AMVCA 2026: A Night of Triumphs for Nollywood’s Finest
The Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) 2026 celebrated the best of African film, television, and digital storytelling in a star-studded ceremony on Saturday night. The event, which brought together Nollywood’s biggest names and key figures from across the continent’s entertainment industry, honored outstanding achievements across multiple categories.
Uzor Arukwe clinched the Best Lead Actor award for his performance in “Colours of Fire,” while Linda Ejiofor took home the Best Lead Actress prize for her role in “The Serpent’s Gift.” Bucci Franklin won Best Supporting Actor for his work in “To Kill a Monkey,” and Lateef Adedimeji’s “Lisabi” was named Best Indigenous Movie (West Africa), with the actor dedicating the honor to his wife, actress Mo Bimpe Adedimeji.
“My Father’s Shadow” emerged as the night’s biggest winner, securing the coveted Best Movie award and rounding off a highly competitive edition of the AMVCA. The film also won in several other categories, cementing its status as one of the year’s most acclaimed productions.
Other notable winners included Mary Chukuma for Best Costume Design in “The Serpent’s Gift,” Hakeem Onilogbo for Best Makeup in “Warlord,” Ajamolaya Bunmi for Best Art Direction in “Colours of Fire,” and Daniel Anyiam for Best Editing in “To Kill a Monkey.”
In the television categories, “MTV Shuga Mashariki” won Best Writing (TV Series), while Wale Davies took home Best Writing (Movie) for “My Father’s Shadow.” Emmanuel Igbekele’s cinematography in “The Herd,” “Finding Nina,” and “The Serpent’s Gift” also received recognition.
The digital content creation space was well-represented, with Emmanuel Kanaga and Sophia Chisom winning Best Digital Content Creator for “Leave To Live.” Linda Ejiofor added another trophy to her collection, winning Best Supporting Actress for “The Herd.”
“Beyond Olympic Glory” by Shedrack Salami was named Best Documentary, while “Hussainin” by Orire Nwani and Josh Olaoluwa won Best Short Film. Oscar Heman-Ackah’s music in “To Kill a Monkey” earned him the Best Score/Music award.
In the M-Net Original categories, “Inimba” won Best Indigenous M-Net Original, “Nigerian Idol (S10)” took home Best Unscripted M-Net Original, and “The Low Priest” was named Best Scripted M-Net Original.
Rising star Uche Montana was honored with the Trailblazer Award, while veteran actors Sola Sobowale and Kanayo O. Kanayo received well-deserved Industry Merit Awards for their significant contributions to Nollywood.
Akinola Davies JR won Best Director for his work on “My Father’s Shadow,” capping off a memorable night that celebrated the diversity, creativity, and growing global impact of African storytelling.
As the AMVCA 2026 concluded, it was clear that the African entertainment industry continues to thrive, with a new generation of talent emerging alongside established stars to push the boundaries of what is possible in film, television, and digital media.