The organisers of the Best of Nollywood (BON) Awards have unveiled nominees for the 2026 edition, with several prominent Nollywood productions and actors securing multiple nominations ahead of the awards ceremony scheduled to hold in Enugu.
Leading the nominations is the romantic drama Love and New Notes, which secured nominations in nine categories, including Movie of the Year, Director of the Year and Best Actor.
It is followed by The Herd, which earned eight nominations, while The Creek, Aba Blues, Colors of Fire and Efunroye: The Unicorn each received seven nominations.
Other notable contenders include Asurf Oluseyi’s 3 Cold Dishes, with six nominations, while Behind the Scenes and Agesinkole (King of Thieves) 2 secured five nominations each.
The Best Actor category features a competitive line-up comprising Bucci Franklin for The Creek, Kanayo O. Kanayo for Grandpa Must Obey, Jide Kene Achufusi for Aba Blues, Timini Egbuson for Love and New Notes, Uzor Arukwe for Colors of Fire and Wale Ojo for 3 Cold Dishes.
In the Best Actress category, Osas Ighodaro earned two nominations for her performances in Colors of Fire and 3 Cold Dishes. She will compete against Scarlet Gomez for Behind the Scenes, Mercy Aigbe for Everything Is New Again, Sharon Ooja for Ordinary People and Nse Ikpe-Etim for Devil Is a Liar.
The Best Supporting Actor category features Akeem Ogara (Aisiki), Mike Ezuruonye (Fehintola), Kelechi Udegbe (The Creek), Jide Awobona (Ile), Prince Nelson Enwerem (Aba Blues), Abba Ali Zaky (The Herd) and Ibrahim Suleiman (Evi).
For Best Supporting Actress, nominees include Eniola Badmus for Love and New Notes, Destiny Etiko for Behind the Scenes, Damilola Oni for Aisiki, Nancy Isime for Everything Is New Again, Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman for The Herd and Bisola Aiyeola for Gingerrr.
Other categories include Best Screenplay, Director of the Year, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Costume, Best Sound, Best Soundtrack, Best Editing, Best Documentary and Best Series.
The organisers said the nominations reflected a diverse selection of productions, including commercially successful films, indigenous-language projects and socially relevant dramas.
The 2026 edition will take place in Enugu, with the awards expected to bring together filmmakers, actors and other stakeholders in the Nigerian film industry.
BON AWARDS 2026
NOMINEESLIST
BEST ACTOR
BUCCI FRANKLIN – THE CREEK
KANAYO O. KANAYO – GRANDPA MUST OBEY
JIDE KENE ACHUFUSI – ABA BLUES
TIMINI EGBUSON – LOVE AND NEW NOTES
UZOR ARUKWE – COLORS OF FIRE
WALE OJO – 3 COLD DISHES
BEST ACTRESS
SCARLET GOMEZ – BEHIND THE SCENES
OSAS IGHODARO – COLORS OF FIRE
MERCY AIGBE – EVERYTHING IS NEW AGAIN
SHARON OOJA – ORDINARY PEOPLE
NSE IKPE ETIM – DEVIL IS A LIAR
OSAS IGHODARO – 3 COLD DISHES
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
AKEEM OGARA – AISIKI
MIKE EZURUONYE – FEHINTOLA
KELECHI UDEGBE – THE CREEK
JIDE AWOBONA – ILE
PRINCE NELSON ENWEREM – ABA BLUES
ABBA ALI ZAKY – THE HERD
IBRAHIM SULEIMAN – EVI
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
ENIOLA BADMUS – LOVE AND NEW NOTES
