Mumbai, October 2026: ELLE India celebrated the landmark 20th edition of the ELLE Beauty Awards at Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai, Worli. Bringing together names from cinema, fashion and the beauty industry, the evening recognised outstanding products across 30 categories, alongside the faces, founders and artists changing how the country looks at itself.
Among those honoured were Karisma Kapoor, Aditi Rao Hydari, Dia Mirza, Ananya Panday, Nora Fatehi, Randeep Hooda, Rahul Khanna, Dino Morea, Sonam Bajwa, Shanaya Kapoor, Rasha Thadani, Abhay Verma, Samiksha Pednekar, Ankush bhaguna, Anya Singh. Hairstylist Aalim Hakim and make-up artist Riddhima Khubchandani were also recognised for their craft.
Beauty entrepreneurs, industry experts, creators and brand leaders joined the celebrations, bringing the wider beauty community together for the milestone edition.
Every Indian household once had a dressing table that told the same story: a jar of cold cream, a kohl pencil worn down to a stub, and one good lipstick saved for weddings. Today, that table has become one of the most argued-over spaces in the country. It holds serums with ingredient lists longer than a prescription, a kajal from a homegrown brand that sells out overnight, a fragrance someone queued for, and a product a reel insisted was essential.
The 20th edition of the ELLE Beauty Awards celebrated that changing dressing table and the expertise behind what earns a place on it. The evening unfolded in two parts: the Product Awards honoured the products that stood out this year, while the People Awards recognised the talent and influence shaping beauty beyond the shelf.
Winners across the 30 product categories were chosen by a jury that tested products over months. The shortlist featured an even balance of homegrown and international names, with no brand repeating within a category. No brand paid to be nominated.
This year’s jury brought together dermatologist Dr Chytra Anand, hairstylists Hrishikesh Naskar and Gabriel Georgiou, make-up artists Ojas Rajani and Cory Walia, actors Karan Oberoi and Nupur Sanon, and mental health advocate Dr Anjali Chhabria, alongside leading stylists, photographers, creators and the ELLE India editors.
“Twenty years is a significant milestone, particularly in an industry that has transformed as dramatically as beauty has. The ELLE Beauty Awards is one of the few platforms in India to have consistently celebrated beauty for two decades, and what has always mattered to us is recognising both the products and the people behind them. Our focus today reflects the industry itself: we champion the incredible homegrown brands being built in India while continuing to celebrate the global houses that have shaped beauty over generations. Every product is tried and evaluated by our beauty jury, and our international ELLE teams also bring a global perspective to the process. At its heart, EBA has always been about giving great ideas, great products and the people building them the recognition they deserve,” said Ainee Nizami Ahmedi, Editorial Director, ELLE India.
The milestone edition also looked outward. Through Global Lens, beauty editors from ELLE Arabia, ELLE UK and ELLE Korea each nominated a product drawn from their own beauty culture for recognition on the Mumbai stage. Presented alongside the Indian winners, these selections showed how differently the world defines care, ritual and adornment—and how much those definitions now overlap.
“The world has finally noticed Indian beauty, and we have enjoyed every minute of the attention, but a glance across the room is a long way from a seat at the table,” says Kannagi Desai, Beauty Editor, ELLE India. “What earns that seat is proof, which is why our jury lives with every product for months and why no brand can buy its way onto the list. Twenty years in, we have learnt that the most honest critic of any lipstick is a Bombay summer.”
The ELLE Beauty Awards 2026 was presented by Global Shoppers Stop Beauty Brands, with associate partners Armani Beauty, Shiseido, Atkinsons and Moschino.
“For us, the 20th edition of the ELLE Beauty Awards is both a milestone and a springboard for growth. We’ve built a platform that brings together editorial authority, leading beauty brands and an engaged audience, creating meaningful opportunities for our partners. Our ambition is to build on that strength, deepen our industry relationships and extend the awards’ reach and relevance beyond one evening,” said Nydia Dias, Publishing Director, ELLE India & ELLE Gourmet.
The 20th edition offered a portrait of beauty through the products people reach for, the rituals they make on their own and the talent that inspires them. The dressing table still tells the story. This year’s awards celebrated what belongs to it now.
About ELLE India
ELLE India is a fashion, beauty and culture magazine that combines a global outlook with a distinctly Indian voice. Part of ELLE’s international network, the brand celebrates personal style, self-expression and bold storytelling across print and digital platforms.
