Nonso Bassey

EARLY LIFE

Nonso Bassey, born Chukwunonso Anozuma Bassey Iwuchukwu, was born in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. His father is Igbo from Imo State, and his mother is Efik from Cross River State. In 2000, he was admitted to the University of Calabar International Secondary School in Calabar, graduating in 2006. He later attended Covenant University, where he earned a second-class upper degree in English and Literary Studies. Following graduation, he completed his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as a civil servant in the aviation sector in Imo State.

CAREER

Nonso Bassey is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, actor, and model, also known as Nonzo (stylized as NONZO since August 2022). He began his music career in 2015, featuring on the song "My Dream" with VJ Adams and rapper M.I. In 2016, he auditioned for the first season of The Voice Nigeria, reaching the live shows as a top 8 finalist, after which he was signed by Universal Music Group Nigeria (formerly Universal Music West Africa). In 2017, he opened for Aṣa at her Lagos concert. His debut single, "411" (produced by Johnny Drille), was released in February 2018 and earned a nomination for Best Vocal Performance (Male) at the 13th Headies Awards in 2019. In April 2019, he released his sophomore single "For You" (produced by Yekini 'Tiwezi' Temitayo, video directed by Adesua Okosun).

Bassey is known as the "Prince of Nollywood" and has been active in the industry since 2015. He is signed to Wild Imaginations. Awards include a nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the 17th Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2021 and one other nomination. In an interview, he discussed his emotional journey and role in Love Like This, noting that "no one is perfectly good or completely evil."