Weeks before Comic Con Ibadan is due to make anything official, TheACE has obtained what seems to be the working nomination list for the 2026 Comic Con Ibadan Awards. It names the comics, studios and creators currently in contention for one of the biggest days on Nigeria’s comic and geek calendar, and it is gradually becoming, but not totally public yet.
While Comic Con Ibadan has confirmed two of its 2026 award categories so far, Comic Book of the Year and Artist of the Year, it is tempting to assume this list exists because of the Guild of Publishers, the nominating body, announced back in March. Well, it doesn’t. The Guild, designed to let publishers and creators put forward their own work for consideration, is not yet fully operational, which means every name on this list was chosen the old way, by a panel of judges.
That’s the real story here. Not just who’s nominated, but who decided, and this year, we have a good sense of who that is.
The Panel Behind the List
Comic Con Ibadan has built real credibility around the calibre of its judges, and this year, most of that panel is on the record. The line-up includes Murewa Ayodele, the Nigerian writer who has scripted Storm for Marvel Comics, author Ray Anyansi, and industry figure Sewedo Nupowaku, all previously confirmed as part of the judging body. Joining them this cycle are Funke Martin-Luther (Blaise), Fortune O. Okorobie and Bakare Paul Bernard.
This is a meaningfully larger panel than the one Comic Con Ibadan had even a few months ago. A small number of seats on the panel remain undisclosed, but they are the exception now, not the rule. For an awards programme this influential within the Nigerian comic space, having a judging body this visible is itself worth noting.
With that context in place, here’s what the list actually shows.
The Studio of the Year Rematch
For three years running, Comic Republic has owned Studio of the Year. Last year, Head of Production Michael Balogun stood on stage and pointed out the consistency. This year, the category has narrowed to three contenders: Comic Republic, Symphonii Studios, and, notably, The Machine Publishing.
That last name matters. The Machine Publishing won Emerging Studio of the Year in 2025, off the back of Celestial Eyes. Converts of the industry will note that, within twelve months, they’ve graduated straight into the main Studio category, going head-to-head with the studio they were once positioned beneath. Celestial Eyes is back too, now at Book 8, nominated again for Comic Book of the Year, and up against Comic Republic’s own double entry, Aje Issue 6 and Chibok 3.
If Comic Republic wants a fourth consecutive win, it won’t be uncontested this time.
The Defending Champions
Several of last year’s winners are back, defending the exact ground they already claimed.
Alexander Esene Oriwoh, who swept both Artist of the Year and Colourist of the Year for Chibok Issue 2, is nominated in both categories again, this time for Chibok Issue 3. John Uche, last year’s Writer of the Year for Celestial Eyes, is nominated again for Chapter 8 of the same series. CuisEL Joshua Peach, who took Letterer of the Year for Celestial Eyes last year, is also back nominated for Chapter 8.
The Dark Horses
Two names show up far more often than anyone else on the list, and neither has won a Comic Con Ibadan Award before.
Ifeoluwa Owoade is nominated four times, for Artist, Writer, and Colourist of the Year, all for Hounds and Jackals under Symphonii Studios, plus a fourth nod in Emerging Talent of the Year. Tobi Oluwafemi is not far behind, picking up three nominations, Artist, Writer, and Emerging Talent, entirely off Red Days 1.
Whatever else this judging panel valued this year, it valued these two books heavily. If either creator walks away with even two wins, they’ll have had a bigger night than most studios.
New Categories, Same Mystery
Two categories floated during the announcement about the Guild of Publishers have shown up, even without the Guild driving anything, Gaming Studio of the Year (Raven Illusions, Goondu Games, Juju Games, Deluxe Creation Studios) and a renamed Comic Book/Industry Event of the Year, now down to three finalists, Nerdwork Comic Convention (Port Harcourt), Lagos Comic Convention, and Frame Fest Abuja.
That last one demands closer scrutiny. Frame Fest Abuja is organised by Symphonii Studios, the same studio nominated for Honorary Award of the Year this cycle, specifically for organising Frame Fest. This double-dipping raises questions about potential redundancies or structural quirks within the current judging process, as one single event is effectively occupying two separate slots on the exact same ballot.
Meanwhile, a major category explicitly promised back in March has not surfaced anywhere: Fan of the Year. Its sudden absence suggests that either the logistical breakdown of the Guild of Publishers forced the panel to quietly shelve it, or the mechanics of public voting have simply stalled behind the scenes. Whether it has been folded into something else, or is simply not finalised yet, remains, for now, unconfirmed.
What is Still Unconfirmed
The full judging panel, the official nomination list, and the answer to Fan of the Year are all expected to surface in the coming weeks as Comic Con Ibadan moves toward its 2026 convention.
Journalistic leaks aside, this year’s convention carries an additional milestone for the broader community. The Bookause 2025 Nigerian Comic Industry Report, for which TheACE and Bookause earned a joint honorary award for contributing to last year, is set to get its physical launch at the event. For an industry that has spent years being talked about more than documented, this formal data launch marks a significant step forward.
To celebrate this industry milestone, TheACE is giving away two free tickets to this year’s convention. Follow TheACE and Comic Con Ibadan on any social platform, then comment “Ticket” on our recent post announcing the report’s launch and leave your DMs open. We will reach out with the details.
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