Old Nollywood has long shaped internet culture, from the Aki na Ukwa memes to the TikTok sounds lifted from our movies to the old Nollywood parties everyone seems to be hosting. Yet comedy about Nigerians has rarely tapped into that well of humour. We鈥檝e remained the butt of the joke, with variations of the 鈥淣igerian prince鈥� played for stale laughs, as recently as , a Nickelodeon movie.

That is what makes this Saturday Night Live UK sketch stand out in the sea of mediocre Nigerian humour from foreign media. It pays homage to the culture it parodies, drawing on the era鈥檚 absurdity and acknowledging its cultural power. Its strength is in the details: the sound effects between scenes, the dramatic voice narrating the trailer, the moment Glinda and Elphaba almost kiss before turning their heads away, and the Bailey鈥檚 Irish cream served at the Wizard鈥檚 home, a drink Nigerian hosts bring out at every occasion.

The comedy works because of how popular these movies were in African and Caribbean communities, and because of Cynthia鈥檚 history with the Wicked films, especially the conversations about her chemistry with Ariana Grande during the press tour. The result is a Saturday Night Live UK sketch that laughs with us, not at us. It celebrates our movie culture without leaning on stereotypes, and it鈥檚 a reminder that specificity gets bigger laughs than the old stereotype ever did.

If you have been looking for a timeline of their relationship, we have you covered. 

How They Met 

In an on YouTube, Zlatan shared that at the start of his career he was focused on looking for what to eat instead of chasing women and you know he鈥檚 serious because he has two songs titled CashApp and Paypal.听

On his first trip to London, he was trying to figure out the banking system because as we already established, he doesn鈥檛 play about his money, when he asked a friend to come help him. The friend came with Davita and it was love at first sight for the 鈥�Sweet In The Middle鈥� crooner.听

What we didn鈥檛 know is despite all the swagger and energy on stage, Zlatan is a very shy man and he asked his friend for Davita鈥檚 contact instead of asking her directly. 

She started showing him the ropes in London, driving him to Corchester in her small car and spending hours on the phone with him. She shared that she was wary of dating a celebrity but Zlatan made her feel safe and as a bonus, he said 鈥淚 love you鈥� first. After singing Odeshi, the man couldn鈥檛 form hard guy at all. 

The First Son

Most of the relationship has been away from the spotlight but in 2020 they announced the arrival of their first son, Toluwalase Shiloh Ainoghena Omoniyi, taking their relationship from two people building a romance to a young family. We鈥檝e seen glimpses of the son, with the boy participating in the cutest promo content for his brand and also doing the voice over for their wedding announcement video. 

The Second Son

By 2024, the mostly private couple welcomed a second son, Benaiah Oluwaseyi Tan Amanosi Omoniyi, to their family. Their family grew again and they continued to show up at each other鈥檚 events as supportive partners. 

You already know Nigerians were yapping about their marital status because they couldn鈥檛 fathom two people building a family without getting married.

The Marriage 

Earlier this year, rumours about their marriage began to circulate but Zlatan shut them down in a now deleted story on Snapchat after a fan asked him how his wife was doing saying, 鈥淪he鈥檚 the mother of my kids, but she鈥檚 not my wife yet, she鈥檚 fine.鈥� 

By March, the couple appeared in photos wearing what seemed to be matching wedding rings and trust us to start zooming in to pictures searching for their rings. Davita added fuel to the fire by adding Zlatan鈥檚 surname, Omoniyi, to her Instagram username. 

Final confirmation came when an event planner shared pictures of the couple at the private ceremony. 

Since then, the couple has gone on to share a wedding announcement video with a date set for October 23rd and we can鈥檛 wait for their love story to continue.

Nollywood has long treated mental illness as a consequence rather than a condition. A man runs mad because a ritual backfired; a woman strips in the street and laughs because she cheated on her husband. The afflicted character is usually assigned a set of stock tics 鈥� an unsettling laugh, a public breakdown 鈥� and a single spiritual cause, with no room for treatment or interiority. It’s either a cautionary tale (“don’t do this or you will run mad”) or comic relief, and either way, the audience leaves with a worse understanding of mental illness than they came in with.

That same carelessness carries over into how the industry handles suicide, arguably its most delicate subject. Rather than sitting with the decision 鈥� the mind behind it, the weight of it 鈥� suicide is deployed as shock value, a twist that serves the plot rather than the character. You can see it in the short film Behind The Smile: the director takes a genuinely complex subject and strips it of depth, driving the character to an ending that feels less like a culmination than an afterthought. A beat dispatched with the same flatness as any other scene, rather than the film’s emotional center of gravity.

