Nwamaka Chikezie’s To Adaego With Love and Ese Ariremu and Jide Oyegbile’s Idia lead the nominations as the Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN) unveils nominees for its 2026 awards.
The announcement comes ahead of Directors’ Week and the DGN Awards, scheduled for August 18–21, 2026, in Lagos. The four-day programme will feature film screenings, conversations, networking, recognition, and industry celebrations.
The awards will recognise achievements in directing across Nigeria’s film, television, documentary, and digital creative landscape, with nominees competing across categories including feature filmmaking, comedy, first-time directing, documentary, diaspora production, social impact, television series, short films, and student filmmaking.
In the Best Feature Film category, nominees include Patrick Uduak Obong’s The Masked King, Chikezie’s To Adaego With Love, Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi’s 3 Cold Dishes, Uche Chukwu’s Njem, Ariremu and Oyegbile’s Idia, and Fredrick Leonard’s Original Sin. Leonard is also nominated in the Best Comedy category for Local Trouble.
The Best Documentary category features Hazzain Bello’s Not Addressing This Anymore, Shedrack Salami’s Beyond Olympic Glory, Ogochukwu Umeadi’s No Let Them Die, Victor Eyike’s Gba Esin Wa, Oyinlomo Sule’s One Voice, Many Echoes, Parekeme Odon’s Re-Activate, and Offie Darlington’s Iron Condemn.
For Best Short Film, nominees include Stella Damascus’ Nneoma, Gbovo Ebiamiale’s Visiting Hour, Victor Adeogun’s Sanctuary, Prato Eguavoan’s The Noise Around Her Black, Gbenga Adeoti’s On the Move, and Brenda Garuba’s Hold Me, Let Me Go.
The awards also spotlight emerging and diaspora filmmakers. The Best First-Time Director category includes Nwamaka Chikezie, Ese Ariremu, and Jide Oyegbile, while Best Diaspora Production features Nnamdi Kanaga’s Water Girl, Abimbola Olagunju’s Woke, and Ayodeji Solomon’s Echoes of the Past.
The DGN Awards are designed to recognise the creative leadership and craftsmanship of directors across different areas of Nigeria’s screen industry, placing their role in shaping stories and translating scripts into visual experiences at the centre of the celebration.
The winners will be announced during the DGN Awards ceremony on August 21 in Lagos.
