The famous movie series, ‘Shanty Town', and the films 'Herdsmen' and 'Underbelly' were prominently featured on the Best of Nollywood Awards 2023 nominees list.

‘Shanty Town' is a popular Nigerian movie series created by Xavier Ighorodje and Chichi Nworah and produced by Chineye Nworah. The six-part series was released to Netflix on January 20, 2023. The series is set in the slums of Lagos, Nigeria, and it tells the story of the people who live there, their struggles, and their dreams.  This fantastic series was nominated in 15 of the 29 categories of the awards. Some of the categories it was nominated in are Best Social Message, Special Effect, Sound, Best Use of Costume, Best Use of Make-Up, Movie of the Year, Director of the Year, Best Actor in an English Movie (Chidi Mokeme), and Best Actress in an English Movie (Ini Edo).

Shanty Town featured Chidi Mokeme, Ini Edo, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Nse Ikpe-Etim, Sola Sobowale, Nancy Isime, Shaffy Bello, Ali Nuhu, and a host of other actors. Chidi Mokeme, who played the antagonist ‘Scar’, made a lot of modifications to be able to portray the character. He said in an interview that he had to shave his hair and take more cigarettes to enhance his voice to sound like someone from the streets.

‘Herdsmen’, produced by Chloe Coko, and ‘Underbelly’, produced by Tunde Aina, followed with 11 nominations each. Below is the complete nomination list:
 

BEST SOCIAL MESSAGE

Black Harvest

Asa

Sister

Herdsmen

Shanty Town

DOCUMENTARY

Genius in Disguise

BEST SHORT FILM

Za

Agogo

A Playboy’s Nightmare

She Was Not At War, I Was

Tales Of The Browbeaten

SPECIAL EFFECT

Underbelly

Herdsmen

Shanty Town

Ite

Inadvertence

BEST CHILD ACTOR (FEMALE)

Princess Kosi in The Other One

Angel in Here Love Lies 

Fisayomi Amodemaja in Keji

Darasimi Nadi in Obara’m

USE OF FOOD

Ifedichie

Time Travel

Inadvertence

Here Love Lies

50/50

MOVIE OF THE YEAR

Shanty Town

Underbelly

Here Love lies

Herdsmen

Black Harvest

BEST ACTRESS IN AN ENGLISH MOVIE

Tracy George in Strained

Lucy Ameh in The Other One

Ini Edo in Shanty Town

Najite Dede in House of Secrets

Chinelo Enemchukwu in Ifedichie

BEST ACTOR IN AN ENGLISH MOVIE

Chidi Mokeme in Shanty Town

Kelechi Udegbe in The Other One

Tim Shelburne in Here Love Lies

Shawn Faqua in House of Secrets

Smart Conrad in Underbelly

BEST INDIGENOUS

Afamefuna

Obara’m

Ifedichie

Underbelly

Herdsmen

IGBO FILM

Ifedichie 

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE (YORUBA)

Ibrahim Yekini in SOJ

Jide Awobona in Square one

Funsho Adeolu in Asa

Olaitan Jewola in Alebu Ara

Muyiwa Ademola in Time Travel

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE (YORUBA)

Kiitan Bukola in Egun

Habiba Jinad in Alebu Ara

Damipe Adekola in Ite

Jumoke Odetola in Square One

Regina Chukwu in Adaba

BEST ACTRESS IN A YORUBA MOVIE

Mercy Aigbe in Romola Alakara

Damilola Oni in Ite

Anike Ami in Igboro

Mimisola Daniels in Egun

Debbie Sokoya in Keji

BEST ACTOR IN A YORUBA MOVIE

Rotimi Salami in Adaba

Ibrahim Yekini in Igboro

Kiki Bakare in Egun

Niyi Johnson in Time Travel

Mustopha Solagbade in 50/50

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

Biodun Stephen in Sista

Toka Mcbaror in Herdsmen

Kayode Kasum in Obara’m

Dimeji Ajibola in Shanty Town

Tope Oshin in Here Love Lies

SOUNDTRACK

Obara’m

The Other One

Underbelly

Herdsmen

Inadvertence

SOUND

Shanty Town

Here Love Lies

House of Secrets

Herdsmen

Obara’m

BEST USE OF COSTUME

Dice

Herdsmen

Underbelly

Ite

Shanty Town

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE (ENGLISH)

Stan Nze in Underbelly

Ali Nuhu in Herdsmen

Zubby Michael in Shanty Town

Kalu Ikeagu in The Other One

Femi Jacob in House of Secrets

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE (ENGLISH)

Princess Nwokoye in Strained

Omowunmi Dada in Here Love Lies

Lillian Amah in The Other One

Jasmine Naza Onyia in Ifedichie

Nse Npe Etim in Shanty Town

SCREENPLAY

50/50

Afamefuna

Asa

Here Love Lies

The Other One

BEST KISS

Kiki Bakare/Mimisola Daniels in Egun

Efe Irele/Shawn Faqua in House of Secrets

Olu Adebamowo/Kiitan Bukola in Square One

BEST USE OF MAKE UP

SOJ

Shanty Town

Underbelly

Herdsmen

EDITING

House of Secrets

Shanty Town

Black Harvest

The Other One

Keji

CINEMATOGRAPHY

House of Secrets

Shanty Town

Ite

Herdsmen

Underbelly

PRODUCTION DESIGN

Underbelly

Herdsmen

Black Harvest

House of Secrets

Shanty Town

MOST PROMISING ACTOR

Smart Conrad in Underbelly

Nura Mc Khan in Herdsmen

Olu Adebamowo in Square one

Olaiya Temitope in Inadvertence

MOST PROMISING ACTRESS

Tierny Olalere in Inadvertence

Chinelo Enemchukwu in Ifedichie

50/50 in Funke Tanimola

Olusola Adeola in Time Travel

BON Awards will be held on December 22, 2023. The location of the event is currently unknown.