Love and New Notes leads the newly released nominations for the 2026 Best of Nollywood Awards with nine selections, followed by The Herd with eight. Reports published on 1 November by Premium Times, Legit.ng and Independent agree on those totals and identify Enugu as the host state. These are nominations ahead of the ceremony, not awards already won by either production.
The next group includes The Creek, Aba Blues, Colours of Fire and Efunroye: The Unicorn, with seven nominations each. 3 Cold Dishes has six, while Behind the Scenes and Agesinkole (King of Thieves) 2 have five apiece. Those figures describe how often a film appears across award categories. They do not measure ticket sales, audience size or the likelihood that it will win.
Timini Egbuson is among the Best Actor nominees for Love and New Notes. He is listed alongside Bucci Franklin, Kanayo O. Kanayo, Jide Kene Achufusi, Uzor Arukwe and Wale Ojo. In Best Actress, Osas Ighodaro has two nominated performances, for Colours of Fire and 3 Cold Dishes. The other named contenders are Scarlet Gomez, Mercy Aigbe, Sharon Ooja and Nse Ikpe-Etim.
The published list extends beyond acting to the people who shape how films look and sound. It includes recognition for editing, cinematography, sound, costume and production design. Separate categories cover indigenous films, documentaries, short films and series. For example, Marked and The Rhythm of Ancestors: Yoruba Bata appear in the documentary category. The breadth makes this a list of different filmmaking achievements rather than a single ranking of all Nigerian films.
What it means for you: the nominations offer a practical starting point for building a Nigerian-film watchlist, including work outside the biggest acting categories. Check a film’s authorised distributor or viewing platform for actual availability; a nomination does not establish that it is currently screening nearby or streaming.
The reports reviewed do not give a confirmed ceremony date, ticket price or public booking link. Wait for verified organiser details before making travel or payment arrangements for Enugu.