A few films manage to break from this. is the clearest example. It follows the aftermath of a woman’s complicated pregnancy and her struggle with postpartum depression, and it earns the difficulty of that subject rather than borrowing it for effect. The film gives its lead a full interior life: her isolation is shown in small, accumulating domestic details rather than a single dramatic outburst, and her husband’s failure to see what’s happening to her is treated as its own quiet indictment. It never tips into public-service-announcement territory because it trusts the character’s specific circumstances to carry the weight, instead of leaning on suicide as a narrative device.

As we close out Suicide Prevention Month, it’s worth remembering how much Nollywood’s stories shape public perception of mental illness and suicide. For a huge, non-specialist audience, these films may be the only sustained engagement they have with the subject at all. Movies don’t need to function as mental health advocates. But an industry with this much reach owes its subjects 鈥� and its audience 鈥� more care than a rope around the neck played for a laugh.

If you need support, someone to talk to, or immediate help, these Nigerian mental health resources may help.

Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative (MANI) 鈥� Youth-focused mental health support

| Crisis support: +234 916 841 7413

She Writes Woman 鈥� Free teletherapy & crisis helpline

| +234 800 800 2000

SURPIN 鈥� Suicide prevention & crisis intervention

| 080 0078 7746

Asido Foundation 鈥� Emotional wellness assessments & 24/7 Helpline

| +234 902 808 0416

National Emergency Helpline: 112

Genoveva Umeh in

Release date: October 23rd 

We鈥檝e seen Genoveva shine in many Nollywood movies recently. I mean, nobody can forget her star making performance in Blood Sisters. That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e thrilled to see her play Zikora in the young adult drama, Tele X Zikora. The movie is set on a university campus and follows two students from different backgrounds whose paths have crossed in university. Everyone has been begging for stories like this because we鈥檝e been starved since Far From Home so we can鈥檛 wait to meet the new character Genoveva will play.听

Funke Akindele in  

Release date: December 16th 

The queen of the box office returns to our screens this December and she鈥檚 bringing a brand new story along with her. We鈥檝e known her for her legend-making role as Jenifa but she鈥檚 consistently explored new narratives with her December releases. This time she鈥檚 playing Labake whose exact qualities are being kept under wraps but we鈥檙e sure that once December rolls around, there will be a new Funke character we鈥檒l be obsessed with. 

Toyin Abraham in  

Release date: December 16th 

The December box office is always a battle between Funke and Toyin and this year won鈥檛 be any different. She鈥檚 bringing her intense energy in a new blockbuster, Bestie. There鈥檚 no official trailer or story reveal yet but one thing you can always count on is Toyin giving you a dramatic story filled with laughs and jaw dropping moments and for that, we鈥檙e waiting with baited breath.

Teniola Aladese in

Release date: October 1st 

If you weren鈥檛 part of the 51,000 people that broke the world record at Tafawa Balewa Square last weekend, worry not because you can watch Black Market when it comes to the cinemas and also witness Teniola give a rousing performance. The movie follows a group of women smugglers who must come together to save a child and when you watch it, you too can claim to be part of a Guinness World Record.听

Omowunmi Dada in  

Release Date: December 4th

Omowunmi鈥檚 rise in Nollywood has been the stuff of dreams. From roles in Yoruba language titles to supporting characters, she is always on our screens. After participating in the world record breaking Black Market she’s coming back in the anticipated The Secret Lives of Baba Segi鈥檚 Wives. Her role as Bolanle is the movie鈥檚 heart and from the trailer alone, we are in for another star-making performance.听

Uzoamaka Power in

Release date: October 30th 

After writing and starring in the biggest movie of the year so far, Call of My Life, Uzoamaka returns to our screens in Phoenix Fury. She plays Ifeatu in this movie that premiered at the African International Film Festival in 2024 winning the Best Film and Best Director awards. Uzoamaka鈥檚 ability to bring depth to every character will be the thing the audience will be looking out for and judging from the clips we鈥檝e seen, we鈥檙e surely in good hands.听聽

Sunshine Rosman in

Release date: October 9th 

There鈥檚 nothing we love more than a love story and we are getting one with the beautiful Sunshine Rosman, what鈥檚 not there to be excited about? East West Love is a cross country romance where Tito (Sunshine) is heartbroken in Kenya and has to begin the journey of healing. We can feel the giddiness this movie is going to bring already.听

