National Film Awards (Nepal)
National Film Awards are Nepal’s top honors for cinema. They are held every year by the Film Development Board Nepal, and the President hands over the awards. The nominations are announced in public, often in the presence of members of the royal family or government leaders. The awards recognize films released in the previous year.
- 2005: The first National Film Awards were held in Kathmandu. King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah attended. The nominations were announced in the presence of Queen Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah. The ceremony took place at Birendra International Convention Center and honored films released in 2004.
- 2006: The awards were held on 16 Asadh 2067 (Nepali calendar) at Kantipath to mark the Film Development Board’s Anniversary Day.
- 2008: The awards were held in Kathmandu for films released in 2006 (2063 BS). The event took place on July 1, 2008, with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) and actress Mala Sinha presenting the prizes. Janayudha won Best Film, and Ujwal Ghimire won Best Director for Kismat.
- 2010: After a three-year gap, the National Film Awards resumed at Rashtriya Naachghar, Kathmandu, honoring films released in 2009 (2066 BS).
- 2011: The ceremony was at Shital Niwas, Kathmandu. President Ram Baran Yadav presented the awards. Ujwal Ghimire won Best Director for Andaj; Tara Bahadur Thapa won Best Editor for Desh; Yash Kumar won Best Playback Singer for Bato Muniko Phool.
- 2012: The awards were held in Kathmandu, recognizing films released in 2011 (2068 BS).
- 2014: The awards recognized films released in 2013.
- 2015: The ceremony was at Shital Niwas, Kathmandu, with President Ram Baran Yadav presenting the awards. Of the 87 films released in 2014 (2071 BS), 60 were considered for nomination. Jury members were Karishma Manandhar, Rajendra Shalav, Kapil Parajuli, Hemanta Budhathoki, and Dipendra Lama.
- 2016: The ceremony took place at Shital Niwas, Kathmandu, with President Bidhya Devi Bhandari presenting the awards. The judging panel was led by Ramesh Budhathoki, with Laya Sangarula, Sarita Lamichhane, Mohan Niraula, Sushil Poudel, and Karun Thapa as members, and the awards covered films released in 2015.
The National Film Awards continue to honor Nepali cinema each year, highlighting outstanding films, directors, editors, singers, and other talents in the industry.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 21:36 (CET).