SRINAGAR: Kashmiri singer Faheem Abdullah has won the Best Male Playback Singer award at the 26th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards 2026 for singing the title track of Bollywood film Saiyaara.
The winners were announced on October 30, with Abdullah receiving the honour for his contribution to the film’s popular title song. The recognition marks a major achievement for the Srinagar-born singer, whose work in independent music brought him into the Hindi film industry.
Directed by Mohit Suri and featuring Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, Saiyaara proved successful at the awards, securing honours in several categories. Padda won Best Performance in a Leading Role (Female), while Irshad Kamil received the Best Lyrics award for the title track. Shreya Ghoshal was recognised as Best Female Playback Singer for Saiyaara Reprise, while Panday won Best Male Debut.
The title song was sung by Abdullah and jointly composed by him, fellow Kashmiri musician Arslan Nizami and Tanishk Bagchi. Its lyrics were penned by Kamil. The project also marked the Hindi film music debut of Abdullah and Nizami.
Born and raised in Srinagar, Abdullah began pursuing music professionally in 2019. He released his independent single Jhelum in 2020 and subsequently gained recognition through tracks such as Ishq, Sajde and Ehsaas.
His work on Saiyaara brought his voice to a wider audience, extending his reach beyond the independent music circuit and establishing him as a recognised voice in mainstream Hindi cinema.
The 2026 IIFA Awards honoured achievements across mainstream films, digital cinema and web series. The winners were announced through the academy’s official platforms on October 30, without an on-ground awards ceremony.
Meanwhile, Dhurandhar emerged as the biggest winner of the edition, taking home 12 awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Male Performance in a Leading Role for Ranveer Singh.
Abdullah’s achievement has brought further recognition to Kashmir’s growing presence in the Hindi film music industry.
