What Kept Me Up, a prominent film media company in Nigeria, has announced the findings of its third annual critics’ poll, highlighting the finest works in Nollywood for 2024.

This initiative encourages film critics worldwide to cast their votes for their favorite films, performances, and directors, aiming to celebrate Nollywood’s accomplishments and underscore the vital importance of film criticism in the arts.

Ikeade Oriade, the founder and Editor-in-Chief of What Kept Me Up, has also been featured on YNaija’s “Nollywood 100 List,” recognizing him as one of the most promising talents in Nigeria’s film sector this year. As a committed film critic and journalist, Oriade consistently explores the relationship between film, society, and culture.

In this year’s Critics Poll, 14 Nigerian critics chose their top five films from a selected list of 79 titles released between December 1, 2023, and November 30, 2024, available in cinemas and on popular streaming services like Prime Video, Showmax, and Netflix. Points were allocated based on the critics’ rankings: 10 points for first place, 5 for second, 3 for third, 2 for fourth, and 1 for fifth.

The results, which also highlight the best performances and directors, differ from What Kept Me Up’s annual list released in early December. This year’s panel primarily consisted of freelance critics associated with various publications, including AfroCritik and In Nollywood, as well as notable social media platforms like Marapolsa Reviews and Nigerian Movie Reviews.

In the categories for directors and performances, each critic nominated up to three names, with those receiving a minimum of two votes qualifying for the final list.

The Films of the Year include titles such as With Difficulty Comes Ease, Breath of Life, A Tribe Called Judah, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, Wives on Strike 3, Kill Boro, A Green Fever, and Afamefuna.

In the Directors of the Year category, the nominees are Korede Azeez for With Difficulty Comes Ease, B.B. Sasore for Breath of Life, Bolanle Austen Peters for Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, Taiwo Egunjobi for A Green Fever, and Courage Obayuwana for Kill Boro.

For Performances of the Year, the recognized talents are Uzoamaka Aniunoh in With Difficulty Comes Ease, Kehinde Bankole in Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, Hilda Dokubo in Wives on Strike 3, Philip Asaya in Kill Boro, Uche Chika Elumelu in Suspicion, Femi Branch in House of Ga’a, and Chimezie Imo in Breath of Life.

This poll not only honors the accomplishments of Nollywood but also emphasizes the significance of film criticism as an essential aspect of the arts community.