Seven Doors tops the list of overall nominations with eleven nods, while Lisabi: The Uprising follows closely with ten.
By Vivian Nneka Nwajiaku
The Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) is back for its eleventh edition, with the nominees for the 2025 awards announced on Sunday night, West African time.
Seven Doors tops the list of overall nominations with eleven nods, while Lisabi: The Uprising follows closely with ten.
In a remarkable feat, Seven Doors will compete alongside nominated films for Best Director, Best Lead Actor, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Indigenous Language Film (West Africa) in addition to nominations for Best Scripted Series and Best Writing in the TV series category.
Lisabi: The Uprising stands as the most nominated film, in the running for Best Movie, Best Lead Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Indigenous Language Film (West Africa), but without nods for Best Director or Best Writing.
Skeleton Coast follows with eight nominations, including Best Movie, Best Director and Best Writing (Movie).
The Weekend which won the awards for Best Film, Achievement in Cinematography, and Achievement in Screenplay at the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) late in 2024 earned nominations for Best Director, Best Writing and Best Lead Actor at the AMVCAs but will not be competing for Best Movie or Best Cinematography.
Similarly, Mai Martaba, won the AMAA for Achievement in Costume Design and was Nigeria’s submission to the Oscars in 2024 but will only be competing in the Best Indigenous Language Film (West Africa) category at the AMVCAs.
Furthermore, with two separate film music categories this year, five films/series have been nominated for Best Score/Music while Best Sound Design has six nominees. Inkabi, Freedom Way, and Seven Doors will compete in both categories.
Several categories, including Best Indigenous Language Film, Best Short Film, and Best Digital Content Creator, remain audience-voted.
The AMVCAs is scheduled to hold in Lagos, Nigeria in May, 2025.
Below is the full list of nominations.
Best Movie
- Lisabi: The Uprising
- Skeleton Coast
- Suspicion
- Inkabi
- House of Ga’a
- Freedom Way
- Christmas in Lagos
- Farmer’s Bride
Best Scripted Series
- Clarence Peters’ Inside Life
- Seven Doors
- Princess on a Hill
- Cheta’M
- Roses & Ivy
Best Unscripted Series
- Style Magnate
- Skillers (The Builders Show)
- Ebuka Turns Up Africa
- Wa Milele?
- Uzoamaka Tries Palmwine
Best Director
- Robert O. Peters, Skeleton Coast
- Norman Maake, Inkabi
- Bolanle Austen-Peters, House of Ga’a
- Awam Amkpa, The Man Died
- Daniel Emeka Oriahi, The Weekend
- Femi Adebayo, Adebayo Tijani, Tope Adebayo, Seven Doors
Best Lead Actor
- Gideon Okeke, Tòkunbò
- Bucci Franklin, The Weekend
- Femi Branch, House of Ga’a
- Thapelo Makoena, Skeleton Coast
- Bimbo Manuel, Princess on a Hill
- Stan Nze, Suspicion
- Femi Adebayo, Seven Doors
- Adedimeji Lateef, Lisabi: The Uprising
Best Lead Actress
- Chioma Chukwuka, Seven Doors
- Gbubemi Ejeye, Farmer’s Bride
- Uzoamaka Onuoha, Agemo
- Uche Montana, Thinline
- Uzoamaka Aniunoh, Phoenix Fury
- Hilda Dokubo, The Uprising: Wives on Strike 3
- Bimbo Ademoye, Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre
Best Supporting Actor
- Gabriel Afolayan, Clarence Peters’ Inside Life
- Adedayo “Macaroni” Adebowale, Lisabi: The Uprising
- Aliu Gafar, Seven Doors
- Femi Jacobs, Freedom Way
- Richard Mofe-Damijo, Christmas in Lagos
- Uzor Arukwe, Suspicion
- Mike Afolarin, House of Ga’a
- Efa Iwara, Princess on a Hill
Best Supporting Actress
- Meg Otanwa, Clarence Peters’ Inside Life
- Tina Mba, Suspicion
- Ireti Doyle, All’s Fair in Love
- Ini Dima-Okojie, Skeleton Coast
- Mercy Aigbe, Farmer’s Bride
- Omoni Oboli, The Uprising: Wives on Strike 3
- Darasimi Nadi, Aburo
- Teniola Aladese, A Night in 2005
Best Writing (Movie)
- The Weekend
- Skeleton Coast
- Freedom Way
- Phoenix Fury
- A Ghetto Love Story
- House of Ga’a
- Christmas in Lagos
Best Writing (TV Series)
- Untying Kantai
- Tuki?
