Entertainment
oi-Gaurav Sharma
The 14 th SIIMA kicks off in Bengaluru today with the day 1 awards for Telugu and Kannada cinema. This prestigious event recognizes some of the industry’s biggest names in acting, music, and filmmaking.
SIIMA’s latest round of awards took place at Koramangala Indoor Stadium on Saturday. The annual two-day event is set to unfold on September 12 th and 13 th and honors the achievements in Telugu and Kannada film industries for Day 1, and Tamil and Malayalam film industries for Day 2.
The 14th SIIMA Awards in Bengaluru began Sept 12, 2026, honoring Telugu and Kannada cinema; winners included Teja Sajja (Best Actor Telugu), Aishwarya Rajesh (Best Actress Telugu), Rishab Shetty (Best Actor Kannada), and J.P. Thuminad (Best Debut Director Kannada), with Tamil/Malayalam awards set for Sept 13.
Here are the complete list of winners unveiled on Day 1:
SIIMA 2026 Telugu Winners
- Best Actor: Teja Sajja – Mirai
- Best Actress: Aishwarya Rajesh – Sankranthiki Vasthunam
- Best Actress, Critics: Aishwarya Rajesh – Sankranthiki Vasthunam
- Best Debut Actress: Sakkshi Mhadolkar – Mowgli
- Best Debut Director: Sakkshi Mhadolkar – Mowgli
- Best Playback Singer, Male: Ramana Gogula – “Godari Gattu”, Sankranthiki Vasthunam
- Best Playback Singer, Female: Sameera Bharadwaj – “Premalo”, Court: State vs a Nobody
Aishwarya Rajesh was one of the big winners of the night with two acting honors for Sankranthiki Vasthunam. Sakkshi Mhadolkar also managed to bag two accolades with wins in Best Debut Actress and Best Debut Director categories.
SIIMA 2026 Kannada Winners
- Best Actor: Rishab Shetty – Kantara: Chapter 1
- Best Debut Actor: SS Dushyanth – Gatha Vaibhava
- Best Supporting Actor: J. P. Thuminad – Su From So
- Best Debut Director: J. P. Thuminad – Su From So
Rishab Shetty was one of the biggest winners of the night for the Kannada film industry having won the Best Actor category for his performance in Kantara: Chapter 1. J. P. Thuminad also bagged two awards for Su From So.
What to Expect on SIIMA Day 2
SIIMA’s red carpet event will continue on Sunday 13 th September 2026 when winners of Tamil and Malayalam film industries will be announced.
The winners from all four South Indian film industries will be unveiled at the concluding ceremony.
And with a day 1 packed with established superstars and new talent alike, it appears that the opening night of SIIMA 2026 will set the stage for a star-studded evening.
