AMVCA 2026: Full List of Nominees and Winners as Odogwu Parara Uzor Arikwe Wins Best Actor
The 12th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards (AMVCA) was held Saturday night at the Eko Hotels and Suites in Lagos, with Uzor Arikwe emerging as the actor of the year, while Linda Ejiofor won actress of the year.
The film My Father's Shadow also emerged as the biggest winner of the evening, picking up multiple awards, including Best Movie, Best Writing (Movie) for writer Wale Davies, and Best Sound/Sound Design.
Source: Instagram
The glamorous ceremony drew the cream of Nollywood, and the broader African film and television industry, with the red carpet opening at 4 p.m. WAT and the main awards show beginning at 7 p.m. WAT.
Director Kemi Adetiba's To Kill a Monkey also had a strong showing, claiming Best Cinematography for Kabelo Thathe, Best Editing for Daniel Anyiam, Best Supporting Actor for Bucci Franklin, and Best Score for Oscar Heman-Ackah.
Watch the Instagram video below:
Meanwhile, Colours of Fire took home Best Art Direction and Best Lead Actor for Uzor Arukwe, while Linda Ejiofor claimed Best Lead Actress for The Serpent's Gift and Best Supporting Actress for The Herd, making her one of the standout individual performers of the night.
Watch the Instagram video below:
Lateef Adedimeji added to his growing reputation, winning Best Indigenous Language Film (West Africa) for Lisabi (A Legend Is Born).
On the television side, MTV Shuga Mashariki won Best Writing for a TV Series, while Nigerian Idol (Season 10) claimed Best Unscripted M-Net Original. The Low Priest, directed by Femi D. Ogunsanwo, took Best Scripted M-Net Original, and Inimba won Best Indigenous M-Net Original, a win celebrated online as a milestone for its production team.
In the digital space, Leave To Live by Emmanuel Kanaga and Sophia Chisom won Best Digital Content Creator, edging out several popular online personalities.
The awards spanned productions from Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Cameroon, and South Africa, underscoring the increasingly pan-African scope of the ceremony. One moment that drew particular excitement online was a win acknowledged as the first by a Cameroonian film at the AMVCA.
Now in its 12th year, the AMVCA continues to serve as the continent's premier recognition platform for excellence in film, television, and digital storytelling.
Below is the full winners and nominees:
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 CINEMATOGRAPHY
“To Kill A Monkey” – Kabelo Thathe (WINNER)
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 DIGITAL CONTENT CREATOR
“Leave To Live” – Emmanuel Kanaga and Sophia Chisom (WINNER)
Other 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 INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE FILM (WEST AFRICA)
“Lisabi (A Legend is Born)” – Lateef Adedimeji (WINNER)
Other nominees: “The Serpent’s Gift” – Winifred Mena-Ajakpovi; “Labake Olododo” – Iyabo Ojo and team; “Aljana” – Grace Yachat Yakubu; “Olorisha” – Abiola Adeshina
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 UNSCRIPTED SERIES
“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; “Off Air” – Gbemi and Toolz; “Out N’ About” – Bruk Yibrah
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 ACTRESS
“The Herd” – Linda Ejiofor (WINNER)
Other 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 Scenes” – 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 ACTRESS
Linda Ejiofor – “The Serpent’s Gift” (WINNER)
Other 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 LEAD ACTOR Uzor Arukwe –
“Colours of Fire” (WINNER)
Other nominees: 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”; Wale Ojo – “3 Cold Dishes”; Femi Branch – “Red Circle”
TRAILBLAZER AWARD
Uche Montana (WINNER)
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Sola Sobowale, Kanayo O Kanayo
Source: YEN.com.gh
