56th National Film Awards

Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry announced the winners of the 56th National Film Awards in different categories on 23 Jan 2010. The National Film Awards is the most prominent and India’s oldest film award. It was started in 1954 and the Indian government's Directorate of Film Festivals oversees it since 1973. Every year a national panel appointed by the government selects the winning entry. The award ceremony is held in New Delhi and the President of India gives away the awards. The National Film Awards for 2008 announced in different categories by I&B are as follows-

Best Feature Film: Antaheen

Best Cinematography: Antaheen

Best Lyrics: Antaheen

Best Female Playback Singer: Shreya Ghoshal for Antaheen

Best Male Playback Singer: Hariharan

Best Popular film: Oye Lucky Lucky Oye won

Indira Gandhi award for Best First Film of a director: A Wednesday directed by Neeraj Pandey

produced by UTV

Best Actor award: Upendra Limaye  for Marathi feature film Jogva

Best Actress award: Priyanka Chopra for Fashion

Best Supporting Actress: Kangana Ranaut for Fashion

Best Supporting Actor: Arjun Rampal for Rock On

Best Feature Film award in the ‘Best Feature Film in each of the language specified in the

Schedule VIII of the constitution’ category: Rock On

Best Editing: Nandita Das’s directorial debut Firaaq

Best Art Direction: Nandita Das’s directorial debut Firaaq

Best Film on Family values: Little Zizou (English, Gujarati)

Special Jury Award: Malayalam film Bioscope produced by the National Film Development Corporation.

Best Children’s Film Award: Kannada film Gubbachigalu

Best Film on Social Issues: Marathi feature film Jogva

Best Music Direction award: Marathi feature film Jogva

Best Choreography category: Ashutosh Gowariker’s Jodha Akbar

Best Costume Designer: Neeta Lulla for Jodha Akbar

The Best Critic Award: Altaf Mazid for his focus on the Assamese film industry and to R KBidur Singh for upholding the cause of regional film makers