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Africa’s biggest stars in film and television have lit up Lagos for the 12th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), celebrating outstanding storytelling, creativity, and culture across the continent.
The awards ceremony, held on Saturday, 9 May 2026, opened with glamour, excitement, and unforgettable moments as celebrities lit up the red carpet in stunning fashion looks. Hosts VJ Adams, Riyah Abdul and Uti Nwachukwu brought energy and premium banter to the red carpet experience.
Nigeria’s comedy star Bovi teamed up with South African actress and media personality Nomzamo Mbatha to host the main awards ceremony, delivering a night filled with humour, elegance, and celebration of African excellence.
Music star BNXN kicked off the show with an electrifying performance that immediately got the audience excited for the night ahead.
Here are some of the major winners at the 12th AMVCA:
Best Costume Design — Valerie Okeke for “Colours of Fire” (Winner)
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 Make-Up — Hakeem Onilogbo (Hakeem Effect) (Winner)
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 Art Direction — Ajamolaya Bunmi for “Colours of Fire” (Winner)
Nominees: “The Serpent’s Gift” – Zainab Oladupupo; “The Herd” – Omolade Abisola; “Aljana” – Olatunji Afolayan, Gideon Stephen; “Suky” – Victor Akpan; “Inimba” – Thabiso Senne.
- Best Sound Design — Pius Fatoke and CJ Mirra (Winner)
Nominees: “Gingerrr” – Tolu Obanro; “Ben Made It” – Vaughan Phillips; “The Party” – Tolu Obanro; “Sebata (The Beast)” – Vaughan Phillips; “The Herd” – Fisayo Adefolaju.
- Best Cinematography — Kabelo Thathe for “To Kill A Monkey” (Winner)
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 Editing — Daniel Anyiam for “To Kill A Monkey” (Winner)
Nominees: “Cordelia” – Kazeem Agboola; “My Father’s Shadow” – Omar Guzman Castro; “Landline” – Nwanguma Peter Chidebere, Dele Doherty; “3 Cold Dishes” – Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi; “Osamede” – Winston AIG-Ohioma.
- Best Score/Music — Duval Timothy and CJ Mirra for “My Father’s Shadow” (Winner)
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.
- Best Documentary — “Beyond Olympic Glory” by Shedrack Salami (Winner)
Nominees: “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 — “Hussainin” by Orire Nwani and Josh Olaoluwa (Winner)
Nominees: “Rise” – Jessie J. Rowlands; “Fleas” – Jordy Sank; “Telephone” – Fimisinuola Adejonwo; “My Body, God’s Temple” – Uzoamaka Power.
- Best Writing (TV Series) — Annette Shadeya, Natasha Likimani, Mkamzee Mwatela, Arnold Mwanjila, and Makgano Mamabolo for MTV Shuga Mashariki (Winner)
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 Writing (Movie) — Wale Davies and Akinola Davies for “My Father’s Shadow” (Winner)
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 Digital Content Creator — Emmanuel Kanaga and Sophia Chisom for “Leave to Live” (Winner)
Nominees: “Luxury Koko” – Maryam Apaokagi-Greene (Taaoma); “The Marriage List” – Destiny Ogie Osarewinda; “The Rate Race” – Benedict Ehimare Oriaifo; “August Meeting Election” – Steve Chuks; “Did I Just Hear Muah” – Akwaman.
- Best Supporting Actress – The Herd – Linda Ejiofor (Winner)
Nominees: Oversabi Aunty – Olamide Kidbaby, Gingerrr – Bisola Aiyeola, The Covenant Series – Sola Sobowale, Aljana – Nadia Dutch, The Herd – Amal Umar, MTV Shuga Mashariki – Juliebrenda Nyambura, Behind The Scene – Funke Akindele.
- 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”.
- Best Lead Actor – Uzor Arukwe ” Colours of Fire” (Winner)
- Nominees: Oversabi Aunty – Mike Ezuruonye, Lisabi: A Legend Is Born – Lateef Adedimeji, Grandpa Must Obey – Kanayo O. Kanayo, Bet I Love You – Khumbuza Meyiwa.
