Timini Egbuson’s Love and New Notes has received nine nominations for the 2026 Best of Nollywood (BON) Awards, making it the most nominated film in this year’s competition. The nominations, announced on Sunday, 1 November, place the film ahead of several major Nigerian productions as the awards prepare to return to Enugu State.
Daniel Etim Effiong’s The Herd follows with eight nominations. Four other films, The Creek, Aba Blues, Colours of Fire and Efunroye: The Unicorn, have seven nominations each. 3 Cold Dishes secured six, while Behind the Scenes and Agesinkole (King of Thieves) 2 received five apiece, according to the list released by the awards organisers.
Love and New Notes is nominated for Movie of the Year, with Kayode Kasum recognised in the Director of the Year category and Egbuson nominated for Best Actor. The film also features in the screenplay, editing, cinematography and soundtrack categories, alongside nominations for Best Supporting Actress and Best Kiss. Its spread across performance and production categories gives it several opportunities for recognition beyond the headline prize.
The Best Actor contest brings together Egbuson and five other performers. Wale Ojo is nominated for 3 Cold Dishes, Kanayo O. Kanayo for Grandpa Must Obey, Jide Kene Achufusi for Aba Blues, Uzor Arukwe for Colours of Fire and Bucci Franklin for The Creek. The nominations reflect a mix of established stars and performers associated with some of the year’s prominent releases.
In the Best Actress category, Osas Ighodaro has two separate nominations for Colours of Fire and 3 Cold Dishes. She is competing against Scarlet Gomez for Behind the Scenes, Mercy Aigbe for Everything Is New Again, Sharon Ooja for Ordinary People and Nse Ikpe-Etim for Devil Is a Liar. The double recognition makes Ighodaro one of the most prominent individual contenders in the acting categories.
The directing shortlist includes Kasum, Effiong, Toka McBaror for The Creek, Jack’enneth Opukeme for Aba Blues, Asurf Oluseyi for 3 Cold Dishes, and Bayo Tijani and Abbey Lanre for Efunroye: The Unicorn. All six films are also nominated for Movie of the Year, placing the directors’ work at the centre of the awards’ main competition.
Set against Nigeria’s 1984 currency change, Love and New Notes combines romance and suspense in a story about financial pressure and difficult personal choices. The production features Egbuson, Sophie Alakija, Odunlade Adekola and Eniola Badmus. It was released in Nigerian cinemas in February, months before the latest nominations were announced.
Speaking at the film’s Lagos premiere in February, Kasum described the production as a collaborative effort. He said:
“We wanted to tell a story that reflects how love, growth and choices intersect in real life.”
The director’s remarks, reported at the time by Premium Times, preceded the awards announcement and were not a response to the nominations. The film’s current recognition includes work by its performers and the technicians responsible for its presentation on screen.
Yoruba-language cinema also features prominently in the nominations. Efunroye: The Unicorn and Agesinkole (King of Thieves) 2 are competing in the Best Indigenous Film category alongside King Lotanna, Ile, Isipo and Olorisa. Efunroye is additionally nominated for Movie of the Year and several craft awards, while Agesinkole 2 appears in costume, production design, cinematography and special-effects categories.
The awards list also recognises documentaries, with Marked and The Rhythm of Ancestors: Yoruba Bata nominated for Best Documentary. The latter title adds a distinctly Yoruba cultural subject to a competition that otherwise ranges from contemporary drama and romance to thrillers and historical storytelling. The presence of such work illustrates the breadth of subjects represented in the nominations.
Technical recognition remains a substantial part of the BON programme. The categories cover cinematography, editing, sound, soundtrack, costume, makeup, production design and special effects. Love and New Notes, The Herd, Colours of Fire and other leading films appear across several of these lists, ensuring that the competition will also acknowledge contributions made away from the camera.
The Herd, which has the second-highest nomination total, is nominated for Movie of the Year, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Screenplay, as well as other categories. Effiong is also competing for Director of the Year. The film’s nominations create several direct contests with Love and New Notes, although the number of nominations does not determine the eventual winners.
The 2026 ceremony will be held in Enugu State, according to the organisers’ announcement. The nomination reports available on 1 November did not establish a confirmed ceremony date, and none should be inferred from the release of the shortlist. Winners will be determined at the awards, when the nominated filmmakers, performers and production teams learn which entries receive the final honours.
Image: Timini Egbuson at a Love and New Notes event in February 2026. Archival photograph sourced from Nollywood Gists; photographer not identified.
