Chiwetel Ejiofor has been nominated for Best Actor at the 2026 Astra Midseason Movie Awards, marking the only nomination for a Nigerian-connected star on this year’s list.
The British-Nigerian actor earned the nomination for his performance in Backrooms. Winners are scheduled to be announced on June 30 across the Astra Awards’ social media platforms following a final round of voting.
Ejiofor will compete in the Best Actor category alongside Jaafar Jackson for Michael, Leo Woodall for Tuner, Ralph Fiennes for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Robert Pattinson for The Drama and Ryan Gosling for Project Hail Mary.
Backrooms also secured nominations for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress for Renate Reinsve and Best Director for Kane Parsons. The film earned a total of five nominations across multiple categories.
Meanwhile, Project Hail Mary led this year’s nominations with seven nods. Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the film received nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Actor for Gosling.
The film also picked up supporting acting nominations for James Ortiz and Sandra Hüller. Other nominated titles span a mix of studio productions, independent films and anticipated upcoming releases.
The Astra Midseason Movie Awards are organized by the Hollywood Creative Alliance to recognize films released between January and June while also spotlighting major titles expected later in the year.
Astras EVP Matt Weiss said this year’s nominations reflect the variety of films released during the first half of 2026, pointing to a combination of blockbuster releases, independent productions and emerging filmmaking talent.