- Best Lead Actress – Linda Ejiofor – “The Serpent’s Gift” (Winner)
- Nominees: 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 Indigenous Language (West Africa) — “Lisabi (A Legend is Born)” by Lateef Adedimeji (Winner)
Nominees: “The Serpent’s Gift” – Winifred Mena-Ajakpovi; “Labake Olododo” – Iyabo Ojo and team; “Aljana” – Grace Yachat Yakubu; “Olorisha” – Abiola Adeshina.
- Best Indigenous Language (East Africa) – Addis Fikir – Leul Shoaferaw (Winner)
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 M-Net Original – “Inimba” – Siphosethu Tshapu, Thandi Ramathesele and Yolanda Ndhlovu (Winner)
- 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 Unscripted Series “Nigerian Idol (S10)” – Sulaiman Kassim and Anneke De Ridder (Winner)Nominees: “The Real Housewives of Lagos (S3)” – Deola Art Alade, Darey Art Alade; “Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa” – Graeme Swanepoel; “Off Air” – Gbemi and Toolz; “Out N’ About” – Bruk Yibrah.
- Best Scripted M-Net Original – “The Low Priest” – Femi D. Ogunsanwo (Winner).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 Indigenous Language (North Africa) – Artal Alhanin – Our Memories – Mohamed Awad and Mohamed Abdulraham Eldouma (Winner)
Nominees: The Omnipresent – Youssef Ben Khalifa, The Delivery – Abdalla Ezyan, The Hidden Voice – Houssem Eddine Abdelwahed, This Is Portsaid – Abdalla Ezyan.
- Best Indigenous Language Film (South Africa) – “Tlhaho Ya Mosadi” – Naledi Galane, Promise Ramoroka, Ernest Ramoroka, Modipadi Mokgohioa (Winner)
Nominees: “Bet I Love You” – Joseph Duke, Keamogetse Modise, “Sebata (The Beast) – African Entertainers, “Ben Made It” – Thabang Mathuumetse, Thapelo Dikhutso, “Terra of Queens and Kuma 2” – Neo Leonardo Mokoena.
- Best Indigenous Language (Central Africa) – Mabanda – Kang Quintus (Winner)
Nominees: Safou: A Gift From Nature – Nyasha Makamba, Golden Spoon – Egbe Francis Ettabrown.
- Trailblazer Award – Uche Montana (Winner)
- Lifetime Achievement Award – Sola Sobowale and Kanayo O. Kanayo (Winner)
- Best Director – “My Father’s Shadow” – Akinola Davies Jr (Winner)
Nominees: Cordelia – Tunde Kelani, Osamede – James Kalu Omokwe, The Herd – Daniel Etim Effiong, Gingerrr – Yemi Filmboy Morafa, 3 Cold Dishes – Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi.
- Best Editing – “To Kill A Monkey” – Daniel Anyiam (WINNER)Nominees: Cordelia – Kazeem Agboola, My Father’s Shadow – Omar Guzman Castro, Landline – Nwanguma Peter Chidebere and Dele Doherty, 3 Cold Dishes – Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi.
- Best Movie – “My Father’s Shadow” – Funmbi Ogunbanwo and Rachel Dargavel (WINNER)
- Nominees: 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, 3 Cold Dishes – Martial Dansou, Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi and Ly Oumar, The Serpent’s Gift – Winifred Mena-Ajakpovi, Behind The Scenes – Funke Akindele and Wendy Uwadiae Imaseun.
- Best Series (Scripted) – Siphosethu Tshapu, Thandi Ramathesele and Yolanda Ndhlovu (Inimba) (Winner)
- Best Series (Unscripted) – “Out N’ About (Harar)” – YibrahBruk (Winner)
The 12th AMVCA has once again highlighted the growing global influence of African entertainment, honouring creatives who continue to push storytelling, culture, and innovation to new heights.
