jeethu Joseph’s ‘Drishyam 3’ took home the award for Best Sequel.
Among the other winners, Sharafudheen was named Entertainer of the Year – All Rounder, while Saiju Kurup won Versatile Entertainer of the Year. Vineeth Sreenivasan, Kalaranjini and Farzana Palathinkal took home the Special Prize for Best Character Role. Kalabhavan Shajon who returned to ‘Drishyam 3’ as the corrupt constable Sahadevan took home the award for Best Negative Role, while actor Lalu Alex was recognised for his performance in comedy roles.
Dinjith Ayyathan, who helmed the critically acclaimed film ‘Eko,’ took home the Entertainer of the Year – Director award. Krishnadas Murali, who made his mark with the popular films ‘Bharathanatyam’ and ‘Mohiniyattam,’ was honoured as Best Upcoming Director. Kalyani Panicker and S A Savin were recognised for their impressive debuts, while Sandy Master won the award for Best Choreographer.
The evening was also packed with vibrant performances by Navya Nair, Swasika, Malavika Menon, Nikhila Vimal, Govind Padmasurya, Gopika, Saniya, Ramzan and Kalyani Panicker who dazzled the audience with a series of dance performances. Suraj Venjaramood, who hosted the ceremony, kept the proceedings lively with his energetic presence.
Music was another major attraction of the night. M.G. Sreekumar performed a medley of songs from Mohanlal’s films, while Madhu Balakrishnan presented a special medley celebrating Mammootty’s illustrious film career. Vineeth Sreenivasan also took the stage with his popular songs, while a special duet by Jagadish and Lakshmi Gopalaswamy added to the entertainment.
Kottayam Naseer had the audience in splits with his comedy skit. The event also featured a special musical tribute to legendary playback singer S. Janaki. Ananya, Anarkali Marikar and Priya Varrier came together to present a medley of Janaki Amma’s evergreen songs. The Mazhavil Entertainment Awards 2026 will be telecast on August 22 and 23 from 7 pm on Mazhavil Manorama and ManoramaMAX.