The Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) has unveiled its full list of nominees for the 12th edition, with films Gingerrr, The Herd and To Kill a Monkey securing multiple nods across major categories.
The awards ceremony, scheduled for Saturday, May 9, 2026, at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, will be co‑hosted by Nigerian comedian Bovi Ugboma and South African actress Nomzamo Mbatha. Veteran actress Joke Silva returns as head judge.
In the Best Movie category, Gingerrr, The Herd, My Father’s Shadow, 3 Cold Dishes, The Serpent’s Gift and Behind the Scenes are in contention. Best Director nominees include Akinola Davies Jr (My Father’s Shadow), Tunde Kelani (Cordelia), Daniel Etim Effiong (The Herd) and Yemi Filmboy Morafa (Gingerrr).
The acting races feature a blend of veterans and rising talent. Best Lead Actress nominees include Linda Ejiofor, Bimbo Akintola, Genoveva Umeh, Sola Sobowale and Scarlet Gomez. Best Lead Actor contenders include Lateef Adedimeji, Mike Ezuruonye, William Benson, Kanayo O. Kanayo and Uzor Arukwe.
Supporting categories also highlight strong performances, with Lateef Adedimeji, Gabriel Afolayan, Bisola Aiyeola and Funke Akindele among those nominated.
Public voting closes on April 26. Winners will be announced on the night of May 9, promising another celebration of African cinematic excellence.
Full AMVCA 2026 Nominations List
Best Movie
Gingerrr — Ope Ajayi, Bisola Aiyeola, Bukunmi Adeaga-Ilori, Wumi Toriola, Bolaji Ogunmola, Onyeka Nnama
The Herd — Daniel Etim Effiong, Efe Ejukoriem, Ulogo Chukwudi, Kene Okwuosa, Craig Shurn, Ladun Awobokun
My Father’s Shadow — Funmbi Ogunbanwo and Rachel Dargavel
3 Cold Dishes — Martial Dansou, Surf Amuwa Oluseyi and Ly Oumar The Serpent’s Gift — Winifred Mena-Ajakpovi
Behind the Scenes — Funke Ayotunde Akindele and Wendy Uwadiae Imaseun
Best Director
My Father’s Shadow — Akinola Davies Jr Cordelia — Tunde Kelani
Osamede — James Kalu Omokwe
The Herd — Daniel Etim Effiong
Gingerrr — Yemi Filmboy Morafa
3 Cold Dishes — Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi
Best Lead Actress
Linda Ejiofor — The Serpent’s Gift
Bimbo Akintola — To Kill a Monkey
Ifeoma Fafunwa — The Lost Days
Ariyike Owolagba — Something About the Briggs
Sola Sobowale — Her Excellency
Scarlet Gomez — Behind the Scenes
Genoveva Umeh — The Herd
Gloria Anozie-Young — Mother of the Brides
Best Lead Actor
Mike Ezuruonye — Oversabi Aunty
Lateef Adedimeji — Lisabi: A Legend Is Born
William Benson — To Kill a Monkey Kanayo O. Kanayo — Grandpa Must Obey Khumbuza Meyiwa — Bet I Love You
Uzor Arukwe — Colours of Fire
Wale Ojo — 3 Cold Dishes
Femi Branch — Red Circle
Best Supporting Actress
Linda Ejiofor — The Herd
Olamide Kidbaby — Oversabi Aunty Bisola Aiyeola — Gingerrr
Sola Sobowale — The Covenant Series Nadia Dutch — Aljana
Amal Umar — The Herd
Juliebrenda Nyambura — MTV Shuga Mashariki
Funke Ayotunde Akindele — Behind the Scenes
Best Supporting Actor
Simileoluwa Hassan — The Yard
Lateef Adedimeji — Gingerrr