DESTINY ETIKO – BEHIND THE SCENES
DAMILOLA ONI – AISIKI
NANCY ISIME – EVERYTHING IS NEW AGAIN
LINDA EJIOFOR-SULEIMAN – THE HERD
BISOLA AIYEOLA – GINGERRR
BEST KISS
VINE OLUGU and MERCY AIGBE – EVERYTHING IS NEW AGAIN
TIMINI EGBUSON and BOLAJI OGUNMOLA – AJOSEPO 2: THE GATHERING
TIMINI EGBUSON and SOPHIE ALAKIJA – LOVE AND NEW NOTES
MICHAEL DAPPA and PRINCESS OBUSEH – DAY AND NIGHT
JIDE KENE ACHUFUSI and ANGEL ANOSIKE – ABA BLUES
BEST SOCIAL MESSAGE
WRONG MUM
3 COLD DISHES
THE HERD
OVERSABI AUNTY
DEJA’S SCREAM
EVI
BEST SHORT FILM
BOYS DON’T SING
THE 9TH
COLONY RED 2030
DEAR ELLA
SWEAT AND BLOOD
CUT and SEW – ÌWÈM?´
BEST COSTUME
A VERY DIRTY CHRISTMAS
FEHINTOLA
AGESINKOLE (KING OF THIEVES) 2
AISIKI
BEHIND THE SCENES
COLORS OF FIRE
BEST SOUND
OKANJUWA
THE COVENANT
EFUNROYE: THE UNICORN
OVERSABI AUNTY
BEHIND THE SCENES
IDIA
BEST SOUNDTRACK
SI OLORUN (A LETTER TO GOD)
ARA ILE
LOVE AND NEW NOTES
EFUNROYE: THE UNICORN
COLORS OF FIRE
EVI
BEST USE OF FOOD
GINGERRR
COLORS OF FIRE
AJOSEPO 2: THE GATHERING
OKANJUWA
ÌRÈTÈ: THE RECKONING
BEST INDIGENOUS
AGESINKOLE (KING OF THIEVES) 2
EFUNROYE: THE UNICORN
KING LOTANNA
ILE
ISIPO
OLORISA
BEST CHILD ACTOR
ROYAL AZIOMAKU – ALECHENU
DANIEL ADESHINA – IRIN AJO
FIYIN ASENUGA – GRANDPA MUST OBEY
NNAMANI CHIBUIKE WISDOM – THE 9TH
TONYE TAM AZORBO – EKEMINI
BEST CHILD ACTRESS
FISAYO ‘ABEBI’ AMODEMAJA – IRIN AJO
MICHELLE ONAMADE – KIKIORE
MARCELLA AIPOH – DEAR ELLA
IREMIDE ADESHINA – IYE
OKORIE EMMANUELLA – THE HOLE WITHIN
FUTURE LOLO LAMAI – LOVE IN EVERY CELL
MOST PROMISING ACTOR
MICHAEL DAPPA – DAY AND NIGHT
VINE OLUGU – EVERYTHING IS NEW AGAIN
EMMANUEL NSE – HALF-LIGHT
ABBA ALI ZAKY – THE HERD
OLUWAFEMI ODUGBESAN – OLORISA
MOST PROMISING ACTRESS
ANGEL ANOSIKE – ABA BLUES
SHARON ROTIMI – THE HOLE WITHIN
TOMIKE ADEOYE – OKANJUWA
CHISOM AGOAWUIKE – HALF-LIGHT
LIZZY JAY – SI OLORUN (A LETTER TO GOD)
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
AGESINKOLE (KING OF THIEVES) 2
COLORS OF FIRE
ÌRÈTÈ: THE RECKONING
ILE
OLORISA
EFUNROYE: THE UNICORN
BEST SCREENPLAY
THE HERD
THE CREEK
3 COLD DISHES
THE COVENANT
LOVE AND NEW NOTES
SI OLORUN (A LETTER TO GOD)
BEST USE OF MAKEUP
THE HERD
EFUNROYE: THE UNICORN
OLORISA
ÌRÈTÈ: THE RECKONING
A VERY DIRTY CHRISTMAS
MOVIE WITH THE BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
THE CREEK
THE BEACON MAN
COLORS OF FIRE
ÌRÈTÈ: THE RECKONING
AGESINKOLE (KING OF THIEVES) 2
IDIA
BEST EDITING
LOVE AND NEW NOTES
IDIA
A VERY DIRTY CHRISTMAS
OKANJUWA
THE BEACON MAN
GRANDPA MUST OBEY
BEST DOCUMENTARY
MARKED
THE RHYTHM OF ANCESTORS: YORUBA BATA
BEST SERIES
SCRATCH
THE COVENANT
ORDINARY PEOPLE
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
BEHIND THE SCENES
ABA BLUES
AGESINKOLE (KING OF THIEVES) 2
AJOSEPO 2: THE GATHERING
LOVE AND NEW NOTES
THE CREEK
DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
TOKA MCBAROR – THE CREEK
JACK’ENNETH OPUKEME – ABA BLUES
KAYODE KASUM – LOVE AND NEW NOTES
BAYO TIJANI and ABBEY LANRE – EFUNROYE: THE UNICORN
ASURF OLUSEYI – 3 COLD DISHES
DANIEL ETIM EFFIONG – THE HERD
MOVIE OF THE YEAR
THE CREEK
ABA BLUES
LOVE AND NEW NOTES
EFUNROYE: THE UNICORN
3 COLD DISHES
THE HERD