Chioma Akpotha in

Release date: December 16th 

Everyone knows where they were when Chioma Akpotha gave that moving speech at the altar during Gangs of Lagos and if you weren鈥檛 there then you missed a history making performance. The good thing is you have the chance to see her again in The Four as Somto. Judging by her long history as one of the most consistent actors in Nollywood, there鈥檚 no arguing this one will be just as exciting as the rest.听

Onyinye Odokoro in

Release Date: October 24th 

We already got a taste of Onyinye鈥檚 talent this year in Before We Sleep from the 糖心原创 Life Anthology and we get to witness her give another masterclass as Nnena in Phoenix Fury. The trailer teases a sisterhood with Uzoamaka鈥檚 character and that alone has sold us.听

Bimbo Ademoye in

Release Date: December 4th 

Bimbo has consistently entertained us on her YouTube channel and she鈥檚 taking those skills to the larger screen in The Secret Lives of Baba Segi鈥檚 Wives. This adaptation has been in the conversations of every Nigerian movie lover and one thing they鈥檙e all excited about is seeing Bimbo Ademoye eat up yet another role. We鈥檙e right there with them.

If you鈥檙e new to his work, first of all are you living under a rock? Or if you want to revisit some of his work, we鈥檝e put together a list of movies where you can watch the icon flex his skills as one of the greatest Nigerian actors. Ranging from western productions to Nollywood ones, these are some of Olu Jacob鈥檚 best roles. 

(1980)

Running Time: 118 minutes 

Director: John Irvin

This 1980 movie directed by John Irvin follows a small unit of soldiers hired to overthrow an African leader. Olu Jacobs steals the show as a strict immigration officer who finds a balance between humour and seriousness. It鈥檚 a role that finds him opposite Christopher Walken and he holds his own with little to no effort.

(1979)

Running Time: 118 minutes 

Director: Richard Fleischer 

A young Michael Caine stars as Dr David, a man who goes on a perilous journey to save his lover from slavers. In this movie, Jacobs plays the no nonsense Commissioner Batak who assists him on this journey. It鈥檚 a role that gives a glimpse into the type of character he鈥檇 embody in many Nollywood productions. 

(2006)

Running Time: 120 minutes 

Director: Tchidi Chikere 

This role gave him the Best Actor in a Leading Role award at the 2007 African Movie Academy Awards. In this film he played a struggling writer who uses his wife鈥檚 flirting escapades as inspiration. With a balance of humour and emotional depth, he etched his name among the icons of the industry. 

(2015)

Running Time: 93 minutes 

Director: Curtis Graham 

He put forward a complex moving performance as Timipre in this movie that addressed the exploitative efforts of oil companies in the Niger Delta. In a movie packed with stars like Richard Mofe Damijo and Segun Arinze, he plays a man ridden with guilt as his community is destroyed.

(2004)

Running Time: 120 minutes 

Director: Andy Amenechi

In a rare, non-royal Nollywood role Jacobs plays Agumba, a man caught between duty to his village and a corrupt princess. It鈥檚 a role that showed his versatility as he brought a new side to his work. 

(2012)

Running Time: 120 minutes 

Director: Lancelot Imasuen

In this movie set in the ancient Benin kingdom, Olu Jacobs took on the role of Ezomo in a movie unlike any other of its time. Tackling themes of slavery and duty to tradition, the legendary actor brought new life to the movie helping it secure 10 nominations at the 2012 African Academy Movie Awards. 

(2013)

Running Time: 120 minutes 

Director: Shirley Frimpong-Manso

This time he takes his skills to Ghana in this crime thriller that follows a private investigator who tracks unfaithful partners of the men who hire him. His work leads him to a wealthy man played with menacing bravado by Olu Jacobs. 

(2017)

Running Time: 90 minutes 

Director: Ishaya Bako 

In his last onscreen role, he gives a small but mighty performance as Richard alongside his wife, Joke Silva. Written and Directed by Ishaya Bako, the movie was a fitting final appearance for our legend and icon. 

Here are 10 movies that prove that Omoni Oboli is the queen of YouTube Nollywood romance. 

Running Time: 2 hour 39 minutes 

Director: Mo Fakorede 

To save her family from embarrassment, Adanna (Toluwani George) takes her twin sister’s place and marries a man she has never met. An arrangement that is supposed to be temporary turns into a relationship of discovery and betrayal and a choice Adanna must make to tell the truth or continue living a lie. 

Running time: 1 hour 43 minutes 

Director: Uduak Obong Patrick 

Ijeoma (Teniola Aladese) finds herself at the destination wedding of her ex and as if that isn鈥檛 bad enough, she meets the bride鈥檚 ex who gets on her nerves. During the course of the wedding, their conflict morphs into curiosity. Will they let go of their past and find new love at this destination wedding?

