The 12th Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA 2026) nominees have been announced.
There are 32 award categories, including 18 decided by a jury and 11 open to public voting, along with two special honours: the Lifetime Achievement and Trailblazer Awards. New award categories are Best Indigenous Language (North Africa) and Best Indigenous Language (Central Africa), expanding the scope of regional representation.
The main awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in May 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria.
Here’s the full list of AMVCA 2026 nominees:
BEST DIGITAL CONTENT CREATOR
Elozonam Ogbolu, Genoveva Umeh
Destiny Ogie Osarewinda
Emmanuel Kanaga, Sophia Chisom
Taaooma
Steve Chuks
Akwaman
BEST SCRIPTED MNET ORIGINALS
Adam to Eve
Mother of the Brides
The Yard
The Low Priest
Bobo
BEST INDIGINEOUS MNET ORIGINALS
Inimba
Kuukoyi
Undugu
Out N’ About (Hara)
Kamapala Creme
The Chocolate Empire
Mgbuka
BEST USCRIPTED MNET ORIGINALS
Nigerian Idol (Season 10)
Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa
Chappa Chappa My Love
Out N’ About
Undugu
BEST SHORT FILM
“Rise” – Jessie J. Rowlands
“Fleas” – Jordy Sank
“Telephone” – Fimisinuola Adejonwo
“Hussaini” – Orire Nwani, Josh Olaoluwa
“My Body, God’s Temple” – Uzoamaka Power
“Adam To Eve” – Lizz Njagah, Alexandros Konstantaras
“Mother of the Brides” – Rogba Arimoro, Bio Arimoro”The Yard” – James Kalu Omokwe”The Low Priest” – Femi D. Ogunsanwo
BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE FILMS (WEST AFRICA)
“The Serpent’s Gift” –
“Lisabi (A Legend is Born)” – Lateef Adedimimeji
“Labaka Olododo” – Alice Iyabo Ojo, Olukanmi Abayomi, Aalaba Onaolapo, Kene Okwuosa, Ladun Awobokun
“Aljana” – Grace Yachat Yakubu
“Olorisha” – Abiola Adeshina
BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE FILMS (EAST AFRICA)
“Inside Job” – Kamau Wandug’u, Joe Mahinda, Barbara Njeri Maina
“Sayari” – Omar Hamza, June Wairegi
“Addis Fikir” – Leul Shoaferaw
“My Son” – Isarito Mwakalindile
“Kimote” Hassan Mageye
BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE FILMS ( SOUTHERN AFRICA)
“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
Tlhaho Ya Mosadi
BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE FILMS (NORTH AFRICA)
The Omnipresent
The Delivery
The Hidden Voice
This is Portsaid
Artal Alhanin: Our Memories
BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE FILMS (CENTRAL AFRICA)
“Mabanda” – Kang Quintus
“Safou (A Gift From Nature)” – Nyasha Makamba
“Golden Spoon” – Egba Francis Ettabrown
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
“The Yard” – Simileoluwa Hassan
“Gingerrr” – Lateef Adedemeji
“Colours of Fire” – Gabriel Afolayan
“To Kill a Monkey” – Bucci Franklin
“Agesinkole (King of Thieves) 2” – Femi Adebayo
“Red Circle” – Lateef Adedimeji
“Owanbe Thieves” – Femi Branch
“Behind the Scenes” – Uzor Arukwe
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
“The Herd” – Linda Ejiofor
“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 Scenes” – Funke Ayotunde Akindele
BEST LEAD ACTOR
“Obersabi Aunty” – Mike Ezuruonye
“Lisabi (A Legend is Born)” – Lateef Adedimeji
“To Kill a Monkey” – William Benson
“Grandpa Must Obey” – Kanaya O. Kanayo
“Bet I Love You” – Khumbuza Meyiwa
“Colours of Fire” – Uzor Arukwe
“3 Cold Dishes” – Wale Ojo
“Red Circle” – Femi Branch
BEST LEAD ACTRESS
“The Serpent’s Gift” – Linda Ejiofor
“To Kill a Monkey” – Bimbo Akintola
