The stage is officially set for the 21st Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) as the full list of nominations for the 2025 edition was unveiled at an exclusive ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria, a gathering rich in cinematic prestige and cultural pride.
Moderated by veteran Nigerian actor Segun Arinze, the nomination event drew filmmakers, producers, and industry icons from across Africa and the diaspora, celebrating a year defined by bold storytelling and outstanding creativity.
Burkina Faso’s “Katanga: Dance of the Scorpions” emerged as the leading contender, securing nominations in major categories including Best Film, Best Director, and multiple technical fields. The film is closely followed by South Africa’s The Heart is a Muscle, Nigeria’s Lisabi: The Uprising, and 3 Cold Dishes, each receiving multiple nods across acting, production, and screenplay categories.
Nigeria maintained a commanding presence this year with titles like Freedom Way, Red Circle, Amanyanabo, and The Masked King, showcasing the nation’s growing influence in global cinema.
Among this year’s highlights are the Efere Ozako Award for Best Short Film, the NFVCB Award for Best Nigerian Film, and categories celebrating diaspora filmmakers, underlining AMAA’s pan-African reach and commitment to amplifying diverse voices.
Founded in 2005, the Africa Movie Academy Awards continues to serve as the continent’s highest platform for film excellence, celebrating African cinema’s global resonance and artistic evolution.
The 2025 AMAA Awards Night is slated for November 9, promising a star-studded evening that will once again affirm Africa’s position as a powerhouse in world cinema.
Below is the complete list of AMAA 2025 categories and nominees:
🎬 Efere Ozako Award for Best Short Film
• The Missing Piece – Kenya
• Vandals – Mozambique
• Echoes From The Past – Nigeria/UK
• Abu Judy – Egypt
• Chikha-Queen – Morocco
• MIA – Burkina Faso
• Stigma – Tunisia
• LEES WAXUL – Senegal
• The Last Harvest – Cape Verde
🧩 Jubril Malafia AMAA Award for Best Animation
• Dawn – Cameroon
• My Brother, My Brother – Egypt/France/Germany
• The Travails of Ajadi – Nigeria
• Nkizzi’s First Day – Uganda
• Amara and the Spirit of Nyamagunda – Uganda
• Monologue – Nigeria/UK
📽️ Best Documentary
• The Journey East – DRC
• Double Minority – Nigeria
• The Empty Grave – Tanzania/UK
• Khartoum – Sudan/UK
• Ancestral Visions of the Future – Lesotho/France/Germany
🗣️ Ousmane Sembene Award for Best Film in an African Language
• Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions – Burkina Faso
• Small gods – Uganda/UK
• Lukas – Namibia
• Lobola Man – South Africa
• Lisabi: The Uprising – Nigeria
• The Heart is a Muscle – South Africa
🌍 Michael Anyiam Osigwe Award for Best Film by an African Living Abroad
• Ancestral Visions of the Future – Lesotho/France/Germany
• Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions – Burkina Faso
• Khartoum – Sudan
🎞️ Best Diaspora Short
• Cartes – USA
• Superman Doesn’t Steal – USA
• Harvest – USA
🌎 Best Diaspora Documentary
• The Billy Preston Story – USA
• Carnival: They Can’t Steal Our Joy – Canada
• Missing Rio Doce – Brazil/France
• Rediscovering Fenon – USA/Algeria/Martinique
🎥 Best Diaspora Narrative Feature
• Sisters Maid – Brazil
• Romeo N Juliet 4EVA – Jamaica
• The Model, The Mannequin and Me – USA
⸻
🏗️ Achievement in Production Design
• Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions
• The Heart is a Muscle
• 3 Cold Dishes
• Last Stop
• Red Circle
👗 Achievement in Costume Design
• Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions
• The Lost Days
• The Masked King
• The Serpent’s Gift
• Hunting Jessica Brok
💄 Achievement in Makeup
• Spelonk
• Lisabi: The Uprising
• Amanyanabo
• The Masked King
• The Heart is a Muscle
🎶 Achievement in Soundtrack
• Recall
• Freedom Way
• Old Righteous Blues
• Kites
• Le Point – The Bridge
💻 Achievement in Visual Effects
• For Land, For Love, For Power
• Lisabi
• Spelonk
• Hunting Jessica Brok
• Amanyanabo: The Eagle King
🎧 Achievement in Sound
• Algiers
• Old Righteous Blues
• Le Point – The Bridge
• Hunting Jessica Brok
• Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions
🎥 Achievement in Cinematography
• 3 Cold Dishes
• Old Righteous Blues
• Spelonk
• Small gods
• For Land, For Love, For Power
• The Heart is a Muscle
• Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions
✂️ Achievement in Editing
• For Love, For Land, For Power
• Spelonk
• The Heart is a Muscle
• 3 Cold Dishes
• Algiers
🖋️ Achievement in Screenplay
• Old Righteous Blues
• Le Point – The Bridge
• For Love, For Land, For Power
• Small gods
• Red Circle
• Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions
🇳🇬 NFVCB Award for Best Nigerian Film
• Lisabi: The Uprising
• Recall
• Freedom Way
• The Serpent’s Gift
• Amanyanabo
• 3 Cold Dishes
• Red Circle
• The Masked King
⸻
🌟 Best Young/Promising Actor
• Alejandro Cooper – Lukas
• Turinayo Jatham – Small gods
• Tiwalola Adebola-Walter – Freedom Way
• Kosi Ogborueche – Kill Boro
• Ruby Akubueze – 3 Cold Dishes
🎭 Best Actor in a Supporting Role
• Kojo Boakye – Two of a Kind
• Femi Jacobs – Freedom Way
• Clemento Ashietey – Last Stop
• Abdulai Saidu Kamara – Code of Honor
🎭 Best Actress in a Supporting Role
• Zohra Chetioui – Le Point – The Bridge
• Tina Mba – The Serpent’s Gift
• Fadela Brown – Old Righteous Blues
• Bukky Wright – Red Circle
🕴️ Best Actor in a Leading Role
• Keenan Arrison – The Heart is a Muscle
• Kalkidan Tessema – For Love, For Land, For Power
• Adjetey Anang – Last Stop
• Lateef Adedimeji – Lisabi: The Uprising
• Ayden Croy – Old Righteous Blues
• Bizimana Hussain – Small gods
• Mahamadi Nana – Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions
• Nabil Asli – Algiers
👑 Best Actress in a Leading Role
• Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman – The Serpent’s Gift
• Analisa Munyana – Mucoma: The Battle of the Couple
• Shaffy Bello – The Masked King
• Danica De La Ray Jones – Hunting Jessica Brok
• Tsigereda Bekele – For Love, For Land, For Power
• Florence Mariserena – Small gods
• Meriem Medjkane – Algiers
• Osas Ighodaro, Fat Toure, Maud Guerard – 3 Cold Dishes
🎬 Best Debut Feature Film by a Director
• The Lost Days – Wingonia Ikpi
• Small gods – Asher Rosen
• Algiers – Chakib Taleb-Bendiab
• Kill Boro – Obayuwana Courage
• The Heart is a Muscle – Imran Hamdulay
• Freedom Way – Afolabi Olalekan
🎥 Best Director
• Niyi Akinmolayan – Lisabi: The Uprising (Nigeria)
• Imran Hamdulay – The Heart is a Muscle (South Africa)
• Asurf Oluseyi – 3 Cold Dishes (Nigeria)
• Asher Rosen – Small gods (Uganda)
• Theodros Teshome – For Love, For Land, For Power (Ethiopia)
• Dani Kouyate – Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions (Burkina Faso)
• Kwabena Gwansah – Last Stop (Ghana)
• Chakib Taleb-Bendiab – Algiers (Algeria)
🏆 Best Film
• Algiers – Algeria
• 3 Cold Dishes – Nigeria
• The Heart is a Muscle – South Africa
• Small gods – Uganda
• For Love, For Land, For Power – Ethiopia
• Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions – Burkina Faso
• Last Stop – Ghana
• Lisabi: The Uprising – Nigeria