Running time: 1 hour 28 minutes 

Director: Mo Fakorode 

 A lighthearted bet turns into a complicated situation for Bella (Bambam) when she gets entangled in a mess that tests her views on love and loyalty and she must make a decision that will affect not just her but others involved. 

Running time: 1 hour 32 minutes 

Director: Uduak Obong Patrick

A successful CEO (Chris Attoh) has his love life restricted by his family but then he meets a fiercely independent woman (Teniola Aladese) who he enters an arrangement with. Their pretense slowly starts to become real and now he must choose between family loyalty and the woman who might be the love of his life. 

Running time: 1 hour 40 minutes 

Director: Mike Fakorede 

Ufuoma (Bambam) is constantly unsatisfied with her life, making sure everyone in her life is aware of it. One day, she wakes up with her dream life but she soon discovers these desires come at a cost. Now will she continue living her dream life or go back to the life she鈥檚 always wanted to leave? 

Running time: 1 hour 30 minutes 

Director:

A bride (Uche Montana) wakes up on the morning of her wedding beside a man she doesn鈥檛 know. Both of them are confused and scared so they must retrace their steps together to find out how they ended up in this situation before it ruins her perfect day.

Running time: 1 hour 38 minutes 

Director: Mo Fakorede 

Akin has his life in control. Successful career, loving girlfriend and a bright future. All this is upended when his elaborate public proposal ends in humiliation and he turns into a recluse with a speech disorder. With the help of his best friend, Emem, he begins to discover that love and accountability must happen at the same time. 

Running Time: 2 hours 1 minute

Director: Mo Fakorede 

After a devastating heartbreak, Titi (Ekama Etim Inyang), a successful fashion entrepreneur must rebuild her life as a different person. She lives this new life and meets a man also suffering from heartbreak and they must find honesty and vulnerability if their love story must succeed. 

Running time: 2 hours 15 minutes 

Director: Uduak Obong Patrick

After a devastating tragedy, a man moves to a secluded village to restart his life. There, he meets an elderly man and his guarded daughter, this marks the beginning of his healing journey where he learns that he cannot outrun his past and hidden truths threaten his new life. 

Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes 

Director: Uduak Obong Patrick

A high profile proposal, a fancy Lagos restaurant, plenty of cameras, what could go wrong? Well, for Ramsey (Deyemi Okanlawan) everything goes wrong and his failed proposal goes viral. As the city takes sides, two hard headed lovers must quiet the noise and make the decision of their lives. 

So, what led to the downfall of the SheLLa ship (aside from the unfortunate nickname, of course)?

The Beginning 

The two former lovebirds first met each other in the Big Brother House and got close, forming an in-house relationship which some viewers loved, but others quickly saw the red flags. There were moments when he was verbally abusive to her, and he also threatened to break up with her a thousand times. He consistently hung marriage over her head and made her feel small, taking all their issues to other housemates when there was trouble in paradise (if you could even call the relationship paradise). If you don鈥檛 believe it, take this Twitter thread documenting their relationship in the house and make your judgment.

The Breakup Announcement 

Sometime last week, Sheggz took to Instagram to announce an end to their relationship in January of this year. His statement was diplomatic and amicable, so of course you know something was about to go down. He claimed that he was coming to the public with the news because he had heard false stories about himself that he needed to put to rest.

Bella soon released about the relationship. In it, she talked about how she had defended the relationship because she believed in it and how she had given Sheggz multiple chances during their time together.

It鈥檚 important to note that Bella had been seen a while ago, so the relationship seemed to be progressing towards marriage before this happened.

Shit Hitting The Fan

You could argue that shit hit the fan earlier on, but that was nothing compared to what came next. First, Bella鈥檚 sister commented on an old Instagram post from Sheggz where he was with Bella, asking him to delete it. That comment was like the opening of Pandora鈥檚 box because after that, WhatsApp texts between the couple were leaked and things were not looking good. For Sheggz, that is.

The texts revealed Sheggz was a man full of talk. He poured his heart out to Bella, asking her to come back after a breakup, saying that he missed hearing her sing Igbo songs around the house. I mean, he could have just put on some Chioma Jesus if it was that serious.

He also laid out a plan for their future, describing elaborate plans for their engagement, claiming that the buzz around them getting married would make Bella the first Nigerian influencer to break America鈥攄oes Jackie Aina know about that? Bella called him a liar and said he鈥檇 been ring shopping for a while now with no headway (he might have been in the diamond mines just for her; she should hear him out).

