Gingerrr and The Herd lead the list with nine nominations each, followed closely by To Kill A Monkey with eight and My Father’s Shadow with seven nominations.
By Adedamola Jones Adedayo
The Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) has returned with the list of nominees ahead of its 12th edition, with the announcement made on Sunday, 29th March 2026.
Gingerrr and The Herd lead the list with nine nominations each, followed closely by To Kill A Monkey with eight and My Father’s Shadow with seven nominations.
The dominance of Gingerrr is felt across Best Movie, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Make-up, Best Score Music, Best Sound Design, and Best Writing Movie. In similar vein, The Herd received nominations in Best Movie, Best Director, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actress (with two nominations), Best Cinematography, Best Writing Movie, Best Art Direction, and Best Sound Design.
Also making its mark is the Netflix series To Kill A Monkey, as it picked up nominations in Best Series (Scripted), Best Lead Actor, Best Lead Actress, and Best Supporting Actor, as well as nods for Cinematography, Score Music, Costume Design, and Editing.
Meanwhile, My Father’s Shadow, a Nigerian-British co-production which became the first Nigerian film ever in official selection (Un Certain Regard) at Cannes Film Festival and recently won Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer at the 2026 BAFTAs, continued its streak with AMVCA mentions in Best Movie, Best Director, Best Writing (Movie), and technical nods for Cinematography, Sound Design, Score Music, and Editing.
Out of thirty-two total categories, eighteen will be decided by a jury, eleven public-voted, and three special recognition awards.
Voting is already underway for the public categories on the AMVCA website and will close on 26th April, 2026. The 12th AMVCAs is set to take place in Lagos, Nigeria on Saturday, 9th May, 2026.
Below is the full list of nominations.
Best Movie
- Gingerrr
- The Herd
- My Father’s Shadow
- 3 Cold Dishes
- The Serpent’s Gift
- Behind the Scenes
Best Series (Scripted)
- To Kill a Monkey
- The Yard
- The Chocolate Empire
- Inimba
- Kash Money
Best Series (Unscripted)
- The Real Housewives of Lagos S3
- Nigerian Idol S10
- Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa
- Off-Air With Gbemi and Toolz
- Out N’ About (Harar)
Best Director
- Akinola Davies Jr., My Father’s Shadow
- Tunde Kelani, Cordelia
- James Kalu Omokwe, Osamede
- Daniel Etim Effiong, The Herd
- Yemi Filmboy Morafa, Gingerrr
- Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi, 3 Cold Dishes
Best Lead Actor
- 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
- Uzor Arukwe, Colours of Fire
- Wale Ojo, 3 Cold Dishes
- Femi Branch, Red Circle
Best Lead Actress
- Linda Ejiofor, The Serpent’s Gift
- 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 Supporting Actor
- Simileoluwa Hassan, The Yard
- Lateef Adedimeji, Gingerrr
- Gabriel Afolayan, Colours of Fire
- Bucci Franklin, To Kill a Monkey
- Femi Adebayo, Agesinkole (King of Thieves) 2
- Lateef Adedimeji, Red Circle
- Femi Branch, Owambe Thieves
- Uzor Arukwe, Behind the Scenes
Best Supporting Actress
- Linda Ejiofor, The Herd
- Olamide Kidbaby, Oversabi Aunty
- Bisola Aiyeola, Gingerrr
- Sola Sobowale, The Covenant
- Nadia Dutch, Aljana
- Amal Umar, The Herd
- Juliebrenda Nyambura, MTV Shuga Mashariki
- Funke Ayotunde Akindele, Behind the Scenes
Best Writing (Movie)
- The Herd
- My Father’s Shadow
- Blackout
- Cards On The Table
- Gingerrr
- Suky
- 3 Cold Dishes
Best Writing (TV Series)
- The Wives
- MTV Shuga Mashariki
- Our Husband
- Addis Fikir
- Baba Oh
- The Party
- Gizat
Best Cinematography
- My Father’s Shadow
- To Kill a Monkey
- The Herd
- Finding Nina
- The Serpent’s Gift
- Stitches
- Gingerrr
Best Editing
- Cordelia
- My Father’s Shadow
- Landline
- 3 Cold Dishes
- Osamede
- To Kill A Monkey
Best Costume Design
- The Serpent’s Gift
- The Real Housewives of Lagos S2
- Colours of Fire
- Something About the Briggs
- To Kill a Monkey
Best Make-up
- Behind the Scenes
- Lisabi: A Legend Is Born
- Gingerrr
- Abanisete
- Warlord
- Suky
- Labake Olododo
Best Score/Music
- My Father’s Shadow
- 3 Cold Dishes
- Osamede
- Gingerrr
- The Party
- MTV Shuga Mashariki
- To Kill a Monkey
Best Sound Design
- My Father’s Shadow
- Gingerrr
- Ben Made It
- The Party
- Sebata (The Beast)
- The Herd
Best Art Direction
- The Serpent’s Gift
- The Herd
- Colours of Fire
- Aljana
- Suky
- Inimba
Best Indigenous Language (West Africa)
- The Serpent’s Gift
- Lisabi: A Legend Is Born
- Labake Olododo
- Aljana
- Olorisha
Best Indigenous Language (East Africa)
- Inside Job
- Sayari
- Addis Fikir
- My Son
- Kimote
Best Indigenous Language (Southern Africa)
- Bet I Love You
- Sebata
- Ben Made It
- Terra of Queens and Kuma 2
- Tlhaho Ya Mosadi
Best Indigenous Language (North Africa)
- The Omnipresent
- The Delivery
- The Hidden Voice
- This Is Portsaid
- Artal Alhanin – Our Memories
Best Indigenous Language (Central Africa)
- Mabanda
- Safou – A Gift from Nature
- Golden Spoon
Best Short Film
- Rise
- Fleas
- Telephone
- Hussainin
- My Body, God’s Temple
Best Documentary
- Beyond Olympic Glory
- The Good x The Bad of Afrobeat
- The People Shall
- Not Addressing This Anymore
- BOU
Best Scripted M-Net Original
- Adam to Eve
- Mother of the Brides
- The Yard
- The Low Priest
- Bobo
Best Unscripted M-Net Original
- Nigerian Idol S10
- Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa
- Chapa Chapa My Love
- Out N About (Harar)
- Undugu
Best Indigenous M-Net Original
- Inimba
- Kukoyi
- Undugu
- Out N’About (Harar)
- Kampala Creme S2
- The Chocolate Empire
- Mgbuka
Best Digital Content Creator
- Elozonam Ogbolu and Genoveva Umeh, Dr Judgina—Situationally Transmitted Delusion
- Destiny Ogie Osarewinda, The Marriage List
- Emmanuel Kanaga and Sophia Chisom, Leave to Live
- Benedict Ehimare Oriaifo, The Rat Race
- Maryam Apaokagi-Greene (Taaoma), Luxury Koko
- Steve Chuks, August Meeting Election
- Akwaman, Did I Just Hear Muah