Gabriel Afolayan — Colours of Fire
Bucci Franklin — To Kill a Monkey
Femi Adeboye — Agesinkole (King of Thieves) 2
Lateef Adedimeji — Red Circle
Femi Branch — Owambe Thieves
Uzor Arukwe — Behind the Scenes
Best Cinematography
My Father’s Shadow — Jermaine Edwards
To Kill a Monkey — Kabelo Thathe
The Herd — Emmanuel Igbekele
Finding Nina — Daanong Gyang
The Serpent’s Gift — Emmanuel Igbekele Stitches — KC Obiajulu
Gingerrr — Emmanuel Igbekele
Best Writing (Movie)
The Herd — Lani Aisida
My Father’s Shadow — Wale Davies
Blackout — Ikenna Okpara
Cards on the Table — Shirleen Wangari
Gingerrr — Xavier Ighorodje
Suky — Isaac Ayodeji
3 Cold Dishes — Tomi Adesina
Best Writing (TV Series)
The Wives — Donald Tombia, Timendu Aghahowa, Chiemeka Osuagwu
MTV Shuga Mashariki — Annette Shadeya, Natasha Likimani, Mkamzee Mwatela, Arnold Mwanjila, Makgano Mamabolo
Our Husband — Xavier Ighorodje
Addis Fikir — Besufekade Mulu
Baba Oh — Temilola Balogun
The Party — Stephen Okonkwo
Gizat — Yednekachew Ayne
Best Series (Scripted)
To Kill a Monkey — Kemi Adetiba
The Yard — James Kalu Omokwe
The Chocolate Empire — Grace Kahaki and Phillipe Bresson
Inimba — Siphosethu Tshapu, Thandi Ramathesele and Yolanda Ndhlovu
Kash Money — Grace Khaki and Phillipe Benson
Best Series (Unscripted)
The Real Housewives of Lagos S3 — Deola Art Alade and Darey Art Alade
Nigerian Idol S10 — Suleiman Kassim and Anneke De Ridder
Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa — Graeme Swanepoel and Jemma Ford
Offair with Gbemi and Toolz — Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi and Toolz Oniru-Demuren
Out N’ About (Harar) — Bruk Yibrah
Best Score/Music
My Father’s Shadow — Duval Timothy, CJ Mirra
3 Cold Dishes — Nissi Ogulu
Osamede — Chubb Okobah
Gingerrr — Tolu Obanro
The Party — Tolu Obanro
MTV Shuga Mashariki — SoFresh
To Kill a Monkey — Oscar Herman-Ackah
Best Sound Design
My Father’s Shadow — Pius Fatoke and CJ Mirra
Gingerrr — Tolu Obanro
Ben Made It — Vaughan Phillips
The Party — Tolu Obanro
Sebata (The Beast) — Vaughan Phillips
The Herd — Fisayo Adefolaju
Best Editing
Cordelia — Kazeem Agboola
My Father’s Shadow — Omar Guzman Castro
Landline — Nwanguma Peter Chidebere and Dele Doherty
3 Cold Dishes — Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi
Osamede — Winston Aig-Ohioma
To Kill a Monkey — Daniel Anyiam
Best Art Direction
The Serpent’s Gift — Zainab Oladipupo
The Herd — Omolade Abisola
Colours of Fire — Ajamolaya Bunmi
Aljana — Olatunji Afolayan and Gideon O Stephen
Suky — Victor Akpan
Inimba — Thabiso Senne
Best Costume Design
The Serpent’s Gift — Mary Chukuma
The Real Housewives of Lagos S2 — Deola Art Alade, Darey Art Alade
Colours of Fire — Valerie Okeke Something About the Briggs — Yolanda Okereke
To Kill a Monkey — Ikechukwu Urum and John Joseph Angel
Best Make-up
Behind the Scenes — Mojisola Imam
Lisabi: A Legend Is Born — Adeola Thelma Bamgboye
Gingerrr — Dablaq Artistry
Abanisete — Adeola Thelma Bamgboye
Warlord — Hakeem Onilogbo (Hakeem Effect)
Suky — Ruth Harcourt
