The IIFA (International Indian Film Academy) Awards are organised by Wizcraft International Entertainment Private Limited.
The 27th edition of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards will be held in Abu Dhabi on 22-23 January 2027. Several stars, including Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Shahid Kapoor, will attend.
Karan Johar, Varun Dhawan, Janhvi Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi and Ali Fazal will also be part of the event. Artists, filmmakers and music artists will participate in the two-day event.
IIFA 2027 will be held at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. Tickets for the 27th edition will go on sale on 18 September at 10 a.m. UAE time.
This will be the fourth IIFA event in Abu Dhabi. The programme will be held in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and Miral.
The two-day event will feature performances by stars and an awards ceremony. The 27th edition will be held in 2027 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
‘Laapataa Ladies’ won 10 awards in 2025
The previous, 25th IIFA Awards’ Silver Jubilee celebrations were held in India on 8 and 9 March 2025. Several prominent Bollywood personalities attended the ceremony, which was held at the Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Centre (JECC).
Actor Kartik Aaryan and filmmaker Karan Johar co-hosted the event. Kiran Rao’s directorial film ‘Laapataa Ladies’ won a total of 10 major awards at the ceremony. These included major awards such as Best Picture and Best Director.
The 25th IIFA ceremony was particularly special as it marked the awards’ silver jubilee edition. Hindi cinema’s actors, filmmakers and technical teams were honoured for their work on the occasion.
History of the IIFA Awards
The IIFA Awards were launched in 2000. The awards recognise the achievements of films and artists in the Hindi film industry.
A distinctive feature of the IIFA Awards is that they are usually held in different countries each year. The first IIFA ceremony took place at London’s Millennium Dome on 24 June 2000. ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ won the Best Film award at the inaugural ceremony. Since then, the event has been held in India as well as several countries around the world.
The IIFA Awards began as a one-night ceremony, but expanded over time. The event evolved into a three-day programme.
In 2001, the IIFA Awards were held in Sun City, South Africa, where ‘Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai’ was named Best Film. The 2002 ceremony, held in Genting Highlands, Malaysia, saw ‘Lagaan’ receive the honour. At the 2003 ceremony in Johannesburg, South Africa, ‘Devdas’ was named Best Film.
After that, IIFA ceremonies were held at several locations, including Singapore, the Netherlands, Dubai, the UK, Thailand, Macau, Sri Lanka, Canada, the US, Malaysia, Spain and India. In 2019, the 20th IIFA Awards were held in Mumbai, where ‘Raazi’ won the Best Film award.
The ceremony was cancelled in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the winners were announced via Instagram. The IIFA ceremony was held in Abu Dhabi in 2022. ‘Drishyam 2’ won the Best Film award in 2023, ‘Animal’ in 2024 and ‘Laapataa Ladies’ in 2025.
Which categories are the awards presented in?
At the IIFA Awards, films and artists are honoured in several different categories. These include Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.
The awards also include categories such as Best Music Director, Best Lyricist, Best Playback Singer – Male, Best Playback Singer – Female and Best Story. In technical fields, awards are presented for Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Screenplay, Best Costume Design, Best Special Effects and Best Sound.
Some special awards are also presented at the IIFA Awards. These include the IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award, Style Icon, Style Diva, Entertainer of the Year and Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema.
Several films have set records
In IIFA history, some films have won a large number of awards. ‘3 Idiots’ and ‘Devdas’ won 16 awards each at a single ceremony. ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’, ‘Barfi!’ and ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ won 14 awards each.
In the acting categories, Hrithik Roshan and Shah Rukh Khan have won five awards each, combining Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. Among female artistes, Rani Mukerji has won five awards, combining Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress.
In the directing category, Sanjay Leela Bhansali has won four awards. In music, A. R. Rahman has won 14 awards, combining Best Music Director and Best Background Score. Shreya Ghoshal has 10 IIFA awards for singing.
How are the winners of the IIFA Awards chosen?
Public voting
Fans’ participation is very important at the IIFA Awards. Winners in the ‘Popular’ categories, such as Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Film, are primarily chosen by viewers through online voting. Viewers can vote for their favourite artists through IIFA’s official website or other designated digital platforms.
Jury and Industry Contribution
For some categories, the decision does not depend solely on public voting. The winners of several popular and technical categories are selected through a combination of public voting and a panel of technical jury members chosen by IIFA. In addition, the winners of some categories are decided entirely by IIFA’s selection panel. Members of the film industry also participate in the voting process, which is often monitored by independent auditors, such as PwC, to ensure that it remains transparent and systematic.
