LAGOS- Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has expressed the state’s readiness to host the 15th edition of Best of Nollywood (BON) Awards on Dec.22 in Osogbo.
Seun Oloketuyi founder of the awards said this in a statement on Saturday in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that BON Awards, first held in Dec. 2009 in Lagos ,has remained one of the most prestigious events in the movie industry.
Every edition of the awards is hosted by a different state.
Ogun, Oyo, Kogi, Kano, Ekiti, Delta, and Abia previously hosted the awards.
Oloketuyi said the choice of Osun was most apt ,especially as Gov. Adeleke is a great lover of the movie industry and the entertainment sector.
“The moment we presented him with our wish, he accepted us whole-heartedly and even asked us to sound the gongs that Osun was going to host the biggest and best BON Awards the industry has ever seen.
“This is our 15th year as the longest running awards in the industry, and having Gov. Adeleke on it with us is right for our brand ,” he said.
Oloketuyi also stated that versatile actor, Kunle Remi would be hosting the event, while media maestro, Toun Cole of The Honest Bunch Podcast ,will take charge of the red carpet.
While commenting on the choice of Kunle Remi as the host for the year, Oloketuyi said: “15 is the unofficial entry into maturity. At 15, we are entering our mature phase, and we want to identify with people who are on fire for Nollywood.
” Kunle Remi is the poster child for the new blood that has been injected into Nollywood in the last few years, and as an award that celebrates excellence, we identify with that. Who is better to do it? Last year in Imo , we had Lateef Adedimeji and Queen Nwokoye.
” We are not just interested in getting the rave of the moment, we are focused on people who can deliver value and that is what Kunle Remi represents,” he said.
NAN reports that Shanty Town, Herdsmen, and Underbelly have most nominations in the 29 categories available on the awards platform.
Shanty Town, a 2023 Nigerian crime thriller, created by Xavier Ighorodje, Chichi Nworah and produced by Chinenye Nworah, has 15 nominations .
Herdsmen, produced by Chloe Coko and directed by Toka Mcbaror,has 11 nominations.
The movie ,which was shot in Kaduna, is based on the herdsmen-farmer crisis in Nigeria.
Underbelly ,produced by Tunde Aina ,also has 11 nominations.
The movie is a thrilling and suspenseful epic that explores the themes of love, betrayal, and survival in a harsh and unforgiving environment.(NAN)