Like that wasn鈥檛 enough, Bella鈥檚 mother also weighed in, saying that no man will string her daughter along without consequences, and honestly? I live.

Aside from the failed promises, the chats also revealed all the times Sheggz borrowed money from Bella in very 鈥渋nteresting鈥� situations, and when she asked for her money back, he refused and called her names. Chats between Bella and Sheggz鈥� mother also revealed that he owed Bella 11 million naira. To add more shit to the fan, abuse allegations came into the mix, with the leaked chats showing pictures of Bella with a swollen face.

Sheggz, instead of addressing the allegations, posted pictures of himself flaunting a Rolex and a business class flight because the broke boy allegations meant more to him than the abuse ones.

The Lawsuits

The leaked chats weren鈥檛 the end of this debacle because Sheggz’s lawyers issued a cease and desist and a defamation notice, claiming that Bella鈥檚 statements were damaging his reputation鈥攍ike his BBN run hadn鈥檛 done that job already.

Bella鈥檚 lawyers quickly clapped back, saying that Bella was just expressing her emotions and that Sheggz was owing her money totaling over 拢10,166 and 鈧�19.8 million, and their relationship involved an alleged 鈥渂reach of promise to marry.鈥� They also added that one of Sheggz鈥檚 lawyers was contacting Bella at odd hours. If you ask me, I think that was Sheggz trying to make peace, but what do I know?

This is the most recent point of the debacle and hopefully, we get some more updates when they go to court but we know that these things rarely ever move beyond putting out statements on social media. It鈥檚 truly the law firms that are winning.

This story will continue to update as more details emerge.

The directors in this list made the audience pause and pay attention to the many genres and stories explored and many of them have gone on to have prolific careers making movies home and abroad. These are the 10 best directorial debuts in Nollywood. 

(2016)

Running Time: 1hour 42 minutes 

Director: Abba T Makama 

Genre: Coming of age 

Nigeria鈥檚 future is said to belong to the youth and in Green White Green, Abba T Makama satirizes and documents the ethnic tensions of a nation through the story of three friends from the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria. They are waiting to get into university and the film chronicles that anxious waiting period with sharp observation and heartfelt storytelling.

(2016)

Running Time: 1 hour 50 minutes 

Director: Dare Olaitan 

Genre: Comedy

A debut film with many moving parts is a delicate endeavor and Olaitan embarks on it with the deftness of a veteran. Chronicling the robbery of a filling station through various contradicting accounts, the film takes the humour of the Nigerian condition and combines it with a suspense filled thriller that keeps you watching. 

(2014)

Running Time: 1 hour 35 minutes 

Director:CJ 鈥淔iery鈥� Obasi 

Genre: Horror thriller 

CJ Obasi announced his arrival on the scene with this biting commentary on Nigeria’s failings disguised as a sort of zombie apocalypse tale. It鈥檚 a scrappy, tactile movie that deploys the genre鈥檚 tools to tell a familiar story of a community whose members start exhibiting a rabid illness after their water supply is contaminated. 

(2016)听

Running Time: 1 hour 50 minutes 

Director: Kemi Adetiba 

Genre: Romantic comedy 

There are movies that redefine eras in an industry and for Nollywood, The Wedding Party is one of those. Chronicling the morning of Dunni and Dozie鈥檚 wedding and all the chaos that ensues, the romcom under Adetiba鈥檚 guiding hands taps into cultural familiarity and humorous performances to create a modern Nigerian classic. 

(2018)

Running Time: 1 hour 24 minutes 

Director: Ema Edosio

Genre: Comedy 

The Nigerian youth are always up to one adventure or the other and we don鈥檛 often get films documenting that. With the local grounding Kasala brings, we finally get that. Four friends take an uncle鈥檚 cars on a joyride, end up getting into an accident and must fix the car before he finds out. It鈥檚 a comedy of epic proportions with a kinetic camera and performances moulded by Edosio鈥檚 exciting new voice.听

(2017)

Running Time: 1 hour 40 minutes 

Director: Jade Osiberu 

Genre: Romantic comedy 

Having a woman at the centre of a romcom in a way that asserts her choice and independence is a rarity even till now. Isoken occupies a special place in Nollywood canon because of this. Osiberu paints a mosaic of colours and feelings as the titular character navigates love that she wants for herself while family and society watches.听

(2026)

Running Time: 1 hour 27 minutes 

Director: Dammy Twitch

Genre: Romantic comedy 

For years, Nollywood has promised and failed with many romcoms that came out. They were often disconnected from the people they were documenting and unable to tug at the heart strings. Enter Call Of My Life. Written by Uzoamaka Power, it could have fallen into the pit of good writing not translating to a good film but Dammy Twitch is dedicated to the vision. Bringing colour and whimsy to the love story, we get a romcom revival in Soluchi and Eli鈥檚 love story.

