The 12th Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) took place on May 9, 2026. This year’s nominees celebrated some of the biggest films, television series, actors, and creators across Africa, with major productions competing in both audience-voted and jury-decided categories.
The awards took place at Eko Hotel & Suites in Lagos and were hosted by Bovi Ugboma and Nomzamo Mbatha, marking the beginning of a new era for the ceremony after longtime host IK Osakioduwa stepped away from the role after more than a decade.
The ceremony was broadcast live across all Africa Magic channels on DStv and GOtv, and was also streamed through DStv Stream and GOtv Stream for viewers across Africa.
The 12th AMVCA features:
- 32 Categories
- 18 Jury-decided awards
- 11 Public-voted awards
- 3 Special recognition awards
The evening featured glamorous red carpet moments, emotional speeches, musical performances, and heartfelt tributes celebrating the growth of African storytelling and filmmaking across the continent.
Veteran actress Joke Silva served as head judge for this year’s edition, while the ceremony also introduced new categories recognizing indigenous language films from different regions across Africa.
Several stars took home major awards during the night, with standout productions including My Father’s Shadow, The Herd, Gingerrr, and To Kill A Monkey leading the conversation throughout the ceremony.
Uzor Arukwe won the award for Best Actor, while Linda Ejiofor took home the award for Best Actress. My Father’s Shadow emerged as one of the biggest winners of the night, earning recognition in several major categories including Best Film and Best Director.
Here’s the complete list of all the AMVCA 2026 nominees, with the winners proudly highlighted in each category.
Full List of 2026 AMVCA Winners and Nominees
Best Digital Content Creator
- Leave To Live — Emmanuel Kanaga and Sophia Chisom (WINNER)
Other Nominees:
- Dr Judgina – Situationally Transmitted Delusion
- The Marriage List — Destiny Ogie Osarewinda
- The Rate Race — Benedict Ehimare Oriaifo
- Luxury Koko — Maryam Apaokagi-Greene (Taaoma)
- August Meeting Election — Steve Chuks
- Did I Just Hear Muah — Akwaman
Best Indigenous Language (Southern Africa)
- Tlhaho Ya Mosadi – Naledi Galane, Promise Ramoroka, Ernest Ramoroka and Modipadi Mokgohioa (WINNER)
Other Nominees:
- Bet I Love You
- Sebata – The Beast
- Ben Made It
- Terra Of Queens And Kuma 2
Best Indigenous Language (East Africa)
- Addis Fikir – Leul Shoaferaw (WINNER)
Other Nominees:
- Inside Job – – Kamau Wandug’u, Joe Mahinda and Barbara Njeri Maina
- Sayari – Omar Hamza and June Wairegi
- My Son – Isarito Mwakalindile
- Kimote – Hassan Mageye
Best Indigenous Language (West Africa)
- Lisabi (A Legend Is Born) – Lateef Adedimeji (WINNER)
Other Nominees:
- The Serpent’s Gift – Winifred Mena-Ajakpovi
- Labake Olododo – Iyabo Ojo
- Aljana – Grace Yachat Yakubu
- Olorisha – Abiola Adeshina
Best Supporting Actress
- Linda Ejiofor — The Herd (WINNER)
Other Nominees:
- 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 Akindele — Behind The Scene
Best Lead Actor
- Uzor Arukwe — Colours of Fire (WINNER)
Other Nominees:
- Mike Ezuruonye — Oversabi Aunty
- Lateef Adedimeji — Lisabi
- William Benson — To Kill A Monkey
- Kanayo O. Kanayo — Grandpa Must Obey
- Khumbuza Meyiwa — Bet I Love You
- Wale Ojo — 3 Cold Dishes
- Femi Branch — Red Circle
Best Cinematography
Other Nominees:
- My Father’s Shadow – Jermaine Edwards
- The Herd – Emmanuel Igbekele
- Finding Nina – Daanong Gyang
- The Serpent’s Gift – Emmanuel Igbekele
- Stitches – KC Obiajulu
- Gingerrr – Emmanuel Igbekele
Best Lead Actress
- Linda Ejiofor — The Serpent’s Gift (WINNER)
- 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 Director
Other Nominees:
- Tunde Kelani — Cordelia
- James Kalu Omokwe — Osamede
- Daniel Etim Effiong — The Herd
- Yemi Filmboy Morafa — Gingerrr
- Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi — 3 Cold Dishes
Best Movie
- My Father’s Shadow (WINNER)
- Gingerrr
- The Herd
- 3 Cold Dishes
- The Serpent’s Gift
- Behind The Scenes
Best Series (Scripted)
- Inimba – Siphosethu Tshapu, Thandi Ramathesele and Yolanda Ndhlovu (WINNER)
Other Nominees:
- To Kill A Monkey – Kemi Adetiba
- The Yard – James Kalu Omokwe
- The Chocolate Empire – Grace Kahaki and Philippe Bresson
- Kash Money – Grace Kahaki and Phillipe Benson
Best Series (Unscripted)
