Entertainment
FULL LIST: ‘Shanty Town’, ‘Herdsmen’, ‘Underbelly’ top BON Awards nomination
Best of Nollywood Awards has officially released nominations lists and categories for the 2023 Nollywood award ceremony. Stylised as BON Awards, the annual film event honors outstanding achievements in the Nigerian movie industry.
In the just-released nominee list, Shanty Town, Herdsmen, and Underbelly dominate the line-up of various categories.
Shanty Town, a 2023 Nigerian crime thriller created by Xavier Ighorodje, Chichi Nworah and produced by Chinenye Nworah, bagged 15 of the total 29 categories of the BON Awards.
The six-part series released to Netflix on 20 January 2023 featured series stars Chidi Mokeme, Ini Edo, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Nse Ikpe-Etim, Sola Sobowale, Nancy Isime, Shaffy Bello, Ali
Nuhu and a host of other actors brought their A-game to make the series one of the most wattheir and talked-about in the year under review.
Also leading with 11 nominations is ‘Herdsmen‘ produced by Chloe Coko and directed by Toka Mcbaror. The movie which was shot in Kaduna is based on mix fiction and first-hand experience, takes a look at the herdsmen-farmer crisis in Nigeria.
The movie which boast of stars like Efe Irele, Ali Nuhu, Nura M.C Khan, Colins Baror, Chuks Chyke, Broda Shaggy, Perry, Ime Bishop Umoh and others as it talks about the the misconception about herders and how evil people have used the good name ‘Herdsmen’ to perpetrate crimes.
Nonetheless, ‘Underbelly’ also takes the stage with 11 nominations. The movie is produced by Tunde Aina. The movie is a thrilling and suspenseful epic that explores the themes of love, betrayal, and survival in a harsh and unforgiving environment.
‘Underbelly’ is the story of two friends who travel from the western part of Nigeria to the north in a pursuit of greener pastures. Things fall apart when one of them falls in love with the wrong woman.
BON Awards which was first held in December 2009, in Ikeja, Lagos State has continued to be a creative strata for the Nigerian movie industry. Every edition of the award ceremony is usually hosted by different states in Nigeria including Ogun, Oyo, Kogi, Kano, Ekiti, Delta, Abia amnig others. The host state for the 2023 edition will be unveiled soon.
This year’s edition of the annual award ceremony will hold on December 22. A full compilation of the award ceremony is listed below.
BEST CHILD ACTOR (FEMALE)
Nominees
Princess Kosi (The Other one)
Angel (Here Love Lies)
Fisayomi Amodemaja (Keji)
Darasimi Nadi (Obara’m)
BEST SOCIAL MESSAGE
Nominees
Black Harvest
Asa
Sister
Herdsmen
SHANTY Town
BEST SHORT FILM
Nominees
Za
Agogo
A Playboy’s nightmare
She was not at war, I was
Tales of the browbeaten
DOCUMENTARY
Genius in Disguise
SPECIAL EFFECT
Nominees
Underbelly
Herdsmen
Shanty Town
Ite
Inadvertence
SOUND TRACK
Nominees
Obara’m
The other one
Underbelly
Herdsmen
Inadvertence
SOUND
Nominees
Shanty Town
Here Love Lies
House of Secrets
Herdsmen
Obara’m
BEST USE OF COSTUME
Nominees
Dice
Herdsmen
Underbelly
Ite
Shanty Town
SCREENPLAY
Nominees
Afamefuna
Asa
50/50
Here love lies
The other one
USE OF FOOD
Nominees
Ifedichie
Time Travel
Inadvertence
Here Love Lies
50/50
BEST KISS
Nominees
Kiki Bakare/Mimisola Daniels (Egun)
Efe Irele/Shawn Faqua (House of Secrets)
Olu Adebamowo/Kiitan Bukola (Square One
BEST USE OF MAKE UP
Nominees
SOJ
Shanty Town
Underbelly
Herdsmen
EDITING
Nominees
House of Secrets
Shanty Town
Black Harvest
The other one
Keji
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Nominees
Underbelly
Herdsmen
Black Harvest
House of Secrets
Shanty Town
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Nominees
House of Secrets
Shanty Town
Ite
Herdsmen
Underbelly
MOST PROMISING ACTOR
Nominees
Smart Conrad (Underbelly)
Nura Mc Khan (Herdsmen)
Olu Adebamowo (Square one)
Olaiya Temitope (Inadvertence)
MOST PROMISING ACTRESS
Nominees
Tierny Olalere (Inadvertence)
Chinelo Enemchukwu (Ifedichie)
50/50 (Funke Tanimola)
Olusola Adeola (Time Travel)
BEST INDIGENOUS
Nominees
Afamefuna
Obara’m
Ifedichie
Underbelly
Herdsmen
IGBO FILM
IFEDICHIE
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE (YORUBA)
Nominees
Ibrahim Yekini (SOJ)
Jide Awobona (Square one)
Funsho Adeolu (Asa)
Olaitan Jewola (Alebu Ara)
Muyiwa Ademola (Time Travel)
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE (YORUBA)
Nominees
Kiitan Bukola (Egun)
Habiba Jinad (Alebu Ara)
Damipe Adekola (Ite)
Jumoke Odetola (Square One)
Regina Chukwu (Adaba)
BEST ACTOR IN A YORUBA MOVIE.
