Seven Doors, Abanisete dominate BON Awards 2025 nominee list

The Best of Nollywood Awards has announced the list of nominees for 2025, which includes 25 categories, among which is the newly established “Best Series” category, showcasing the progress of Nollywood and its acceptance of serialized narratives.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the prestigious event took place on Monday in Victoria Island, Lagos State, honoring creativity, innovation, and exceptional talent in the Nigerian film industry.

The event attracted prominent filmmakers, actors, and various members of the industry.

It also acknowledged the accomplishments that influenced Nigeria's cinematic scene over the previous year.

Leading the nominations are "Seven Doors" and "Abanisete," which received nine and eight nominations, respectively.

These films excel in critical categories such as Best Director, Best Actor, and Movie of the Year.

Following closely behind are "Farmer’s Bride" and "My Mother Is a Witch." Both films garnered several nominations in creative and technical fields, affirming their status as favorites among viewers.

The contenders for Best Actor include Ibrahim Yekini in "Abanisete," Gideon Okeke in "Blackout," Femi Adebayo in "Seven Doors," Razaq Adoti in "Son of the Soil," Tobi Bakre in "Farmer’s Bride," and Jide Awobona in "Inspector Jero."

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

In the Best Kiss category, the nominees are Tobi Bakre and Gbubemi Ejeye for "Farmer’s Bride," Timini Egbuson and TJ Omusuku for "Reel Love," Kunle Remi and Tope Olowoniyan for "The Party," Padita Agu and Demola Adedoyin for "Planning Forever," along with Tobi Bakre and Folu Storms for "Red Circle."

The nominees for Best Director consist of Niyi Akinmolayan for "My Mother Is a Witch," Adebayo Tijani and Tope Adebayo for "Abanisete," and Adebayo Tijani and Jack’enneth Opukeme for "Farmer’s Bride."

Additional nominees are Tope Adebayo and Adebayo Tijani for "Her Excellency," Toka McBaror for "The Waiter," and Adebayo Tijani, Tope Adebayo, and Femi Adebayo for "Seven Doors."

The films nominated for Movie of the Year are "Abanisete," "My Mother Is a Witch," "Farmer’s Bride," "The Waiter," "Her Excellency," and "The Serpent’s Gift." Each of these titles has been lauded for its narrative and production quality.

This year's Best Series category is making its debut. The nominees are "The Party" and "Seven Doors," indicating Nollywood's increasing focus on extended storytelling formats.

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

Nominees for Best Supporting Actress include Mercy Aigbe for both "My Mother Is a Witch" and "Farmer’s Bride," Bolaji Ogunmola for "Longing," Tina Mba for "The Serpent’s Gift," and Susan Jimah for "Take My Breath Away."

The category for the Best Social Message includes films such as Out in the Darkness, My Mother Is a Witch, Fury, Longing, Mayomi, Blackout, and Single Mother. These works highlight themes centered on justice and compassion.

Nominees for Best Costume are Owambe Thieves, Abanisete, Iyalode, Labake Olododo, Seven Doors, Olomi, and The Serpent’s Gift. This category honors imaginative approaches to both traditional and contemporary costume creation.

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

The Best Use of Food category features nominations for 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).

Nominees for Best Child Actress 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).

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

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

The Best Production Design nominations feature Seven Doors, Labake Olododo, Abanisete, Iyalode, and Farmer’s Bride. This category showcases creative ingenuity and the excellence of set design.

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

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

Documentary storytelling will be honored with nominations for Beyond Olympic Glory, Nigeria Laughs, and Not Addressing This Anymore in the Best Documentary category.

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

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

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

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

The BON Awards 2025 is set to take place on December 14 in Lagos. It will also include an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the longest red carpet.

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