- Nigerian Idol S10 – Sulaiman Kassim and Anneke De Ridder (WINNER)
Other Nominees:
- The Real Housewives of Lagos S3 – Deola Art Alade, Darey Art Alade
- Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa – Graeme Swanepoel
- Offair With Gbemi And Toolz – Gbemi and Toolz
- Out N’ About (Harar) – Bruk Yibrah
Best Costume Design
Colours of Fire — Valerie Okeke (WINNER)
Other Nominees:
- The Serpent’s Gift — Mary Chukuma
- The Real Housewives of Lagos (S3) — Deola Art Alade, Darey Art Alade
- Something About The Briggs — Yolanda Okereke
- To Kill a Monkey — Ikechukwu Urum, John Joseph Angel
Best Makeup
Warlord — Hakeem Onilogbo (WINNER)
Other Nominees:
- Behind The Scenes — Mojisola Imam
- Lisabi (A Legend Is Born) — Adeola Thelma Bamgboye
- Gingerrr — Diablaq Artistry
- Abanisete — Adeola Thelma Bamgboye
- Suky — Ruth Harcourt
- Labake Olododo — Adeola Thelma Bamgboye
Best Sound / Sound Design
My Father’s Shadow — Pius Fatoke, CJ Mirra (WINNER)
Other Nominees:
- Gingerrr — Tolu Obanro
- Ben Made It — Vaughan Phillips
- The Party — Tolu Obanro
- Sebata (The Beast) — Vaughan Phillips
- The Herd — Fisayo Adefolaju
Best Writing – TV Series
MTV Shuga Mashariki — Annette Shadeya, Natasha Likimani, Mkamzee Mwatela, Arnold Mwanjila, Makgano Mamabolo (WINNER)
Other Nominees:
- The Wives — Donald Tombia, Timendu Aghahowa, Chiemeka Osuagwu
- Our Husband — Xavier Ighorodje
- Addis Fikir — Besufekade Mulu
- Baba OH — Temilola Balogun
- The Party — Stephen Okonkwo
- Gizat — Yednekachew Ayne
Best Art Direction
Colours of Fire — Ajamolaya Bunmi (WINNER)
Other Nominees:
- The Serpent’s Gift — Zainab Oladupupo
- The Herd — Omolade Abisola
- Aljana — Olatunji Afolayan, Gideon Stephen
- Suky — Victor Akpan
- Inimba — Thabiso Senne
Best Writing – Movie
My Father’s Shadow — Wale Davies (WINNER)
Other Nominees:
- The Herd — Lani Aisida
- Blackout — Ikenna Okpara
- Cards on the Table — Shirleen Wangari
- Gingerrr — Xavier Ighorodje
- Suky — Isaac Ayodeji
- 3 Cold Dishes — Tomi Adesina
Best Indigenous M-Net Original
Inimba — Siphosethu Tshapu, Thandi Ramathesele, and Yolanda Ndhlovu (WINNER)
Other Nominees:
- Kukoyi — David Akande
- Undugu — Hatibu Madudu
- Out N’ About (Harar) — Bruk Yibrah
- Kamapala Creme — Joel Ndugwa
- The Chocolate Empire — Grace Kahaki and Phillippe Bresson
- Mgbuka — Eze Izu
Best Scripted M-Net Original
The Low Priest — Femi D. Ogunsanwo (WINNER)
Other Nominees:
- Adam to Eve — Lizz Njagah and Alexandros Konstantaras
- Mother of the Brides — Rogba Arimoro and Bio Arimoro
- The Yard — James Kalu Omokwe
- Bobo — Maurice Muendo
Best Supporting Actor
Bucci Franklin — To Kill a Monkey (WINNER)
Other Nominees:
- Simileoluwa Hassan — The Yard
- Lateef Adedimeji — Gingerrr
- Gabriel Afolayan — Colours of Fire
- Femi Adebayo — King of Thieves 2
- Lateef Adedimeji — Red Circle
- Femi Branch — Owambe Thieves
- Uzor Arukwe — Behind the Scenes
Trailblazer Award
Uche Montana (WINNER)
Lifetime Achievement Award
- Sola Sobowale
- Kanayo O. Kanayo
Best Indigenous Language Film (Central Africa)
Mabanda — Kang Quintus (WINNER)
Other Nominees:
- Safou (A Gift From Nature) — Nyasha Makamba
- Golden Spoon — Egbe Francis Ettabrown
Best Indigenous Language Film (North Africa)
Artal Alhanin: Our Memories — Mohamed Awad and Mohamed Abdulraham Eldouma (WINNER)
Other Nominees:
- The Omnipresent — Youssef Ben Khalifa
- The Delivery — Abdalla Ezyan
- The Hidden Voice — Houssem Eddine Abdelwahed
- This Is Portsaid — Abdalla Ezyan
Best Documentary
Beyond Olympic Glory — Shedrack Salami (WINNER)
Other Nominees:
- The Good x The Bad of Afrobeat — Louis Ejiofor
- The People Shall — Mark Maina, Nick Wambugu
- Not Addressing This Anymore — Huzzain Bello
- BOU — Mwaka Gerald Remmy
Best Short Film
Hussainin — Orire Nwani, Josh Olaoluwa (WINNER)
Other Nominees:
- Rise — Jessie J. Rowlands
- Fleas — Jordy Sank
- Telephone — Fimisinuola Adejonwo
- My Body, God’s Temple — Uzoamaka Power
Best Score / Music
My Father’s Shadow — Duval Timothy, CJ Mirra (WINNER)
Other Nominees:
- 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
What Are Your Thoughts on the 2026 AMVCA Awards?
Which movies, television series, actors, or creators stood out to you during this year’s ceremony? Were your favorite stars and productions among the winners, or do you think some deserved more recognition? Share your thoughts on the biggest winners, surprise moments, and standout performances from Africa’s biggest night in film and television!