(2006)

Running Time: 2 hours 30 minutes 

Director: Mildred Okwo

Genre: Action thriller 

Mildred鈥檚 ambition has always been known and there鈥檚 no better place to see it than in her first feature. The movie follows a man who falls in love with a woman who happens to be an assassin. It鈥檚 a tense action thriller that never stops moving and a bold first feature for a woman who knew the exact kind of stories she wanted to tell.听

(2024)

Running Time: 1 hour 23 minutes 

Director: Olalekan Afolabi 

Genre: Drama

Making a first feature that attempts to comment on contemporary issues is a delicate balance and Olalekan performs the balancing act deftly. Following a group of friends who own a startup and the lives that intersect with them as a result of police brutality and corruption, Freedom Way addresses recent Nigerian problems with proselytizing and with characters that feel familiar.  

(2018)

Running Time: 1 hour 24 minutes 

Director:Genevieve Nnaji 

Genre: Drama 

Genevieve Nnaji was already a household name before Lionheart and the film鈥檚 arrival was a reintroduction to another side of the actress. In her debut feature, we meet Amaka who has to take charge of her sick father鈥檚 business while people watch waiting for her to fail. It鈥檚 a celebration of Igbo ingenuity and a show of a voice that has been sharpened by years in front of the camera. 

This edition was originally scheduled to hold last December as part of the Detty December celebrations but failed to happen. Now, the ceremony is slated to be held on the 23rd of October in Toronto, Canada. Here is the complete list of all the nominees for the 18th edition of The Headies.

BEST ALTERNATIVE SONG 

Luwa Mp4, Jeleel! – Cyk Baddie 

Sewa – Lagos Lovin

Wizard Chan – Oliver

Blnde – Omo to sexy 

Wave$tar – Prada Baby 

Obongjayar – Sweet Danger 

Chief Priest, Boypee, Zoro – Summer Adina

BEST ORIGINAL SONG FOR VISUAL MEDIA

All My Love 鈥� Osas Okonyon & Abbey Wonder, from Evi

Behind the Scenes 鈥� Funke Akindele & Tolu Obanro, from Behind the Scenes

Save Me 鈥� Oscar Heman-Ackah & 2Baba, from To Kill a Monkey

Only in Lagos 鈥� WurlD & Liya, from Christmas in Lagos 

AFRICAN DIASPORA CANADIAN ARTISTE

Debby Friday 鈥� Lipsync

T么me 鈥� CC ft Alpha P

Bolu Ajibade 鈥� Diana with Friyie

Nonso Amadi 鈥� Dive In

Rooky Kamiz 鈥� Deeper

Tobi 鈥� Out the Mud 

EAST AFRICAN ARTISTE 

Abigail Chams (Tanzania)

Bien (Kenya)

Bruce Melodie (Rwanda)

Harmonize (Tanzania)

Joshua Baraka (Uganda) 

WEST AFRICAN ARTISTE

Black Sherif (Ghana)

Himra (C么te d鈥橧voire)

KiDi (Ghana)

King Promise (Ghana)

Moliy (Ghana)

Wally B. Seck (Senegal)

NORTH AFRICAN ARTISTE

Balti (Tunisia)

Dystinct (Morocco)

Marwan Moussa (Egypt)

Soolking (Algeria)

Tul8te (Egypt) 

Stonebwoy (Ghana) 

CENTRAL AFRICAN ARTISTE

Fally Ipupa (DR Congo)

Ferr茅 Gola (DR Congo)

H茅ritier Watanabe (DR Congo)

Hiro (DR Congo)

Innoss鈥橞 (DR Congo)

Locko (Cameroon) 

BEST INSPIRATIONAL SINGLE

Amioluwa 鈥� Sunmisola Agbebi ft Yinka Okeleye

Favour 鈥� Lawrence Oyor

Idinma (You Are Good) 鈥� Sinach

Korin Iyin (I Will Praise You) 鈥� EmmaOMG

No Turning Back 2 鈥� Gaise Baba ft Lawrence Oyor

We Move 鈥� Mercy Chinwo 

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR 

10 Kilo (Davido) 鈥� Director Pink 

Afroculture (Flavour, Baaba Maal) 鈥� TG Omori 

Bundle by Bundle (Burna Boy) 鈥� DK

Kai (Olamide, Wizkid) 鈥� Jyde Ajala

Whos Dat Girl (Ayra Starr, Rema) 鈥� Meji Alabi

With You (Davido, Omah Lay) 鈥� Dammy Twitch

BEST RAP ALBUM 

Tuff King – Black Sheepizen 

AQ- GE3

Erigga – G.O.A.T 

Jeriq – King 

Blaqbonez – No excuses

Odumodublvck – The machine is coming

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)

LAYEFA – 6:35 

AMAEYA – How do you? 

