The largest single cluster of artists on the Padma Shri 2026 list comes not from the concert halls of the cities but from the folk, tribal, theatre and visual art traditions of India's regions.
Recognised in the field of art, this group spans more than two dozen practitioners, many of them custodians of forms that exist far from the mainstream and survive through community practice rather than commercial success.
It is in this category that the awards do some of their most distinctive work, bringing recognition to artists who might otherwise remain known only within their own regions.
A spread across regions and forms
The honourees are drawn from across the country, from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and the north eastern states.
