First 11 Here: NPCA unveils inaugural nominees + Full list 

The first-ever 11 nominees for The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts (NPCA) are here. 

From 98 submissions, 11 documentary entries have advanced in the inaugural edition of the $20,000 Prize of the NPCA.

Sponsored by NLNG, the newly introduced Prize is open to Nigerian creatives aged 18 to 35. 

For its maiden edition, entrants were invited to interpret the theme: “Identity,” through documentary stories about Nigeria, its people, communities, cultures, and evolving sense of identity. 

The unveiling places the filmmakers behind the 11 shortlisted works one step closer to the award and to becoming the first winner in the history of the Prize.

Meet the First Eleven in no particular order:

Film Maker                                Name of Documentary

• Blessing Bulus                      Mi Tazi

• Jessica Chinyere                   Women of Salt:The Resilence of Ebonyi’s Women

• Unmi Bukar                          No Food for Lazy Men

• Dominic Fayenuwo               Àkúdàáyà

• Tosin Keshinro                       Arugba: The Weight of Purity

• Ibrahim Khalil Bala               Argungu Fishing Festival

• Peter Oghenetega               Beyond Tarkwa Bay

• Joseph Okulaja                    Calabar My Calabar

• Feranmi Abiola                    Mara Mania

• Abraham Ayodele Aiwyuse  Okrika

• Aimalohi Ojeamiran             Far From Home

Announcing the Longlist, Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, Chair of the Advisory Board for The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts, said the breadth and quality of the 98 submissions reinforced the view that Nigeria has a deep pool of emerging creative talent and that young filmmakers are increasingly confident in telling the country’s stories.

Adimora-Ezigbo said the documentaries offered thoughtful and varied interpretations of identity, engaging with the people, cultures, communities, and lived experiences that shape contemporary Nigeria.

Collectively, she added, the works demonstrate the power of documentary filmmaking to preserve important narratives, deepen understanding and present the complexity of the Nigerian experience through the perspectives of a new generation.

She said: “For a maiden edition, 98 entries represent a strong vote of confidence in the Prize and in the ability of young Nigerians to tell their own stories. 

“These 11 nominees earned their place in the next stage through compelling and thoughtful interpretations of the theme: ‘Identity.’”

The 11 documentaries will now proceed to the next phase of adjudication ahead of the announcement of the winner at NLNG’s Grand Award Night in October 2026. 

The winning documentary will become the first work to receive The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts.

𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖/𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