Labake Olododo — Adeola Thelma Bamgboye
Best Documentary
Beyond Olympic Glory — Shedrack Salami
The Good x The Bad of Afrobeat — Louis Ejiofor
The People Shall — Mark Maina and Nick Wambugu
Not Addressing This Anymore — Huzzain Bello
BOU — Mwaka Gerald Remmy
Best Short Film
Rise — Jessie J. Rowlands
Fleas — Jordy Sank
Telephone — Fimisinuola Adejonwo
Hussaini — Orire Nwani and Josh Olaoluwa
My Body, God’s Temple — Uzoamaka Power
Best Digital Content Creator
Elozonam Ogbolu and Genoveva Umeh — Dr Judgina: Situationally Transmitted Delusion
Destiny Ogie Osarewinda — The Marriage List
Emmanuel Kanaga and Sophia Chisom — Leave to Live
Benedict Ehimare Oriaifo — The Rate Race
Maryam Apaokagi-Greene (Taaoma) — Luxury Koko
Steve Chuks — August Meeting Election Akwaman — Did I Just Hear Muah
Best Indigenous Language Film (West Africa)
The Serpent’s Gift — Winifred Mena-Ajakpovi
Lisabi: A Legend Is Born — Lateef Adedimeji
Labake Olododo — Alice Iyabo Ojo, Olukanmi Abayomi, Alaba Onaolapo, Kene Okwuosa, Ladun Awobokun
Aljana — Grace Yachat Yakubu
Olorisha — Abiola Adeshina
Best Indigenous Language Film (East Africa)
Inside Job — Kamau Wandug’u, Joe Mahinda, and Barbara Njeri Maina Sayari — Omar Hamza and June Wairegi
Addis Fikir — Leul Shoaferaw
My Son — Isarito Mwakalindile
Kimote — Hassan Mageye
Best Indigenous Language Film (South Africa)
Bet I Love You — Joseph Duke and Keamogetse Modise
Sebata- The Beast
Ben Made It — Thabang Mathumetse and Thapelo Dikhutso
Terra of Queens and Kuma 2 — Neo Leonardo Mokoena
Tlhaho Ya Mosadi — Naledi Galane, Promise Ramoroka, Ernest Ramoroka, Modipadi Mokgohioa
Best Indigenous Language Film (North Africa)
The Omnipresent — Youssef Ben Khalifa
The Delivery — Abdalla Ezyan
The Hidden Voice — Houssem Eddine Abdelwahed
This Is Portsaid — Abdalla Ezyan
Artal Alhanin: Our Memories — Mohamed Awad and Mohamed Abdulraham Eldouma
Best Indigenous Language Film (Central Africa)
Mabanda — Kang Quintus
Safou: A Gift from Nature — Nyasha Makamba
Golden Spoon — Egbe Francis Ettabrown
Best Scripted M-Net Original
Adam to Eve — Lizz Njagah and Alexandros Konstantaras
Mother of the Brides — Rogba Arimoro and Bio Arimoro
The Yard — James Kalu Omokwe
The Low Priest — Femi D. Ogunsanwo
Bobo — Maurice Muendo
Best Unscripted M-Net Original
Nigerian Idol S10 — Suleiman Kassim and Anneke De Ridder
Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa — Graeme Swanepoel and Jemma Ford
Chapa Chapa My Love — Ercilla Justino, Jojo Almeida and Gabriela Ueno
Out N About (Harar) — Bruk Yibrah
Undugu — Hatibu Madudu
Best Indigenous M-Net Original
Inimba — Siphosethu Tshapu, Thandi Ramathesele and Yolanda Ndhlovu
Kukoyi — David Akande
Undugu — Hatibu Madudu
Out N’About (Harar) — Bruk Yibrah
Kampala Creme S2 — Joel Ndugwa
The Chocolate Empire — Grace Kahaki and Phillippe Bresson
Mgbuka — Eze Izu
Voting and Ceremony Details Public voting for the AMVCA 2026 is currently open across select categories and runs until April 26.
Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on May 9.