“The Lost Days” – Ifeoma Fafunwa
“Something About The Briggs” – Ariyike Owolagba
“Her Excenllency” – Sola Sobowale
“Behind the Scenes” – Scarlet Gomez
“The Herd” – Genovevah Umeh
“Mother of the Brides” – Gloria Anzoie-Young
BEST ART DIRECTION
“The Serpent’s Gift” – Zainab Oladupupo
“The Herd” – Omolade Abisola
“Colours of Fire” – Ajamolaya Bunmi
“Aljana”- Olatunji Afolayan, Gideon Stephen
“Suky” – Victor Akpan
“Inimba” – Thabiso Senne
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
“Gingerr” – Emmanuel Igbekele
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
“The Serpent’s gift” – Mary Chukwuka
“The Real Housewives of Lagos” – Deola Art Alade. Darey Art Alade
“Colours of Fire” – Valerie Okeke
Something About The Briggs” – Yolanda Okereke
“To Kill a Monkey” – Ikechukwu Urum, John, Joseph Angel
BEST MAKEUP
“Behind the scenes” –
“Lisabi (A Legend Is Born)” – Adeola Thelma Bamgboye
“Gingerr” – Diablaq Artistry
“Abanisete” – Adeola Thelma Bamgboye
“Warlord” – Hakeem Onilogbo (Hakeem Effect)
“Suky” – Ruth Harcourt
“Labake Olododo” – Adeola Thelma Bamgboye
BEST SOUND/SOUND DESIGN
“My father’s shadow” – Pius Fatoke, CJ Mirra
“Gingerrr” – Tolu Obanro
“Ben Made It” – Vaughan Phillips
“The Party” – Tolu Obanro
“Sebata (The Beast)” – Vaughan Phillips
“The herd” – Fisayo Adefolaju
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 Heman-Ackah
BEST EDITING
“My Father’s Shadow” – Omar Guzman Castro
“Landline” – Nwanguma Peter Chidebere, Dele Doherty
“3 Cold Dishes” – Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi
“Osamede” – Winston AIG-Ohioma
“To Kill a Monkey” – Daniel Anyiam
“Cordelia” –
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 Masahariki” – Annette Shadeya, Natasah Likimani, Mkamzee Mwatela, Arnold Mwanjila, Makagano Mamabolo
“Our Husband” – Xavier Ighorodje
“Addis Fikir” – Besufekade Mulu
“Baba OH” – Temilola Balogun
“The Party” – Steohen Okonkwo
“Gizat” – Yednekachew Ayne
BEST DOCUMENTARY
“Beyond Olympic Glory” – Shedrack Salami
“The Good x The Bad of Afrobeat” – Louis Ejiofor
“The People Shall” – Mark Maina, Nick Wambugu
“Not Adressing This Anymore” – Huzzain Bello
“BOU” – Mwaka Gerald Remmy
BEST SERIES (SCRIPTED)
“To Kill a Monkey” – Kemi Adetiba
“The Yard” – James Kalu Omokwe
“The Chocolate Empire” – Grace Kahaki, Philippe Bresson
“Inimba” – Siphosethu Tshapu, Thandi Ramathesele, Yolanda Ndhlovu
“Kash Money” – Grace Kahaki, Philippe Bresson
BEST SERIES (UNSCRIPTED)
“The Real Housewives of Lagos” – Deola Art Alade, Darey Art Alade
“Nigerian Idol (S10)” – Sulaiman Kassim, Anneke De Ridder
“Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa” – Graeme Swanepoel
“Off Air” – Gbemi and Toolz
“Out N’ About” – Bruk Yibrah
BEST DIRECTOR
“My Father’s Shadow” – Akinola Davies JR
“Cordelia” – Tunde Kelani
“Osamede” – James Kaluu Omokwe
“The Herd” – Daniel Etim Effiong
“Gingerrr” – Yemi Filmboy Morafa
“3 Cold Dishes” – Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi
BEST MOVIE
“Gingerrr” – Ope Ajayi, Bisola Aiyeola, Bukunmi Adeaga-Ilori, Wumi Toriola, Bolaji Ogunmola, Onyeka Nnama
“The Herd” – Daniel Etim Effiong, Efe Ejukorlem, Ulogo Chukwudi, Kene Okwuosa, Craig Shurn, Ladun Awobokun
“My Father’s Shadow” – Funmbi Ohunbanwo, Rachel Dargavel
“3 Cold Dishes” – Martial Dansou, Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi, Ly Oumar
“The Serpent’s Gift” – Winifred Mena-Ajakpovi
“Behind the Scenes” – Funke Ayotunde Akindele, Wendy Uwadie Imaseun
