By BABAJIDE AWOYINFA

The Best of Nollywood (BON) Awards has unveiled its 2025 nominee list featuring 25 categories including the newly introduced “Best Series” category, reflecting Nollywood’s growth embrace of serialised storytelling.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the grand ceremony held at Mayami on Monday in Lagos, celebrated creativity, innovation, and excellence in Nigerian cinema.

The unveiling ceremony attracted top filmmakers, actors, and industry stakeholders.

It also highlighted the achievements that shaped Nigeria’s movie landscape over the past year.

Leading the nominations are Seven Doors and Abanisete, with nine and eight nominations respectively. These productions dominate major categories, including Best Director, Best Actor, and Movie of the Year.

They are closely followed by Farmer’s Bride and My Mother Is a Witch. Both films secured multiple nominations across creative and technical categories, cementing their place as audience favorites.

For Best Actor, nominees are Ibrahim Yekini (Abanisete), Gideon Okeke (Blackout), Femi Adebayo (Seven Doors), Razaq Adoti (Son of the Soil), Tobi Bakre (Farmer’s Bride), and Jide Awobona (Inspector Jero).

Best Actress nominees include Folu Storms (Red Circle), Gbubemi Ejeye (Farmer’s Bride), Padita Agu (Blackout), Efe Irele (My Mother Is a Witch), Chioma Chukwuka (Seven Doors), and Florence Nwachukwu (Fury).

The Best Kiss category recognises Tobi Bakre and Gbubemi Ejeye (Farmer’s Bride), Timini Egbuson and TJ Omusuku (Reel Love), Kunle Remi and Tope Olowoniyan (The Party), Padita Agu and Demola Adedoyin (Planning Forever), and Tobi Bakre with Folu Storms (Red Circle).

For Best Director, nominees are Niyi Akinmolayan (My Mother Is a Witch), Adebayo Tijani and Tope Adebayo (Abanisete), Adebayo Tijani and Jack’enneth Opukeme (Farmer’s Bride).

Others are Tope Adebayo and Adebayo Tijani (Her Excellency), Toka McBaror (The Waiter), and Adebayo Tijani, Tope Adebayo, and Femi Adebayo (Seven Doors).

Movie of the Year nominees are Abanisete, My Mother Is a Witch, Farmer’s Bride, The Waiter, Her Excellency, and The Serpent’s Gift. Each title earned praise for storytelling and production quality.

The Best Series category debuts this year. Nominees are The Party and Seven Doors, signaling Nollywood’s expanding interest in long-form storytelling.

For Best Supporting Actor, nominees include Stan Nze (The Serpent’s Gift), Femi Branch (Owambe Thieves), Adedimeji Lateef (Red Circle), Buchi Franklin (The Waiter), Taye Arimoro (Son of the Soil), and Neo Akpofure (My Mother Is a Witch).

Best Supporting Actress nominees are Mercy Aigbe (My Mother Is a Witch and Farmer’s Bride), Bolaji Ogunmola (Longing), Tina Mba (The Serpent’s Gift), Susan Jimah (Take My Breath Away), and Kehinde Bankole (Iyalode).

The Best Social Message category features Out in the Darkness, My Mother Is a Witch, Fury, Longing, Mayomi, Blackout, and Single Mother. These films promote themes of justice and empathy.

Best Costume nominees include Owambe Thieves, Abanisete, Iyalode, Labake Olododo, Seven Doors, Olomi, and The Serpent’s Gift. The category celebrates creativity in traditional and modern costume design.

For Best Sound, nominees are Red Circle, Agemo, Anjola, Fury, Reel Love, and Ewu Ife. Best Soundtrack nominees are My Mother Is a Witch, Take My Breath Away, Olomi, Durotimi, and The Serpent’s Gift.

Nominees for The Best Use of Food category include Owambe Thieves, Longing, Alakada: Bad and Boujee, 07.03 (The 7th of the 3rd), and Farmer’s Bride.

For Best Child Actor, nominees are Ahmad Isa (Finding Nina), Yoma Davidson (Den of Safety), Royal Aziomaku (Seven Doors), and Adeshina Daniel (Telephone).

Best Child Actress nominees are Ijelu Folajimi (Son of the Soil), Darasimi Nadi (Agemo), Diva Owoniyi (Den of Safety), Kamdi Ugochkwu (A Ride with Forever), and Angel Unigwe (In My Circle).

Most Promising Actor nominees are Razaaq Adoti (Son of the Soil), Yomi Orimadegun (The Boy from the Window), Korede Lawal (On Our Skin), and Abduazeem M. Ibrahim (Finding Nina).

For Most Promising Actress, nominees include Dolapo Oyebamiji (Olomi), Lila Idoko (I Am Anis), Sylvia Ebere (Flipside), Sunshine Rosman (Son of the Soil), and Temitope Luqman (Durotimi).

Best Production Design nominees include Seven Doors, Labake Olododo, Abanisete, Iyalode, and Farmer’s Bride. The category highlights artistic innovation and set design excellence.

For Best Screenplay, nominees are Thinline, Ewu Ife, Owambe Thieves, Fixing Others, The Serpent’s Gift, Blackout, and Agemo.

Best Special Effect nominees include Seven Doors, Labake Olododo, Son of the Soil, Red Circle, The Waiter, Abanisete, and Iyalode.

Documentary storytelling will be recognized through Beyond Olympic Glory, Nigeria Laughs, and Not Addressing This Anymore, nominated for Best Documentary.

Best Editing nominees include Son of the Soil, The Waiter, Reel Love, Red Circle, Between Silence & Truth, Olomi, and Agemo.

Best Cinematography nominees include 07.03 (7th of the 3rd), My Mother Is a Witch, Abanisete, Agemo, Seven Doors, The Serpent’s Gift, and Finding Nina.

Best Indigenous Movie nominees are Abanisete, Brotherly Love, Iyalode, The Serpent’s Gift, Agemo, My Mother Is a Witch, and Olomi.

For Best Makeup nominees are The Waiter, Seven Doors, Iyalode, Abanisete, and Labake Olododo.

The BON Awards 2025 will hold on Dec. 14 in Lagos. It will include a Guinness World Record attempt for the Longest Red Carpet. (NAN)