By Juliet Ebirim

The Best of Nollywood (BON) Awards 2025 officially unveiled its nominee list on Monday, setting the tone for one of the film industry’s most anticipated celebrations of talent and creativity.

Held at Mayami Lagos, this year’s unveiling which marks the 17th edition of the awards, spotlights 25 categories, including the newly introduced Best Series category, a nod to the rising prominence of episodic storytelling in Nigeria’s entertainment landscape.

Two films, Seven Doors and Abanisete, emerged as front-runners with nine and eight nominations respectively, leading the pack in major categories such as Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Movie of the Year, and Best Production Design. They are closely followed by Farmer’s Bride and My Mother Is a Witch, both earning significant nods in the acting and technical categories.

Among this year’s acting nominees are audience favorites like Ibrahim Yekini, Femi Adebayo, and Tobi Bakre vying for Best Actor, while Folu Storms, Gbubemi Ejeye, and Chioma Chukwuka go head-to-head for Best Actress. Renowned filmmakers including Adebayo Tijani and Niyi Akinmolayan also feature prominently in the Best Director race, underscoring the year’s remarkable creative output.

Speaking at the event, Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Toke Benson-Awoyinka, expressed delight at the awards’ return to Lagos.

“Lagos is the home of excellence, the state of aquatic splendour, so I know people are expectant,” she said, adding that the upcoming Guinness World Record attempt for the Longest Red Carpet will be hosted on the newly completed Coastal Road, a feat she described as “only possible in Lagos.”

Also present was Mr. Yinka Adebayo, Group Executive Director, West & Central Africa, Omnicom Media Group, who praised the awards’ consistency.

“Doing this consistently for 17 years is something we must commend Seun Oloketuyi and his team for,” he noted.

According to the founder, Seun Oloketuyi, the main ceremony which holds on December 14 at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts (National Theatre), Lagos, promises to be a dazzling night of glamour, artistry, and recognition, capped by the Guinness World Record attempt for the Longest Red Carpet.