Africa Magic viewers’ choice awards reveals 12th edition nominees

The Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) has officially unveiled the nominees for its highly anticipated 12th edition, with Gingerrr and The Herd leading the pack with 9 nominations each.

The announcement was made live on Africa Magic channels on Sunday, 29 March and was hosted by AMVCA-winning actor Chimezie Imo.

Gingerrr, The Herd, and To Kill A Monkey dominated the major categories, earning nods across acting, directing, and technical craftsmanship: a reflection of the quality of storytelling that has defined African film and television this past year.

Also making a strong showing were To Kill A Monkey with 8 nominations, while My Father’s Shadow picked up 7 nominations across varied categories, setting the stage for fierce competition in the weeks ahead.

The acting categories saw familiar and fresh faces alike, with Nollywood veteran Sola Sobowale securing nominations in both the lead and supporting acting categories, as did Uzor Arukwe and Lateef Adedimeji.

Genoveva Umeh, earned her first Best Lead Actress nomination, placing her among those to watch ahead of the May 9 ceremony.

Voting for the public is now open here.

The full list of nominees is now available here. With 32 categories — 18 jury-decided, 11 public-voted, and 3 special recognition awards — the 12th AMVCA promises a fiercely competitive run to the ceremony on Saturday, May 9, 2026.

The 12th AMVCA is proudly brought to you by headline sponsor Don Julio.

Best Digital Content Creator

• Dr Judgina – Situationally Transmitted Delusion – ElozonamOgbolu and Genoveva Umeh
• The Marriage List – Destiny OgieOsarewinda
• Leave To Live – Emmanuel Kanaga and Sophia Chisom
• The Rate Race – Benedict EhimareOriaifo
• Luxury Koko – Maryam Apaokagi-Greene (Taaoma)
• August Meeting Election – Steve Chuks
• Did I Just Hear Muah – Akwaman

Best Indigenous Language (Southern Africa)

• Bet I Love You – Joseph Duke and KeamogetseModise
• Sebata – The Beast
• Ben Made It – Thabang Mathumetse and Thapelo Dikhutso
• Terra Of Queens And Kuma 2 – Neo Leonardo Mokoena
• TlhahoYaMosadi – Naledi Galane, Promise Ramoroka, Ernest Ramoroka, ModipadiMokgohioa

Best Indigenous Language (East Africa)

• Inside Job – Kamau Wandug’u, Joe Mahinda, and Barbara NjeriMaina
• Sayari – Omar Hamza and June Wairegi
• Addis Fikir – LeulShoaferaw
• My Son – IsaritoMwakalindile
• Kimote – Hassan Mageye

Best Short Film

• Rise – Jessie J. Rowlands
• Fleas – Jordy Sank
• Telephone – FimisinuolaAdejonwo
• Hussainin – OrireNwani and Josh Olaoluwa
• My Body, God’s Temple – Uzoamaka Power

Best Indigenous Language (West Africa)

• The Serpent’s Gift – Winifred Mena-Ajakpovi
• Lisabi – A Legend Is Born – Lateef Adedimeji
• LabakeOlododo – Alice IyaboOjo, Olukanmi Abayomi, AlabaOnaolapo, KeneOkwuosa, LadunAwobokun
• Aljana – Grace Yachat Yakubu
• Olorisha – AbiolaAdeshina

Best Indigenous Language (North Africa)

• The Omnipresent – Youssef Ben Khalifa
• The Delivery – Abdalla Ezyan
• The Hidden Voice – HoussemEddineAbdelwahed
• This Is Portsaid – Abdalla Ezyan
• ArtalAlhanin – Our Memories – Mohamed Awad and Mohamed AbdulrahamEldouma

Best Indigenous Language (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 – LizzNjagah and Alexandros Konstantaras
• Mother of the Brides – RogbaArimoro 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) – BrukYibrah
• Undugu – HatibuMadudu

Best Indigenous M-Net Original

• Inimba – SiphosethuTshapu , Thandi Ramathesele and Yolanda Ndhlovu
• Kukoyi – David Akande
• Undugu – HatibuMadudu
• Out N’About (Harar) – BrukYibrah
• Kampala Creme (S2) – Joel Ndugwa
• The Chocolate Empire – Grace Kahaki and Phillippe Bresson
• Mgbuka – EzeIzu

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 ShugaMashariki – JuliebrendaNyambura
• Behind The Scene – Funke Ayotunde Akindele