Nominees
Rotimi Salami (Adaba)
Ibrahim Yekini (Igboro)
Kiki Bakare (Egun)
Niyi Johnson (Time Travel)
Mustipha Solagbade (50/50)
BEST ACTRESS IN A YORUBA MOVIE
Nominees
Mercy Aigbe (Romola Alakara)
Damilola Oni (Ite)
Anike Ami (Igboro)
Mimisola Daniels (Egun)
Debbie Sokoya (Keji)
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE ENGLISH
Nominees
Stan Nze (Underbelly)
Ali Nuhu (Herdsmen)
Zubby Michael (SHANTY Town)
Kalu Ikeagu (The Other one)
Femi Jacob (House of Secrets)
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE ENGLISH
Nominees
Princess Nwokoye (Strained)
Omowunmi Dada (Here Love Lies)
Jasmine Naza Onyia (Ifedichie)
Nse Npe Etim (SHANTY Town)
Lillian Amah (The Other One)
BEST ACTRESS IN AN ENGLISH MOVIE
Nominees
Tracy George (Strained)
Lucy Ameh (The Other One)
Ini Edo (SHANTY Town)
Najite Dede (House of Secrets)
Chinelo Enemchukwu (Ifedichie)
BEST ACTOR IN AN ENGLISH MOVIE
Nominees
Chidi Mokeme (SHANTY Town)
Kelechi Udegbe (The Other One)
Tim Shelburne (Here Love Lies)
Shawn Faqua (House of Secrets)
Smart Conrad (Underbelly)
DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Nominees
Biodun Stephen (Sista)
Dimeji Ajibola (Shanty Town)
Tope Oshin (Here Love lies)
Toka Mcbaror (Herdsmen)
Kayode Kasum (Obara’m)
MOVIE OF THE YEAR
Nominees
Shanty Town
Underbelly
Here Love lies
Herdsmen
Black Harvest
Nollywood actress Lizzy Anjorin has questioned the authenticity of an interim order issued by the Lagos State High Court on 2 September 2026, restraining her from publishing photographs of Priscilla Ojo’s one-year-old son, Rakeem Mkambala, and from posting editorials concerning the family on specified social media platforms.
Anjorin raised the issue during an Instagram Live session on Friday, 4 September, after Priscilla shared a copy of the court order online.
The actress argued that publicising court documents before formally serving the respondent undermines the case.
“Your case na dead on arrival. If you post court letter on any platform before serving person wey you wan go serve, that court case na fake court case,” Anjorin said during the live session.
Her comments came shortly after the High Court of Lagos State granted an ex parte application brought by Priscilla, her husband, Tanzanian singer Juma Mussa Mkambala, and their son, Rakeem.
Justice Yetunde Adesanya issued the interim order in Suit No. LD/ADR/6646/2026.
The order restrains Anjorin, as well as people acting under her authority, from publishing, posting, circulating, uploading or broadcasting photographs of Rakeem on specified social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and TikTok.
The court also directed Anjorin to cease publishing or broadcasting editorials concerning the applicants on the platforms covered by the order.
An ex parte order is made at an interim stage without the respondent being heard. The order is therefore not a final determination of the dispute and remains subject to further proceedings.
Priscilla shared the certified copy of the order on her Instagram Story on Friday, bringing the legal development into public view.
Anjorin’s reaction centres on the timing and manner in which the court documents were publicised. Her assertion that such publication makes a case “fake” is her own claim and is not a finding contained in the court order.
The development marks another chapter in the prolonged public dispute between Anjorin and Priscilla’s family, particularly Priscilla’s mother, actress Iyabo Ojo.
The disagreement has played out largely on social media and has previously resulted in legal action, including a ₦1 billion defamation suit filed by Iyabo Ojo against Anjorin.
In recent weeks, the dispute has also drawn Priscilla and her young son into the controversy, following public comments by Anjorin concerning the family.
Kesiena Tony Adjekpovu, popularly known as Kess, has said that participating in Big Brother Naija can make life harder, offering a candid reflection on the challenges that may come with the reality television experience.
The former Big Brother Naija housemate made the comment in a statement shared on social media, where he suggested that winning or simply taking part in the reality show does not necessarily make life easier after leaving the house.
“Big Brother makes your life harder,” Kess said.
The remark has drawn attention because life after reality television can bring a different set of expectations, particularly as former housemates adjust to increased public attention and the pressure that can accompany visibility.
Kess was a housemate on the seventh season of Big Brother Naija, which aired in 2022. He entered the show as a businessman and was among the contestants who competed for the season’s grand prize.
His time on the programme also placed him in the public eye, giving viewers an opportunity to follow his personality and relationships inside the house.
Kess’s latest comment offers a more reflective view of the reality TV platform, suggesting that the experience does not end when a contestant leaves the house.
However, he did not provide further details in the available post explaining which specific aspects of life after Big Brother he was referring to.
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