Sam Dede to chair $20,000 Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts as NLNG expands award portfolio
Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) has expanded its prestigious Nigeria Prizes portfolio with the introduction of The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts. This new $20,000 category targets emerging Nigerian filmmakers aged 18 to 35.
The new prize, themed “Identity,” seeks to empower young storytellers to produce short documentary films that celebrate Nigeria’s culture, resilience, and diversity, while reshaping global perceptions of the country through creativity and authentic storytelling.
Announcing the prize at a press conference in Lagos on Friday, Sophia Horsfall, General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development at NLNG, said the initiative reflects the company’s deep commitment to nurturing creative talent as part of national development.
“The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts is an invitation for young Nigerians to own their narrative to show the world our complexity, our brilliance, and our resilience through film.
“This prize symbolises NLNG’s belief that storytelling is nation-building. Every frame, every voice, and every perspective matters in shaping who we are and who we aspire to be,’’ she said.
According to her, the new category bridges Nigeria’s vibrant youth population and the wider creative industry, strengthening the nation’s voice globally while promoting unity and understanding through storytelling.
New category
The new category will be administered by the Advisory Board for The Nigeria Prize for Literature and The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts, chaired by Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, alongside Emeritus Professor Olu Obafemi and Professor Ahmed Yerima.
Professor Adimora-Ezeigbo described the initiative as a milestone in NLNG’s two-decade journey of celebrating excellence across disciplines.
“The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts reaffirms our belief that excellence knows no boundaries, it can be written, spoken, or filmed. It challenges creators to confront truth, explore memory, and translate experience into meaning,” she said.
Sam Dede
For the inaugural edition, NLNG announced that veteran actor and filmmaker Sam Dede will chair the judging panel. He will be joined by Adeola Aderonke, an award-winning film director and art historian, and George Ugwuja, a renowned film producer.
Joel Benson, an Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker and Technical Advisor to the Advisory Board, stated that the prize will be benchmarked against international film-festival standards to ensure that winning entries can compete globally.
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“Only short documentaries of no more than 20 minutes will be accepted. Entries will be judged on storytelling craft, originality, production quality, creativity, and impact,” Mr Benson explained.
Prize cycle and theme
The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts will open for entries in February 2026 and close in April 2026, with submissions limited to short, non-fiction films completed between April 2024 and April 2026.
The inaugural theme, “Identity,” invites Nigerian filmmakers to explore who we are as individuals and communities, and how culture, faith, language, and experience shape our perception of the world.
The winner will be announced at the Grand Award Night in October 2026, alongside recipients of The Nigeria Prize for Literature and The Nigeria Prize for Science.
NLNG said the idea for the prize was conceived after a stakeholder roundtable with filmmakers and creative industry experts in September 2025, which helped shape its framework and sustainability.
The company noted that the new category reflects its ongoing commitment to recognising excellence across diverse fields, adding that storytelling remains central to nation-building.