Best Lead Actor

• Oversabi Aunty – Mike Ezuruonye
• Lisabi A Legend Is Born – Lateef Adedimeji
• To Kill A Monkey – William Benson
• Grandpa Must Obey – Kanayo o. Kanayo
• Bet I Love You – Khumbuza Meyiwa
• Colours of Fire – UzorArukwe
• 3 Cold Dishes – Wale Ojo
• Red Circle – Femi Branch

Best Cinematography

• My Father’s Shadow – Jermaine Edwards
• To Kill A Monkey – KabeloThathe
• The Herd – Emmanuel Igbekele
• Finding Nina – DaanongGyang
• The Serpent’s Gift – Emmanuel Igbekele
• Stitches – KC Obiajulu
• Ginger – Emmanuel Igbekele

Best Art Direction

• The Serpent’s Gift – Zainab Oladipupo
• The Herd – OmoladeAbisola
• Colours of Fire – Ajamolaya Bunmi
• Aljana – Olatunji Afolayan and Gideon O Stephen
• Suky – Victor Akpan
• Inimba – Thabiso Senne

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 Score Music

• My Fathers Shadow – Duval Timothy, CJ Mirra
• 3 Cold Dishes – NissiOgulu
• Osamede – Chubb Okobah
• Gingerrr – Tolu Obanro
• The Party – Tolu Obanro
• MTV ShugaMashariki – SoFresh
• To Kill A Monkey – Oscar Herman-Ackah

Best Writing TV Series

• The Wives – Donald Tombia, TimenduAghahowa, ChiemekaOsuagwu
• MTV ShugaMashariki – Annette Shadeya, Natasha Likimani, MkamzeeMwatela, Arnold Mwanjila, MakganoMamabolo
• Our Husband – Xavier Ighorodje
• Addis Fikir – BesufekadeMulu
• Baba Oh – Temilola Balogun
• The Party – Stephen Okonkwo
• Gizat – YednekachewAyne
• Best Writing Movie
• The Herd – LaniAisida
• 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 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 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 – FisayoAdefolaju

Best Series (Scripted)

• To Kill A Monkey – Kemi Adetiba
• The Yard – James Kalu Omokwe
• The Chocolate Empire – Grace Kahaki and Phillipe Bresson
• Inimba – SiphosethuTshapu, Thandi Ramathesele and Yolanda Ndhlovu
• Kash Money – Grace Khaki and Phillipe Benson

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
• LabakeOlododo – Adeola Thelma Bamgboye

Best Lead Actress

• The Serpent’s Gift – Linda Ejiofor
• To Kill A Monkey – Bimbo Akintola
• The Lost Days – Ifeoma Fafunwa
• Something About The Briggs – AriyikeOwolagba
• Her Excellency – Sola Sobowale
• Behind The Scenes – Scarlet Gomez
• The Herd – Genoveva Umeh
• Mother Of The Brides – Gloria Anozie-Young

Best Supporting Actor

• The Yard – Simileoluwa Hassan
• Gingerrr – Lateef Adedimeji
• Colours Of Fire – Gabriel Afolayan
• To Kill A Monkey – Bucci Franklin
• Agesinkole (King Of Thieves) 2 – Femi Adeboye
• Red Circle – Lateef Adedimeji
• Owanbe Thieves – Femi Branch
• Behind The Scenes – UzorArukwe

Best Director

• My Father’s Shadow – Akinola Davies Jr
• Cordelia – Tunde Kelani
• Osamede – James Kalu Omokwe
• The Herd – Daniel Etim Effiong
• Ginger – Yemi FilmboyMorafa
• 3 Cold Dishes – AsurfAmuwaOluseyi

Best Editing

• Cordelia – Kazeem Agboola
• My Father’s Shadow – Omar Guzman Castro
• Landline – Nwanguma Peter Chidebere, and Dele Doherty
• 3 Cold Dishes – AsurfAmuwaOluseyi
• Osamede – Winston Aig-Ohioma
• To Kill A Monkey – Daniel Anyiam

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, And Ladun Awobokun
• My Father’s Shadow – Funmbi Ogunbanwo and Rachel Dargavel
• 3 Cold Dishes – Martial Dansou, Surf AmuwaOluseyo And Ly Oumar
• The Serpent’s Gift – Winifred Mena-Ajakpovi
• Behind The Scenes – Funke Ayotunde Akindele And Wendy UwadiaeImaseun

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 – GbemiOlateru-Olagbegi And ToolzOniru-Demuren
• Out N’ About (Harar) – BrukYibrah