The 7th edition of the Screenwriters Association (SWA) Awards is set to honor some of the brightest talents in the film and television industry. Scheduled for May 23, 2026, this year’s ceremony will celebrate exceptional films, series, and shows from the past year that have pushed creative boundaries.
Many well-known figures from the industry, including Anurag Basu, Aditya Dhar, Sudip Sharma, and newcomer Aryan Khan, have received significant nominations for their contributions.
In the Web Comedy/Musical/Romance category, Aryan Khan’s debut project, *The Ba**ds of Bollywood, has made a noteworthy impact with nominations for Best Story, Best Screenplay (co-written with Bilal Siddiqi and Manav Chauhan), and Best Dialogue, which Aryan wrote himself.
The Web Drama nominations showcase a competitive field. Writers like Satyanshu Singh and Arkesh Ajay (for Black Warrant), Sudip Sharma, Abhishek Banerjee, Rahul Kanojia, and Tamal Sen (for Paatal Lok: Season 2), and Smita Singh (nominated for Khauf) are all vying for top honors. The team behind Real Kashmir Football Club, including Simaab Hashmi, Dhruv Narang, and Mahesh Mathai, also received nominations, alongside Sumit Arora for his work on The Family Man: Season 3.
Leading the list of nominees this year is Smita Singh, who has four nominations, including one for her work on the series Khauf and another for the feature film Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders.
In the Feature Film category, the Best Debut nominations showcase a variety of fresh talent, including Rahul Badwelkar and Shazia Iqbal (Dhadak 2), Ankur Singla (Ghich Pich), and Aranya Sahay (Humans in the Loop).
Anurag Basu’s film Metro… In Dino and the acclaimed Stolen lead the nominations in the Feature Film division. Basu is nominated in all major categories for Metro… In Dino, while the team behind Stolen, including Karan Tejpal, Gaurav Dhingra, and Swapnil Salkar “Agadbumb”, is recognized for both Story and Screenplay.
Other notable nominees include Aditya Dhar, who received nominations for Screenplay and Dialogue for Dhurandhar, and Varun Grover for his work on Superboys of Malegaon.
The Lyrics category highlights some of Indian cinema’s legendary lyricists. Javed Akhtar is nominated for ‘Bande’ from Superboys of Malegaon, and Gulzar received a nod for ‘Hum Fanaa’ from Gustaakh Ishq. Last year’s winner, Irshad Kamil, is back with a nomination for ‘Aawaara Angaara’ from Tere Ishk Mein.
In television, shows like Itti Si Khushi, Megha Barsenge, and Pushpa Impossible have garnered nominations in multiple categories. Nominations for Best Story and Best Screenplay reflect the creativity and effort behind these productions.
The jury for the film categories included notable industry names like Aseem Arrora, Devashish Makhija, and Hansal Mehta, while the web jury featured talents like Charudutt Acharya and Shefali Bhushan.
As excitement builds for the SWA Awards, the recognition of these talented individuals promises to showcase the incredible storytelling happening in the industry.
