CNN-News18 today presented the 12th edition of its flagship Indian of the Year (IOTY) awards to achievers who have brought pride to the country through their tenacity and dedication, honouring the top performers who have excelled in their areas in the last one year.

The initiative celebrated breakthroughs in categories that have come to define the Indian spirit — sports, entertainment, politics, entrepreneurship, social reform, and climate change — through this programme. The Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankar, served as the chief guest at the ceremony.

The winners were chosen through a public vote phase that ended on October 2, followed by a jury round comprised of Network18 editors.

Climate fighters and social changemakers received the most votes, as opposed to other star-studded categories like entertainment or sports, said CNN-News18 Managing Editor Zakka Jacob.

Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra ended his evening with two awards in his bag: one for Indian of the Year in Sports and the other for the much coveted marquee award of the night, CNN-News18 Indian of the Year for 2022.

Accepting his recognition, the sports maestro said, "Working hard in the stadium is our meditation. We work hard for over 8-10 hours there. You have to believe in yourself when no one does. Have faith and put all your hard work into your goal."

#IndianOfTheYear | "Working hard in the stadium is our meditation. We work hard for over 8-10 hours there": Olympic Champion #NeerajChopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) takes questions from the audience pic.twitter.com/xRM1wG2uxF

— News18 (@CNNnews18) October 12, 2022

The event was filled with luminaries from many disciplines. Ranveer Singh commanded the stage with his electrifying presence and was at his effervescent best at the award show.

He received an Outstanding Achievement Award for his contributions to the entertainment industry, notably for his riveting performance in 88. Former captain and 1983 World Cup champion Kapil Dev bestowed the honour onto him.

#IndianOfTheYear 2022 | Ranveer Singh (@RanveerOfficial) Gets Outstanding Achievement Award! He was felicitated the award by former skipper and 1983 World Cup winner Kapil Dev (@therealkapildev)

LIVE: https://t.co/kT4MPSo2JJ pic.twitter.com/YrxiIDaRjh— News18 (@CNNnews18) October 12, 2022

By honouring Ranveer for his role in the film, a tribute was extended to Dev and his remarkable contribution to international cricket.

Here is the complete list of the winners from all the categories.

Entertainment

Nominations: Alia Bhatt, Allu Arjun, Kartik Aaryan, Team RRR, Vivek Agnihotri

Winner: Allu Arjun

South superstar Allu Arjun has been named Indian of the Year 2022 in the category of 'entertainment.' He was honoured for his gripping performance in Pushpa: The Rise, his 2021 feature, which gained him international acclaim and played an important role in bringing moviegoers back to theatres in 2021, grossing more than Rs 350 crore globally.

His breakthrough comes at a time when South Indian film is gaining popularity nationwide. Union Minister Smriti Irani was on stage with him to present the trophy.

Allu said as he accepted his award, "I've been working for 20 years and have earned several awards in the south, but today is the first time I've received an award from the north. It's my first, and being in the country's capital while getting it makes it much more memorable."

"India Jhukega Nahi," said Pushpa Star #AlluArjun as he received the #IndianOfTheYear award in the Entertainment category

Union Minister Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) presented the awardLIVE: https://t.co/hEUYGE2Ulw pic.twitter.com/vMESBCyuQD— News18 (@CNNnews18) October 12, 2022

Climate Warrior

Nominations: Jadav Payeng, Jamuna Tudu, Marimuthu Yoganathan, Prasiddhi Singh, Sumaira Abdulali

Winner: Marimuthu Yoganathan

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat presented the CNN-News18 Indian of the Year 2022 award in climate warrior category to Marimuthu Yoganathan.

#IndianOfTheYear 2022: The award in #ClimateWarrior category goes to: #MarimuthuYoganathan, a bus conductor who has planted 3.5 lakh saplings!@gssjodhpur, Union Minister of Jal Shakti presents the award

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