- Roses & Ivy
- Cheta’M
- Seven Doors
- Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre
- Princess on a Hill
Best Cinematography
- Yen Ara Asaase Ni (This Is Our Land)
- Inkabi
- The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos
- Skeleton Coast
- Soft Love
- Lisabi: The Uprising
- Agemo
Best Editing
- Inkabi
- Christmas in Lagos
- Skeleton Coast
- Soft Love
- Lisabi: The Uprising
- Princess on a Hill
Best Costume Design
- Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre
- House Of Ga’a
- Lisabi: The Uprising
- Phoenix Fury
- Christmas in Lagos
Best Makeup
- Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre
- Lisabi: The Uprising
- Seven Doors
- Farmer’s Bride
- Clarence Peters’ Inside Life
- Suspicion
Best Score/Music
- Inkabi
- Freedom Way
- Seven Doors
- Soft Love
- Skeleton Coast
Best Sound Design
- Inkabi
- Seven Doors
- Freedom Way
- Lisabi: The Uprising
- Ajakaju: Beast of Two Worlds
- Suspicion
Best Art Director
- Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre
- Christmas In Lagos
- Farmer’s Bride
- Seven Doors
- The Man Died
- Lisabi: The Uprising
Best Indigenous Language Film (West Africa) – Audience Voting
- Seven Doors
- Lisabi: The Uprising
- Kaka
- Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre
- Mai Martaba
Best Indigenous Language Film (East Africa) – Audience Voting
- The Caller
- Makosa Di Tangu
- Sabotage
- Wa Milele?
- The Empty Grave
Best Indigenous Language Film (South Africa) – Audience Voting
- Walvis Tale
- The Vow
- Mwizukanji
- Man of Gold
- Lukas
Best Short Film – Audience Voting
- Sukari
- Brukaci
- What Are You Truly Afraid Of?
- In Bloom: ‘Afefe’
- The Incredible Sensational Fiancée of Seyi Ajayi
Best Documentary
- Walvis Tale
- Dùndún
- O.Y.O (On Your Own)
- Women of Salt: The Resilience of Ebonyi’s Women
- I Will Remember You
Best Scripted M-Net Original – Audience Voting
- Uriri
- All Mine
- My Fairytale Wedding
- Italo
- The Caller
Best Unscripted M-Net Original – Audience Voting
- Nigerian Idol
- Pastor Wants a Wife, Zambia
- Overall Best
- Husband Material
- The Queens of Kopala
Best Indigenous M-Net Original – Audience Voting
- Mai Shayi
- The Caller
- Zim Ụzọ (Show Me the Way)
- Ebighi Ebi
- Subterranea
- Onye Agbata Obim
- Amoanimaa’s Era
Best Multichoice Talent Factory – Audience Voting
- Gone – West Africa
- Everything Light Touches – West Africa
- The Immersive Alarm – East Africa
- Deadbeat – East Africa
- Mwananga – Southern Africa
- Rivals in Time – Southern Africa
Best Digital Content Creator – Audience Voting
- Iyo Prosper Adokiye, We Listen We Don’t Judge (Bible Edition)
- Maryam “Taaooma” Apaokagi-Greene, Tips
- Elozonam Ogbolu, Hoviare Freedom and Chiamaka Uzokwe, Who is Sarah?
- Jide Pounds Ibitoye, Abike Ati Asola
- Ariyiikedimples and Brainjotter, Risky