The 17th Best of Nollywood (BON) Awards, held in Lagos on Sunday night, celebrated industry excellence, with “Farmers Bride” and “Seven Doors” emerging as standout winners.
Farmers Bride clinched the night’s highest honours, winning Movie of the Year and Director of the Year at the ceremony held at the National Arts Theatre.
Femi Adebayo’s Seven Doors dominated technical categories, winning Best Production Design, Best Special Effect, Best Series and Best Cinematography.
The film’s multiple wins underscored Nollywood’s growing emphasis on technical quality and world-class production standards.
The Best of Nollywood Awards, founded by Seun Oloketuyi, remains a traveling pan-Nigeria Awards dedicated to celebrating film practitioners and industry stakeholders.
Earlier in her welcome address, Feranmi Olaoye, the Executive Director of BON Awards, said the winners were selected after months of meticulous work by a capable jury.
The highpoint of the event was the presentation of the lifetime achievement award by Mrs Toke Benson-Awoyinka, the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture in Lagos State.
This was done alongside BON founder, and the Director General, National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism, Mr Abisoye Fagade, to Mr Steve Ayorinde, former Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture in Lagos State; Funke Akindele, a Nigerian filmmaker and actress; and Dr Shaibu Husseini, Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board.
They were recognised for their contributions to the movie industry.
The event was hosted by the duo of VJ Adams and Kiekie while Nasboi gave a scintillating performance.
BEST OF NOLLYWOOD AWARD 2025
WINNERS LIST
BEST ACTOR – GIDEON OKEEKE (BLACK OUT)
BEST ACTRESS – PADITA AGU (BLACK OUT)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – TAYE AYIMORO ( SON OF THE SOIL)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – MERCY AIGBE (MY MOTHER IS A WITCH)
BEST KISS – TOBI BAKRE & FOLU STORMS (RED CYCLE)
BEST SOCIAL MESSAGE – MAYOMI
BEST SHORT FILM – EGBEJI
BEST COSTUME – SEVEN DOORS
BEST SOUND – AGEMO
BEST SOUNDTRACK – IYALODE
BEST USE OF FOOD – OWAMBE THIEVES
BEST INDIGENOUS – ABANISETE
BEST CHILD ACTOR – AHMED ISA (FINDING NINA)
BEST CHILD ACTRESS – IJELU FOLAJIMI SHARON (SON OF THE SOIL)
MOST PROMISING ACTOR – RAZAQ ADOTI (SON OF THE SOIL)
MOST PROMISING ACTRESS – UNA IDOKO (I AM ANIS)
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – SEVEN DOORS
BEST SCREENPLAY – MY MOTHER IS A WITCH
BEST USE OF MAKEUP – LABAKE OLODODO
BEST SPECIAL EFFECT – SEVEN DOORS
BEST EDITING – REEL LOVE
BEST DOCUMENTARY – BEYOND FOOTBALL
BEST SERIES – SEVEN DOORS
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – SEVEN DOORS
MOVIE OF THE YEAR – FARMERS BRIDE
DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR – FARMERS BRIDE Acting honours were led by Black Out, with Gideon Okeke winning Best Actor and Padita Agu taking Best Actress.
In supporting categories, Mercy Aigbe won Best Supporting Actress for My “Mother Is a Witch”, while Taye Ayimoro claimed Best Supporting Actor for “Son of the Soil”.
Tobi Bakre and Folu Storms won Best Kiss for their on-screen chemistry in “Red Cycle”.
Abanisete won Best Indigenous Film, highlighting the continued relevance of culturally rooted storytelling in Nigerian cinema.
Emerging talents were recognised, with Razaq Adoti and Una Idoko winning Most Promising Actor and Actress, respectively.
The awards celebrated Nollywood’s creative depth, honouring performers, filmmakers and technical professionals shaping its global future.