Sewa – Lagos Lovin

Qing Madi – Scumbag 

Liya – Skin to Skin

Tiwa Savage – You4me

BEST COLLABORATION 

CKay & Mavo 鈥� Body (Danz)

Mavo & Wave$tar 鈥� Escaladizzy

Poco Lee, Shoday & Rahman Jago 鈥� Hey Jago

Fola, Kizz Daniel – Lost 

Odumodublvck & Victony 鈥� Pity This Boy

Davido & Omah Lay 鈥� With You

Mr Eazi & King Promise 鈥� See What We鈥檝e Done

Chief Priest & Spyki 鈥� Finally

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (MALE)

Adekunle Gold – Im not done

Flavour – Orente 

Magixx – Winter & Summer 

Odeal – Patience 

Syemca – Love Egbugomo 

Tay Iwar – Bad Belle

INTERNATIONAL ARTISTE OF THE YEAR 

Ciara

Dave

骋耻苍苍补听

Jazmine Sullivan 

Shenseea

Tiakola

BEST SOUTHERN AFRICAN ARTIST 

Ciza

DJ Maphorisa

JAZZWRLD 

Kabza De Small聽

Tyla

Uncle Waffles

AFROBEATS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 

Davido – 5ive

Bnxn – Captain 

Omah Lay – Clarity of Mind

Adekunle Gold – Fuji 

Wizkid – Morayo 

Burna Boy – No Sign of Weakness

BEST RAP SINGLE

2:02PM in London 鈥� ODUMODUBLVCK

ACL 鈥� Blaqbonez

Man2Man 鈥� Dremo

PDSTRN 鈥� Moshood

Nkemakonam 鈥� Tuff King

Wuse Tu 鈥� Zaylevelten, Mavo

John Wick 鈥� Zhus Jdo

BEST FEMALE ARTISTE 

Ayra Starr

Qing Madi聽

Sewa

Tems

Teni

Tiwa Savage 

BEST MALE ARTISTE 

Adekunle Gold 

Asake

FOLA

Mavo 聽

Rema

Wizkid

Burna Boy 

SONG WRITER OF THE YEAR 

Adekunle Gold 

Victony  

Wizard Chan

FOLA

Kunmie

Amaeya

BEST STREET HOP ARTISTE

Famous Pluto聽

碍补蝉丑肠辞尘颈苍驳听

Poco Lee

Seyi Vibez

厂丑补濒濒颈辫辞辫辫颈听

TUFF KING

Rybeena

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR 

Amma

Danpapa GTA

Firstklaz

Kidd Carder聽

NO11

笔谤颈别蝉蝉迟听

OG Abbah

ALBUM OF THE YEAR  

Fola – Catharsis 

Omah Lay – Clarity of Mind 

Erigga – G.O.A.T

Wizkid – Morayo 

Odumodublvck – The Machine is Coming聽

Tiwa Savage – This One is Personal聽

Burna Boy – No Sign of Weakness

NEXT RATED 

Fido

FOLA

Llona

Mavo

Shoday

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR 

Magicsticks

P. Priime

Ragee

Sarz

Tempoe

BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR

Kunmie 鈥� Arike

Amaeya 鈥� How Do You?

Rema 鈥� Baby (Is It A Crime)

OMAH LAY ft. ELMAH 鈥� Coping Mechanism

Davido ft. OMAH LAY 鈥� With You

FOLA 鈥� you

BEST ALTERNATIVE ALBUM 

Showdemcamp – Afrika Magik

Sewa – Detox

Boj – Duplicity 

Wizard Chan – Healers Chapel 

Scottyolorin – Olorin Pack 

Zaylevelten – Then 1t Got Crazy

HEADIES VIEWERS CHOICE 

Ayra Starr 鈥� Hot Body

Mavo 鈥� Escaladizzy ft. WAVE$TAR

Davido 鈥� With You ft. OMAH LAY

Rema 鈥� Baby (Is It A Crime)

