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