The Screenwriters Association (SWA) Awards, one of the most prestigious recognitions for screenwriters in the Indian film and television industry, has announced the full list of nominations for its 7th edition. Celebrating the most groundbreaking stories across films, series, and television shows of 2025, the grand ceremony is scheduled for May 23. This year's nominations feature a stellar lineup of industry veterans and promising debutants, acknowledging their exceptional contributions to storytelling.
High-Profile Nominees Shine
The 2026 SWA Awards see a diverse array of high-profile names securing major nominations. Notable figures include acclaimed directors and writers such as Anurag Basu, Aditya Dhar, and Sudip Sharma, alongside debutant Aryan Khan, who has made a significant mark with his very first work. The competition is intense across all categories, reflecting the vibrant and evolving landscape of Indian content creation.
Web Series Dominance
• Web Comedy/Musical/Romance: Aryan Khan's debut project, *The Ba***rds of Bollywood*, has earned a strong foothold with three nominations: Best Story, Best Screenplay (co-written with Bilal Siddiqi and Manav Chauhan), and Best Dialogue, solely penned by Khan.
• Web Drama: This category showcases a clash of writing powerhouses. Key nominations include:
* Satyanshu Singh and Arkesh Ajay for *Black Warrant*
* Sudip Sharma, Abhishek Banerjee, Rahul Kanojia, and Tamal Sen for *Paatal Lok: Season 2*
* Smita Singh for *Khauf* (who emerges as the most-nominated individual with 4 nods)
* Simaab Hashmi, Dhruv Narang, and Mahesh Mathai for *Real Kashmir Football Club*
* Sumit Arora for Best Dialogue in *The Family Man: Season 3*
* Pushkar Sunil Mahabal for *Black, White & Grey - Love Kills* (Story and Screenplay)
Feature Film Highlights
The Feature Film segment boasts an impressive list of nominees, spanning debut works to critically acclaimed blockbusters.
• Best Debut: The category features fresh voices like Rahul Badwelkar and Shazia Iqbal (*Dhadak 2*), Ankur Singla (*Ghich Pich*), Aranya Sahay (*Humans in the Loop*), and Tisca Chopra and Sanjay Chopra (*Saali Mohabbat*).
• Leading Tally: Anurag Basu's *Metro... In Dino* and *Stolen* are at the forefront. Basu himself is nominated in all three major categories for *Metro... In Dino*, sharing the Dialogue nomination. For *Stolen*, the team of Karan Tejpal, Gaurav Dhingra, and Swapnil Salkar "Agadbumb" are recognized in Story and Screenplay, with Shubham Vardhan and Swapnil Salkar "Agadbumb" nominated for Dialogue.
• Aditya Dhar secures two nominations (Screenplay and Dialogue) for *Dhurandhar*. Varun Grover also earns dual recognition for *Superboys of Malegaon* (Story) and a shared Dialogue nod.
Celebrating Lyrical Brilliance
The Lyrics category honors the poetic mastery behind Indian cinema's songs, featuring legendary figures:
• Javed Akhtar for 'Bande' (*Superboys of Malegaon*)
• Gulzar for 'Hum Fanaa' (*Gustaakh Ishq*)
• Last year's winner, Irshad Kamil, returns with a nomination for 'Aawaara Angaara' (*Tere Ishk Mein*)
• Dual Nominations: Amitabh Bhattacharya, JUNO, and Anvita Dutt each receive two nominations, highlighting their prolific contributions. Anvita Dutt is notably nominated in the Best Lyrics (TV/Web) category for 'Naseeba' and 'Pagg Vich Raakhi Da' (*Black Warrant*).
Television's Strong Contenders
Several television shows have stood out, earning nominations across core categories:
• *Itti Si Khushi* (Shirish Latkar & S. Manasvi for Story, Harneet Singh for Screenplay, Arya Kumar Sharma & Kanika Dua for Dialogue)
• *Megha Barsenge* (Saurabh Tewari & Shivani Shah for Story, Saurabh Tewari, Shashank Kunwar & Pranjal Saxena for Screenplay, Shashank Kunwar & Pranjal Saxena for Dialogue)
• *Pushpa Impossible* (Rajesh Joshi & Shabia Walia for Story and Screenplay, Sneha Desai & Tushar Ishwer for Dialogue)
• *Wagle Ki Duniya-Nayi Peedhi Naye Kissey* also remains a strong contender with significant nods for S. Manasvi in Screenplay and Story.
The diverse juries comprising esteemed screenwriters, directors, producers, critics, and lyricists meticulously evaluated entries across all categories, ensuring a fair and comprehensive selection process for the 7th SWA Awards.
