The National Film Award is the highest honor in film industry. This honor is awarded each year to recognize the contributions to the different aspects of film. Recently the Cabinet Committee on National Awards approved the list of awardees this year.
Usually, National Awards are granted in 28 categories every year. However, 34 awards in 27 categories were given this year as no candidate was recognized eligible for the “Best Dance Director” category.
Veteran actors Ilias Kanchan and Dolly Johur were jointly awarded with Lifetime Honors for their significant contributions to films.
Eminent playwright Matia Banu Shuku's “Laal Moroger Jhuti” (Call of the Red Rooster) and director Rezwan Shahriar Sumit's “Nona Joler Kabbo” (The Salt in Our Waters) jointly won Best Film Award.
Aka Reza Ghalib's “Dhor” won Best Short Film Award and Kawsar Choudhury's “Boddhobhumite Ekdin” won Best Documentary Award.
Rezwan Shahriar Sumit (Nona Joler Kabbo) won Best Director's award, Siam Ahmed (Mridha vs Mridha) and Mir Sabbir Mahmud (Raat Jaga Ful) were jointly given Best Actor Awards. Best Actress Award jointly won Azmeri Haque Badhon (Rehana Maryam Noor) and Tasnova Tamanna (Nona Joler Kabbo).
M. Fazlur Rahman Babu (Nona Joler Kabbo) won Best Actor Award in Supporting Role. Best Actress Award in Supporting Role went to Shampa Reza (Padmapuran). Md. Abdul Mannan Joyraj (Laal Moroger jhuti) won Best Actor Award in Negative Role.
Best Actor Award in Comedy Role went to Milon Bhattacharyya Provash Kumar (Mridha vs Mridha). Best Child Artist, Afia Tabassum (Rehana Maryam Noor); Special Award in Child Category, Jannatul Mawa Jhilik (Ja Hariye Jay).
Best Music Director, Shujeo Shyam (Joiboti Konnar Mon); Best Singer, K. M. Abdullah Al Murtaza Muhin (“Shonate Eshechhi Aaj”- Padmapuran) Best Singer Female, Chandona Majumdar (“Dekhle Chhobi Pagol Hobi”- Padmapuran). Best Lyricist, late Gazi Mazharul Anwar (“Ontore Ontor Jala”- Joiboti Konnar Mon); and Shujeo Shyam (“Ontore Ontor Jala”-Joiboti Konnar Mon) won Best Composer Award.
Best Storyteller, Rezwan Shahriar Sumit (Nona Joler Kabbo); Best Screenplay, Nurul Alam Atik (Laal Moroger Jhuti); Best Dialogue Writer, Taukir Ahmed (Sphulingo).
Best Editor, Samir Ahmed (Laal Moroger Jhuti); Best Art Director, Shihab Nur-Un-Nabi (Nona Joler Kabbo); Best Cinematographer jointly, Syed Kashef Shahbaji, Sumon Kumar Sarkar and Majharul Islam Raju (Laal Moroger Jhuti); Best Sound Director, Shoibo Talukdar (Reahana Maryam Noor); Best Costume and Decoration, Idila Kasrin Farid (Nona Joler Kabo); Best Make-up man jointly, Md. Farukh and Md. Farhad Reza (Laal Moroger Jhuti).
The Information Ministry formed a 13-member jury board on August 16, 2022 to give the National Film Awards. A total of 45 films released in 2021 including 21 full-length films, 17 short films and 7 documentaries were submitted for the National Film Awards.