NEW YORK — The Dhallywood Awards 2026, celebrating the rich heritage of Bangladeshi cinema, music, television and culture, will take place in New York on October 10. The prestigious event, which brings together leading Bangladeshi artists in the United States, will be held at the Evangel Church Center in Long Island City, Queens. The event is being organized under the overall supervision and sponsorship of Showtime President Khairul Islam Khokon and Vice President Chowdhury Safwat Gani. Shahin Kabir is serving as an adviser to the event.
Organizers said the Dhallywood Awards 2026 will honor a number of artists who have made significant contributions to Bangladesh’s film, television, music and cultural sectors. The names of the award recipients, however, will be officially announced on the day of the event, Khairul Islam Khokon said.
A number of popular Bangladeshi actors and artists are expected to attend the event, including actor and filmmaker Afzal Hossain, popular villain Misha Sawdagor, actors Amit Hasan, Nirob Hossain, Emon, Chanchal Chowdhury, Toma Mirza, Prarthana Fardin Dighi, Tanzia Zaman Mithila, Sporshia, Shirin Shila, Jolly and Samira Khan Mahi. The music lineup will also feature popular Bangladeshi singers, including Rizia Parvin, S.I. Tutul and Bindu Kona, among others.
In addition to the awards ceremony, the event will feature stage performances and musical presentations, generating considerable interest among Bangladeshi expatriates in the New York area. A major attraction of this year’s event will be popular Bangladeshi film star Shakib Khan. According to the organizers, Khan will receive an award and will also participate in presenting awards and performing on stage.
It will be his first appearance at the Dhallywood Awards in the United States in nearly five years. He previously attended the 19th Dhallywood Awards, held in Jamaica in 2021. Organizers said this year’s event will feature an unusually large gathering of popular Bangladeshi stars from different segments of the entertainment industry.
“Our main goal is to honor artists associated with Bangladeshi film, music, television and culture and to showcase the heritage of Bangla culture on foreign soil,” Khairul Islam Khokon said. “We have confirmed the participation of a large number of leading Bangladeshi stars. We want to present a diverse and memorable event for audiences in the diaspora.”
Chowdhury Safwat Gani said the Dhallywood Awards is more than simply an awards ceremony.
“It is an important platform for honoring the art and culture of our country,” he said. “The event was not held for a year due to various circumstances. After that break, we are organizing the Dhallywood Awards 2026 with renewed energy and commitment.”
Gani said the award recipients would be announced during the event and that special performances by participating artists would add to the experience for audiences.
“We expect the Dhallywood Awards 2026, featuring direct participation by stars of Bangladeshi cinema, music and culture, to become not only an awards ceremony but also a major gathering celebrating Bangla culture in the diaspora,” he said.
