The 14th edition of the South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) concluded in Bengaluru on September 13, 2026, celebrating the finest talents across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada cinema. The two-day star-studded event saw major wins for standout performers and filmmakers.
Leading the acting categories, Nivin Pauly took home the Best Actor (Malayalam) award for his performance in Sarvam Maya, while Pradeep Ranganathan earned the Best Actor (Tamil) honour for his role in Dragon. Both feature films also secured top honours in their respective language categories, reinforcing their critical and commercial acclaim.
SIIMA Awards 2026 Highlights
The annual ceremony opened with accolades for Kannada and Telugu cinema on September 12, followed by the Tamil and Malayalam awards on the final night. In the Tamil category, Ashwath Marimuthu’s Dragon emerged as one of the evening’s biggest winners, capturing four major awards including Best Film, Best Actor (Pradeep Ranganathan), Best Director, and Best Debut Actress (Kayadu Lohar).
Meanwhile, veteran actress Simran claimed the Best Actress award for her compelling performance in Tourist Family. Malayalam cinema saw Sarvam Maya lead the overall tally with six awards. Alongside Nivin Pauly’s Best Actor win, the film swept key technical and creative categories, including Best Film, Best Music Composer for Justin Prabhakaran, Best Actress (Critics) for Riya Shibu, and Best Comedian for Aju Varghese.
SIIMA Awards 2026 Winners
Tamil Cinema Winners
Best Film: Dragon Best Director: Ashwath Marimuthu (Dragon)
Best Actor: Pradeep Ranganathan (Dragon)
Best Actress: Simran (Tourist Family)
Best Actor (Critics): Dhruv Vikram (Bison Kaalamaadan)
Best Actress (Critics): Bhagyashri Borse (Kaantha)
Best Debut Actor: LK Akshay Kumar (Sirai)
Best Debut Actress: Kayadu Lohar (Dragon)
Best Villain: Arjun Das (Good Bad Ugly)
Best Supporting Actor: Samuthirakani (Kaantha)
Best Supporting Actress: Swasika (Maaman)
Best Music Composer: Sai Abhyankkar (Dude)
Best Cinematographer: Ravi K Chandran (Thug Life)
Best Singer (Male): Vijay Yesudas (Tourist Family)
Best Singer (Female): Sublahsini (Coolie)
Malayalam Cinema Winners
Best Film: Sarvam Maya
Best Director: Tharun Moorthy (Thudarum)
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Best Actor: Nivin Pauly (Sarvam Maya)
Best Actress (Critics): Riya Shibu (Sarvam Maya)
Best Actor (Critics): Basil Joseph (Ponman)
Best Debut Actor: Sandy (Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra)
Best Debut Actress: Preity Mukundhan (Maine Pyar Kiya)
Best Villain: Prakash Varma (Thudarum)
Best Supporting Actor: Ganapathi Poduval (Alappuzha Gymkhana)
Best Supporting Actress: Anagha Maya Ravi (Alappuzha Gymkhana)
Best Comedian: Aju Varghese (Sarvam Maya)
Best Music Composer: Justin Prabhakaran (Sarvam Maya)
Best Cinematographer: Bahul Ramesh (Eko)
Best Singer (Male): Sai Abhyankkar (Balti)
Best Singer (Female): Shakthisree Gopalan (Sarvam Maya)
Telugu Cinema Winners
Best Film: Mirai
Best Director: Anil Ravipudi (Sankranthiki Vasthunam)
Best Actor: Teja Sajja (Mirai) / Naga Chaitanya (Thandel)
Best Actress: Aishwarya Rajesh (Sankranthiki Vasthunam)
Best Actor (Critics): Teja Sajja (Mirai)
Best Actress (Critics): Aishwarya Rajesh (Sankranthiki Vasthunam)
Best Debut Actor: Harsh Roshan (Court: State vs a Nobody)
Best Debut Actress: Sridevi Apalla (Court: State vs a Nobody)
Best Villain: Manchu Manoj (Mirai)
Best Supporting Actor: Satyadev (Kingdom)
Best Supporting Actress: Shraddha Srinath (Daaku Maharaj)
Best Comedian: Revanth / Bheemala Revanth (Sankranthiki Vasthunam)
Best Music Composer: Thaman S (They Call Him OG)
Best Cinematographer: Karthik Gattamneni (Mirai)
Best Singer (Male): Ramana Gogula (Sankranthiki Vasthunam)
Best Singer (Female): Sameera Bharadwaj (Court: State vs a Nobody)
Kannada Cinema Winners
Best Film: Kantara Chapter 1
Best Director: Rishab Shetty (Kantara Chapter 1)
Best Actor: Rishab Shetty (Kantara Chapter 1)
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Best Actress: Rukmini Vasanth (Kantara Chapter 1)
Best Debut Actor: SS Dushyanth (Gatha Vaibhava)
Best Debut Actress: Priyanka Achar (Elumale)
Best Supporting Actor: JP Thuminad (Su From So)
Best Supporting Actress: Akshitha Bopiah (Kamal Sridevi)
Best Comedian: Sadhu Kokila (Ekka)
Best Music Composer: B Ajaneesh Loknath (Kantara Chapter 1)
Since its establishment in 2012, SIIMA has served as a key international platform to honour artistic and technical achievements across South Indian cinema. This year’s event highlighted a diverse range of commercially successful mainstream projects alongside critically acclaimed indie cinema, showcasing the expanding influence of South Indian films on the national stage.