African cinema’s biggest night just got a whole lot more interesting. The 2026 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) nominations have landed, and if you were not already paying attention to Nollywood, this list will change that.
The 12th edition of the AMVCAs, scheduled for Saturday, 9 May 2026 in Lagos, arrives with 32 award categories, a legendary head judge, record-breaking nominations, and two brand new categories that signal something important: African storytelling is finally being celebrated on its own terms, from Cairo to Kinshasa.
Here is everything you need to know.
Read: AMVCA 2026 Nominations Are Out: Here’s What You Might Have Missed
Joke Silva Is Running the jury, and That Matters.
Veteran actress Joke Silva steps in as Head Judge for the 12th edition, succeeding Femi Odugbemi. Her appointment is not just a headline moment. It is a statement about the standard of craft the AMVCAs intend to reward. Silva brings decades of stage, screen, and industry experience to the jury, and her presence signals that this year’s decisions will carry serious weight.
Of the 32 total categories, 18 will be decided by the jury. Eleven categories are open to public voting, which means your voice directly shapes a significant portion of the night’s results. Two additional special honours: the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Trailblazer Award, round out what is shaping up to be one of the most complete editions the AMVCAs have delivered.
The Films and Faces Leading the Race
The Herd, directed by Daniel Etim Effiong, leads the entire field with 9 nominations, spanning Best Movie, Best Director, Best Lead Actress for Genoveva Umeh, Best Supporting Actress for both Linda Ejiofor and Amal Umar, and multiple technical categories including Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Art Direction, and Best Writing.
Gingerrr follows closely, also with 9 nominations. My Father’s Shadow, directed by Akinola Davies Jr, picked up 7 nominations, including Best Director and Best Cinematography for Jermaine Edwards. To Kill a Monkey arrives with 8 nominations.
The field this year is deep, competitive, and genuinely difficult to call.
The most nominated individual is Lateef Adedimeji, who earned three separate nods: Best Supporting Actor for both Gingerrr and Red Circle, and Best Lead Actor for Lisabi 2. That kind of range across genres and roles in a single awards cycle is rare, and it announces him as one of the most versatile performers working in Nollywood right now.
Sola Sobowale appears in both Best Lead Actress and Best Supporting Actress. Linda Ejiofor does the same. Uzor Arukwe and Femi Branch both hold Best Supporting Actor and Best Lead Actor nominations simultaneously. The competition across acting categories is fierce in every direction.
Read: AMVCA 12th Edition: New Categories and Bigger African Focus
The New Categories That Change Everything
For the first time in the AMVCAs’ history, the 12th edition introduces Best Indigenous Language – North Africa and Best Indigenous Language – Central Africa. These two additions are more significant than they might first appear. They expand recognition beyond the geography that has historically dominated the awards and acknowledge that the African storytelling tradition stretches far beyond West Africa’s borders.
Films from Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, and beyond appear across the nominee lists this year, including Addis Fikir from Ethiopia in Best Writing TV Series, Inimba from South Africa in Best Series Scripted, and MTV Shuga Mashariki in multiple categories.
The 12th AMVCAs are making an argument about what African cinema actually is, and the argument is a continental one.
How to Vote and Key Dates
Voting is free and open now.
Head to the official Africa Magic website at www.africamagic.tv/amvca, register with your name, location, and phone number in international format, and cast your votes across the 11 public categories.
Each registered user receives 100 votes per platform, website and mobile site, each counts separately. Voting closes 26 April 2026. The ceremony takes place on 9 May 2026 in Lagos.
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