Two Nigerian writers took home trophies at the 2026 Ignyte Awards, which were announced on Saturday, October 3. Somto Ihezue won Outstanding Novelette for “We Begin Where Infinity Ends,” published in Clarkesworld, and Albert Nkereuwem won Outstanding Short Story for “Commensalism, Or the Labyrinth’s Vessels,” published by Will This Be A Problem. The Ignytes, presented since 2020, celebrate the current and future landscapes of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Both winners were on the finalist list we shared in June.

For Ihezue, the Ignyte follows his 2026 Locus Award for Best Novelette, which he won for the same story. It is the second major win for the novelette in a matter of months. When the finalists were announced, he wrote on Instagram that he had “poured all my heart and tenderness into this one.” Ihezue is a Nigerian-Igbo writer, editor, and filmmaker whose work has appeared in Uncanny, Strange Horizons, and Nightmare, among others.

Nkereuwem’s winning story follows a Lagos chef in conversation with a super-intelligent slime mould that has conquered Earth. The piece appeared in Will This Be A Problem: The Anthology, Issue V, which was co-edited by Olivia Kidula and, as it happens, Ihezue himself. Nkereuwem was born in Lagos and spent his early adult years in Calabar. His debut novel, The Bone River, a sapphic urban fantasy set in Calabar, is a 2026 Nommo Award nominee and was longlisted for the BSFA Awards. He also won the 2023 Dream Foundry Prize for Emerging Writers.

The African speculative fiction scene has plenty to look forward to this season, and we will be keeping you updated! Congratulations to Ihezue and Nkereuwem.