5 Nigerians Who Have Received Oscars Nomination, Award

Movie stars made their way to the Hollywood’s biggest night when the 2024 Oscars held at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday.

It was a night of glamour and glory as the best of Hollywood stars gathered to celebrate their success and achievements in the film industry.

Over time, cinema stars of Nigeria descent have attended this spectacular celebration.

We will take a look at five Nigerians who have been nominated and awarded at the prestigious Oscars awards.


1. Cynthia Erivo

Cynthia Onyedinmanasu Chinasaokwu Erivo is an English actress, singer, and songwriter born to Nigerian parents. She has received numerous awards, as her distinct ability continues to stand out.

The dynamic actress has two Academy Award nominations to her credit. The first nomination was for Best Actress in the film Harriet. The second was for Best Original Song Stand Up Still in the film Harriet. Both Oscar nominations came during the 92nd Academy Awards.

2. Chiwetel Ejiofor

Chiwetel Umeadi Ejiofor CBE is a British-Nigerian actor and filmmaker whose parents are from the Igbo tribe. After enrolling at the National Youth Theatre in 1995 and attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, at the age of 19 and three months into his education, Steven Spielberg cast Ejiofor as James Covey in the film Amistad.

Since then, he has received international attention for his work.Chiwetel was nominated for Best Actor in the 2013 film 12 Years a Slave at the 86th Academy Awards in 2014.

3. Sophie Okonedo

She’s a British-Nigerian actor and storyteller. Her Nigerian blood comes from her father’s side. Her film career began with the British coming-of-age drama Young Soul Rebels, followed by Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls and Stephen Frears’ Dirty Pretty Things.

An actress who merits a standing ovation anytime she appears on screen. Okonedo’s breakout performance occurred in 2004, when she co-starred in the film Hotel Rwanda as Tatiana Rusesabagina, the wife of Rwandan hotel manager and philanthropist Paul, played by American actor Don Cheadle. In 2005, she became the second Black female Briton to be nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 77th Academy Awards.

4. Forest Whitaker

Forest Whitaker is an exceptional American actor, director, and producer. His ancestors are from Nigeria. Indeed, his father’s ancestors are from the Igbo tribe of Nigeria. They are specifically from Nkwere, an Igbo town. Forest Whitaker was given the honorary title of chief ‘Nwannedinambe de Nkewere’, which means ‘a brother in a foreign nation’.

He is making a significant difference in that strange place since he is one of the few black actors in America who are at the top of their game. Whitaker earned an Oscar for his role as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 2006 film The Last King of Scotland. He received the Oscar for Best Actor at the 79th Academy Awards in 2007.

5. Temilade Openiyi

Temilade Openiyi, a.k.a Tems, was nominated for the 95th edition of the Oscars award, Although she didn’t win her category, she made history as the first Nigerian artiste to be nominated at the awards.

Tems received the Best Original Song nomination for her collaboration with Rihanna on the song ‘Lift Me Up’. The duo was nominated in the ‘Best Original Song’ category.

‘Lift Me Up’ was one of Marvel’s ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ soundtracks. Rihanna co-wrote the soulful song with Tems, and the music was produced by Ludwig Göransson, and directed by Ryan Coogler.