The Story⚡
The Directors Guild of Nigeria has named the winners of its inaugural awards. On the closing night of Directors’ Week in Lagos, the guild recognised the directors whose work stood out across nine categories. Here is the complete list of winners and nominees.
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The Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN) held its maiden awards ceremony on 21 August 2026 at Alliance Française, Ikoyi, Lagos, to wrap up DGN Week. DGN President Uche Agbo led the event, hosted by Segun Arinze and Dr Michalle Matthew.
Nine competitive categories were awarded, along with a Special Jury Mention in the Animation Category. The jury was chaired by Shaibu Husseini, Executive Director and CEO of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB). The other jury members were Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Ego Boyo, Themba Sibeko and Patience Oghre.
A jury of Nigerian and international filmmakers assessed entries strictly on directing craft, vision and execution. Popularity metrics and commercial performance played no role in the decisions. Nominees were first announced on 12 August. The winners are now confirmed.
Best Feature Film – To Adaego With Love (Nwamaka Chikezie)
The other nominees were:
The Masked King — Patrick Uduak-Obong
3 Cold Dishes — Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi
Njem — Uche Chukwu
Idia — Ese Ariremu & Jide Oyegbile
Original Sin — Frederick Leonard
Best Comedy – Home and Away (Ajalaja Stanfame Stanley)
The other nominees were:
Local Trouble — Frederick Leonard
Best First-Time Director – To Adaego With Love (Nwamaka Chikezie)
The other nominees were:
Idia — Ese Ariremu & Jide Oyegbile
Best Documentary – Beyond Olympic Glory (Shedrack Salami)
The other nominees were:
Not Addressing This Anymore — Huzzain Bello
One Voice, Many Echoes — Oyinlomo Sule
Re-Activate — Perekeme W. Odon
No Let Dem Die — Ogochukwu Umeadi
Gba Esin Wa — Victor Eyike
Iron Condemn — Offie Darlington
Best Diaspora – Echoes from the Past (Ayodeji Sanni)
The other nominees were:
Water Girl — Nnamdi Kanaga
Woke — Abimbola Olagunju
Best Social Impact – 3 Cold Dishes (Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi)
The other nominees were:
Through Her Lense — Amb. Willie Workman Oga
I Am Awele’s Daughter — Offie Darlington
Best Series – Mgbuka (Daniel Izu Eze & Olusola Roberts Iwaotan)
The other nominees were:
The Split — Oluwaseun Akinseloyin
Best Short Film – Visiting Hour (Gbovo Eriamiantoe)
The other nominees were:
The Noise Around Her Black — Odaro Eguavoen
Hold Me, Let Me Go — Brenda Garuba
Nneoma — Stella Damasus
On The Move — Gbenga Adeoti
Sanctuary — Victor Adeogun
Best Student Film – Arodan (Ayodeji Omotayo Sanni)
The other nominees included:
Procrastination — Amara Smith
Special Jury Mention – G’unuen (Edwin Irabor)
In addition to the competitive awards, the guild presented three merit awards:
DGN Master Director, Industry Merit Award to Tunde Kelani
DGN Distinguished Industry Service Award to Andy Boyo
DGN Industry Legacy Award to MultiChoice
Eighty-three members were also inducted into the guild that night: 11 into Fellowship, 44 into Full Membership and 28 into Associate Membership.
Nwamaka Chikezie’s To Adaego With Love took two awards, winning both Best Feature Film and Best First-Time Director. Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi’s 3 Cold Dishes collected the Best Social Impact prize after also featuring in the Best Feature Film category. These results reflect the range of work recognised by the jury.
Directors’ Week itself combined screenings, panels and masterclasses focused on the practical demands of directing in Nigerian film and television. The awards night brought the week to a close by formally acknowledging the strongest directing of the eligibility period. The process remained fully jury-based from start to finish, measuring only the director’s choices in storytelling, performance direction, pacing and overall craft.
Picture Recap
The full list of winners is now public. Each name represents decisions made across development, production, and post-production. The films and series themselves remain available for audiences to assess independently.
In Summary
The first DGN Awards have now named their winners. The list is complete, the night is over, and these directors’ work stands on the record. What comes next will be measured by the films they make from here.
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