Who Made the Cut, Who Surprised Us? See the Full List of 2026 AMVCA Nominations

Who made the cut, who surprised us, and who got people talking? The 2026 AMVCA nominations have arrived with plenty to unpack. The Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards has released the full list of nominees for its 2026 edition and if you thought you were done debating who deserves what, think again.

This year’s ceremony, scheduled to take place in May 2026 in Lagos, features 32 award categories in total — 18 decided by a jury and 11 open to public voting, which means your vote actually counts for a significant chunk of the night. Two special honours are also on the table: the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Trailblazer Award. And for the first time, two new categories have been added — Best Indigenous Language (North Africa) and Best Indigenous Language (Central Africa) — expanding the recognition of African storytelling beyond the usual borders and making this one of the most inclusive editions of the AMVCAs yet.

The nominations are a strong reflection of the high-octane year Nollywood has had. Lateef Adedimeji appears in both the Best Supporting Actor and Best Lead Actor categories for “Gingerr” and “Red Circle,” while powerhouses like Bimbo Akintola, Sola Sobowale, and Linda Ejiofor compete for Best Lead Actress. With a Best Director field including Akinola Davies Jr, Tunde Kelani, and Daniel Etim Effiong, this is officially the most competitive race in years.”

See the full list of nominees below:

Best Supporting Actor

• Simileoluwa Hassan — The Yard
• Lateef Adedimeji — Gingerr
• Gabriel Afolayan — Colours of Fire
• Bucci Franklin — To Kill a Monkey
• Femi Adebayo — King of Thieves 2
• Lateef Adedimeji — Red Circle
• Femi Branch — Owambe Thieves
• Uzor Arukwe — Behind the Scenes

Best Lead Actor

• Mike Ezuruonye — Oversabi Aunty
• Lateef Adedimeji — Lisabi 2
• 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 Director

• Akinola Davies Jr — My Father’s Shadow
• Tunde Kelani — Cordelia
• James Omokwe — Osamede
• Daniel Etim Effiong — The Herd
• Yemi Filmboy Morafa — Gingerr
• Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi — 3 Cold Dishes

Best Digital Content Creator

• Elozonam Ogbolu
• Genoveva Umeh
• Destiny Ogie Osarewinda
• Emmanuel Kanaga
• Sophia Chisom
• Benedict Ehimare Oriaifo
• Taaooma
• Steve Chuks
• Akwaman