And just like that, another Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards season is upon us. Africa’s biggest film night makes a return this weekend, May 9, with its delightful showcase of glamor, cultural flair and celebration of incredible cinema.
To the uninitiated, the AMVCA is one of the continent’s biggest award nights, celebrating the excellence of film and storytelling from across the continent. The award is unofficially regarded as the “Oscars” and “Emmys” of Africa combined. Each year, awards are given out to some of the best films and television shows produced within the award year. Every year, the award has also made a name for itself in the red carpet department. Providing a respectable stage to African fashion designers who scramble to outdo themselves each year. The AMVCA has managed to capture our cultural imagination and this year will likely not be different. As the big night draws closer, OkayAfrica pored through the nomination list to select our predicted winners for the night. This year’s category featured a strong lineup of nominees, from family drama to gripping thrillers and storytelling that spoke to socio-political conditions. To drill things down, we kept our predictions to the most popular categories.
Check out our predictions for the winners at the 2026 AMVCA below:
Best Short Film
Rise – Jessie J. Rowlands
Fleas – Jordy Sank
Telephone – Fimisinuola Adejonwo
Hussainin – Orire Nwani and Josh Olaoluwa
My Body, God’s Temple – Uzoamaka Power
Who will win: My Body, God’s Temple – Uzoamaka Power
Who should win: Hussainin – Orire Nwani and Josh Olaoluwa
Many of the films in this year’s Best Short Film category are easy to root for. They all have such sharp and compelling perspectives and highlight a commitment to stellar storytelling. In our estimation however, Uzoamaka Power’s My Body, God’s Temple is a likely winner for many reasons including the specificity of the story and its fresh, culturally attentive tone. On the other hand though, Orire Nwani and Josh Olaoluwa’s Hussainin is an intensely heartbreaking tale of misguided justice and simple love with magnified tragedies. It’s a beautiful story that will be fitting if it ends up winning the category this year.
Best Indigenous Language (West Africa)
The Serpent’s Gift – Winifred Mena-Ajakpovi
Lisabi: A Legend Is Born – Lateef Adedimeji
Labake Olododo – Alice Iyabo Ojo, Olukanmi Abayomi, Alaba Onaolapo, Kene Okwuosa, Ladun Awobokun
Aljana – Grace Yachat Yakubu
Olorisha – Abiola Adeshina
Who will win: The Serpent’s Gift - Winifred Mena-Ajakpovi
Who should win: The Serpent’s Gift - Winifred Mena-Ajakpovi
Winifred Mena-Akakpovi’s The Serpent’s Gift does a wonderful job of mangling the supernatural into a clear-eyed story of greed, familial entitlement and love. We think this story will and should win in this category for the frank way it engaged traditional Igbo funeral customs and how it fits into modern context. The film’s greatest power comes from its ability to ask, who benefits from tradition?
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 Scene – Funke Akindele
Who will win: Bisola Aiyeola
Who should win: Linda Ejiofor
The Best Supporting Actress is one of AMVCA’s toughest categories for a reason. It is usually filled with incredible talents and memorable performances, and this year was no exception. In terms of who will win, Aiyeola gave a charismatic performance in Gingerrr, which she also co-produced. Linda Ejiofor was, however, a marvel in her role in The Herd. She portrayed her character with a sublime yet deeply wounded affection makes her a deserving person for this category.
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 – Uzor Arukwe
3 Cold Dishes – Wale Ojo
Red Circle – Femi Branch
Who will win: William Benson
Who should win: William Benson
Not many people had a year as explosive as William Benson had following his role in Kemi Adetiba’s To Kill A Monkey. Benson applied a convincing and moving approach to a character dealing with moral dissonance. It helps that TKAM found instant virality in an eager audience.
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
Gingerrr – Emmanuel Igbekele
Who will win: To Kill A Monkey
Who should win: My Father’s Shadow
Kemi Adetiba’s To Kill A Monkey has an awareness of the fast paced world in which their characters live and it manages to convey that in every scene. There’s always a sense of things toppling over, an unease that translates finely. This is why it will likely win in this category. However, on a more stylistic level, My Father’s Shadow is also a strong contender. The film unfurls like a fuzzy memory and is shot just like that.
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 Excellency – Sola Sobowale
Behind The Scenes – Scarlet Gomez
The Herd – Genoveva Umeh
Mother Of The Brides – Gloria Anozie-Young
Who will win: Scarlet Gomez
Who should win: Bimbo Akintola
In both Behind The Scenes and To Kill A Monkey both actresses are dealing with and or are driven by different kinds of loss. Of Partners, friends, and most importantly, of their sense of self. Should Scarlet Gomez win, it will be for the charged and dizzying experience of watching her unravel, which would be well deserved. But Bimbo Akintola’s unraveling was much more self-possessed, and riddled with plausible complications that makes her equally as deserving of the win.
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 – Uzor Arukwe
Who will win: Bucci Franklin
Who should win: Uzor Arukwe
Similar to his costar William Benson, Bucci Franklin gave a delightful, internet famous performance in To Kill A Monkey. His character was forceful, headstrong and intensely charismatic - which worked for the story. His win would be expected and objectively deserving. Uzor Arukwe on the other hand was a subtler figure in the character he played.
Best Director
My Father’s Shadow – Akinola Davies Jr
Cordelia – Tunde Kelani
Osamede – James Kalu Omokwe
The Herd – Daniel Etim Effiong
Gingerrr – Yemi 'Filmboy' Morafa
3 Cold Dishes – Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi
Who will win: Akinola Davies Jr
Who should win: Akinola Davies Jr
There is no doubt that My Father’s Shadow has done incredible things for independent Nigerian films. From winning a BAFTA to premiering at Cannes, Akinola winning in this category will tie together what has been an incredible, generational run. And it would be well deserved.
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, Ladun Awobokun
My Father’s Shadow – Funmbi Ogunbanwo and Rachel Dargavel
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
Behind The Scenes – Funke Akindele and Wendy Uwadiae Imaseun
Who will win: Behind The Scenes
Who should win: The Herd
Both films were topics of conversation following their release and such would be deserving of the win. While Behind The Scenes represents a commercial success, breaking box office records and attracting bigger interest when it went live on Netflix, The Herd sits within a more socio-political landscape. The Herd was released in the middle of a national upheaval, which added a poetic element to watching the film.
