BON Awards 2026 Heads to the Coal City: Full Nominees List Out

Nollywood is heading to the Coal City. Organisers of the Best of Nollywood (BON) Awards have released the full nominees list for the 2026 edition, which is happening in Enugu.

After a review by the jury, the list covers a wide range: box office hits, acclaimed indigenous films and hard-hitting social dramas. The romantic drama Love and New Notes leads with nine nominations, including Movie of the Year, Director of the Year and Best Actor. The Herd is right behind with eight.

Four films sit in a four-way tie on seven nominations each: The Creek, Aba Blues, Colors of Fire and the cultural epic Efunroye: The Unicorn. Asurf Oluseyi’s 3 Cold Dishes picked up six nods, while Behind the Scenes and Agesinkole (King of Thieves) 2 got five each.

Best Actor is shaping up as one of the toughest contests in recent BON history. Wale Ojo (3 Cold Dishes), Kanayo O. Kanayo (Grandpa Must Obey), Uzor Arukwe (Colors of Fire), Timini Egbuson (Love and New Notes), Jide Kene Achufusi (Aba Blues) and Bucci Franklin (The Creek) will compete for the title.

In Best Actress, Osas Ighodaro has two nominations, for Colors of Fire and 3 Cold Dishes, so she is competing against herself as well as against Scarlet Gomez (Behind the Scenes), Mercy Aigbe (Everything Is New Again), Sharon Ooja (Ordinary People) and Nse Ikpe Etim (Devil Is a Liar).

Egbuson also has a double chance in Best Kiss, with nominations for Love and New Notes and Ajosepo 2: The Gathering. Mercy Aigbe and Vine Olugu (Everything Is New Again) and Achufusi and Angel Anosike (Aba Blues) are among the other pairs in that category.

Some of the most heartwarming categories belong to the young. The Best Child Actor and Best Child Actress lists include Royal Aziomaku, Daniel Adeshina, Fiyin Asenuga, Fisayo “Abebi” Amodemaja and Michelle Onamade. Most Promising Actor and Actress feature Michael Dappa, Vine Olugu, Angel Anosike, Sharon Rotimi and Tomike Adeoye.

The nominations also extend beyond features. Best Series has three contenders (Scratch, The Covenant and Ordinary People), Best Documentary has two, and Best Short Film has six, including Boys Don’t Sing and Dear Ella. Best Indigenous features Agesinkole (King of Thieves) 2, Efunroye, King Lotanna, Ile, Isipo and Olorisa.

For Movie of the Year, the six contenders are The Creek, Aba Blues, Love and New Notes, Efunroye: The Unicorn, 3 Cold Dishes and The Herd. The Director of the Year contest includes Toka McBaror, Jack’enneth Opukeme, Kayode Kasum, Bayo Tijani and Abbey Lanre, Asurf Oluseyi and Daniel Etim Effiong.

As the stars and the industry prepare to descend on Enugu, organisers say the 2026 edition is primed to be a landmark event.