FOLA 鈥� you

Wizkid 鈥� Jogodo with Asake

Kunmie 鈥� Arike

BEST R&B ALBUM 

Kunmie – Before We Became Strangers

Fola – Catharsis 

Qing Madi – I am the Blueprint 

Tems – Love is a kingdom 

Tay Iwar – Reflection Station 

Tiwa Savage – This one is personal

LYRICIST ON THE ROLL 

Blaqbonez – ACL

Dremo – Man2Man

Modenine – If you like Gym w/ Odumodublvck 

Pdstrn – Moshood 

Ycee – Man2man Remix w/ Dremo

SONG OF THE YEAR 

Kunmie – Arike

Poco lee, Shoday, Rahman Jago – Hey Jago

Ayra Starr – Hot Body 

Fido – Joy is Coming 

Asake, Wizkid – MMS

Davido, Omah Lay – With You

BEST PERFORMER (LIVE)

Adekunle Gold – Live at National Theatre, Lagos

Asake – Red Bull Symphonic

Ayra Starr – Global Citizen Festival 2025

Johnny Drille – Johnny鈥檚 Room Live 6

Ruger – Live at Indigo at The O2, 2025

DIGITAL ARTISTE OF THE YEAR 

Asake

Ayra Starr

BNXN

Chella

FOLA

MAVO 

Seyi Vibez

Wizkid 

AFROBEATS SINGLE OF THE YEAR

Rema – Fun

Wizkid, Asake – Jogodo 

Fido – Joy is Coming 

Davido, Omah Lay – With You 

Fola – You 

Burna Boy – Bundle by Bundle

Some of these characters will die for you. Some will get you arrested. A few will do both in the same week. We calculated the odds of you making it out alive (or at least out of debt) if any of these Nollywood icons became your roommate.

Efe from :听

He will keep on borrowing 500 naira from you until one day he shows up to the house with a new iPhone, home appliances and a huge cash gift for you. You鈥檒l never know what he does for a living but your life will be consistently bankrolled until one night EFCC raids your apartment and you find yourself on their twitter page holding a whiteboard trying to explain yourself. 

Akin Cole from :听

This will be the strictest roommate you will have. Everything will be split 50-50, even if it鈥檚 a pack of biscuits and you will be forced to speak proper English in the house, no pidgin. He will also refuse to eat eba with his hands, a fork only. 

Saro from :听

He will be running a very suspicious business from your room where people bring their dead friends and relatives to him to resurrect. You won鈥檛 question it because at least it brings money until one day you find out he鈥檚 been secretly getting with your girlfriend. 

Clara Ikemba from :听

Clara will bring you all the gist from the minister”s office. But she’ll collect bribes from all your visitors before she’ll let them into the room and when you complain she will lock the kitchen until you bribe her and apologize. 

Soluchi from :

聽She鈥檒l spend half of the time swooning over Eli, they鈥檒l be on the phone doing 鈥測ou hang up, no you hang up鈥� while you鈥檙e trying to sleep. The other half of her time will be spent picking the most outrageous outfits while singing iconic Igbo songs. Three nights a week you鈥檒l have to leave the house so she and Eli can celebrate one new anniversary or the other.听

Jenifa from :听

She will be a loyal roommate but will always bring one problem or another to the room because of the lies she likes telling. One day you鈥檒l stumble on her diary and read it out of curiosity, in it you鈥檒l find out her plans to leave Shege and travel abroad. 

Isoken from :听

She will be the most put together roommate you鈥檒l have and her organization skills might make you jealous but you鈥檒l be at peace because her love life is a mess. Everyday she鈥檒l be gisting you about a man she doesn鈥檛 want to marry. Then one day she鈥檒l show up with a white man who doesn鈥檛 play about jollof rice and Davido. 

Adire from:

 Adire will rarely be around but she will always make you the sexiest fits and invite you to the club. One day you鈥檒l complain about how bad sex is with your sneaky link and she鈥檒l buy you your first sex toy that will change your life. 

Kemi from :听

Kemi is ready to die for you as your roommate. No matter the problem you bring to her, she will never say you鈥檙e the one at fault and will always come up with a solution for you. Her loyalty might scare you sometimes but you know she鈥檚 always on your side no matter what鈥攅ven if you bring a dead body. 

Ishaya Bello from :听

Some days Ishaya will be the best roommate ever, other days he鈥檒l bring trouble to your doorstep and you鈥檒l find yourself running from gang members by 12am one random day. He鈥檒l try to appease you by gifting you a beautiful portrait that you鈥檒l grudgingly accept until another problem rolls around.