Friday, January 9th, 2026

2025 Year-In-Review: Getting to Know What Kept Me Up Team Members

1. What we did for the first time in 2025

(Click to Follow the What Kept Me Up channel on WhatsApp)

2. Our future plans

  • Return with more merch
  • More video content and possibly audio content
  • More physical events with our community
  • Strengthen the work of our critics
  • Amplify our unique voice with timely articles
  • Continue our work with African Film Press
  • Slowly increase our stage play coverage

3a. Most beautiful articles:

Our favourite non-review articles published in the previous year.

3b. Most read non-review articles

4. Favourite films

  • Sinners
  • One Battle After Another
  • The Ugly Stepsister
  • My Father’s Shadow
  • The Smashing Machine
  • Nickel Boys
  • Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
  • Black Bag
  • The Holdovers
  • A Separation
  • On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
  • Ada Omo Daddy
  • Isoken
  • Love in Every Word 1
  • Insidious
  • The Paradise of Thorns
  • Green Book
  • Frankenstein
  • Paths of Glory
  • Some Like it Hot
  • KPop Demon Hunters
  • Freedom Way

5. Favourite series

  • Marked
  • When Life Gives You Tangerines
  • Forever
  • Adolescence
  • Young, Famous & African
  • Gelboys
  • Bad Influencer
  • Toronto Lawa
  • Scandal
  • Gen V
  • Paradise
  • Anna

6. Favourite books

  • Redeeming Love – Francine Rivers
  • Americanah – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
  • Nearly All the Men in Lagos are Mad – Damilare Kuku
  • The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives – Lola Shoneyin
  • Fourth Wing – Rebecca Yarros
  • Finding Me – Viola Davis

7. Artistes that made our year

  • Gabriel Eziashi
  • Trey Mclaughlin
  • Gunna
  • Greatmantakit
  • Naomi Sharon
  • Ojerime
  • Nathaniel Bassey
  • AEO
  • Knucks
  • Kitschkrieg
  • Adekunle Gold
  • Limoblaze
  • Cigarettes After Sex
  • The Weeknd
  • Obongjayar
  • Lupe Fiasco
  • Fireboy
  • JANNABI
  • Fave 
  • Godwin 
  • Juney Luv
  • 1975
  • Dunsin Oyekan
  • Chappel Roan

8. Most of the time spent with:

Polishing our unique voice.

9. The best time spent with:

Interviewing filmmakers at AFRIFF and S16 Film Festival 2025.

10. Prevalent mood in 2025:

Doggedness!

11. What we would have liked to have done without in the team:

Not being able to produce new episodes of our YouTube shows.

12. What we would like to convince everyone of:

There are so many films coming out of the industry, and there are one or two just for you. Don’t be snobbish.

13. Most important realisation:

To enjoy the joy of memory, take things more slowly and intently.

14. The best gift that someone gave us:

Patron support from Iroko Critic.

15. The most beautiful sentence of the year:

“You guys are doing the Lord’s work”

16. 2025 was:

Busy!

17. 2026 will be:

More observational and intentful!

Become a patron: To support our in-depth and critical coverage—become a Patron today!
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Previous Article

New in Nigeria: Movies and TV Shows to Watch this January 2026

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What Kept Me Up