Sunday, 10 May 2026

PHOTOS: #AMVCA12 Celebrates African Cinema in Lagos with Bold Fashion & Wins

The 12th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards took place Saturday night at Eko Hotels in Lagos, honoring top African films, TV, and digital creators.
'My Father’s Shadow' led with multiple wins including Best Movie and Best Director for Akinola Davies Jr., while Linda Ejiofor made history with double acting awards. Bucci Franklin's Best Supporting Actor win for 'To Kill a Monkey' moved the crowd—he'd lost his mother just before filming—and lifetime honors went to Sola Sobowale and Kanayo O. Kanayo.

Here is the complete list of winners from AMVCA 12:

Best Lead Actor
Lisabi – Lateef Adedimeji
To Kill a Monkey – William Benson
Colours of Fire – Uzor Arukwe – WINNER
3 Cold Dishes – Wale Ojo
Red Circle – Femi Branch

Best Lead Actress

Her Excellency – Sola Sobowale
The Serpent’s Gift – Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman – WINNER
Behind the Scenes – Scarlet Gomez
The Herd – Genoveva Umeh
Mother of the Brides – Gloria Anozie-Young

Best Supporting Actor

The Yard – Simileoluwa Hassan
Gingerrr – Lateef Adedimeji
Colours Of Fire – Gabriel Afolayan
To Kill a Monkey – Bucci Franklin – WINNER
Agesinkole (King Of Thieves) 2 – Femi Adeboye
Red Circle – Lateef Adedimeji
Owanbe Thieves – Femi Branch
Behind the Scenes – Uzor Arukwe

Best Supporting Actress

The Herd – Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman – WINNER
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 Scenes – Funke Ayotunde Akindele

Best Movie

Gingerrr – Bisola Aiyeola & Team
The Herd – Daniel Etim Effiong & Team
My Father’s Shadow – Funmbi Ogunbanwo and Rachel Dargavel – WINNER
3 Cold Dishes – Asurf Oluseyi and Team
The Serpent’s Gift – Winifred Mena-Ajakpovi
Behind the Scenes – Funke Akindele and Wendy Imaseun

Best Director

My Father’s Shadow – Akinola Davies Jr. – WINNER
Cordelia – Tunde Kelani
Osamede – James Kalu Omokwe
The Herd – Daniel Etim Effiong
Gingerrr – Yemi Filmboy Morafa
3 Cold Dishes – Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi

Best Cinematography

My Father’s Shadow – Jermaine Edwards
To Kill A Monkey – Kabelo Thathe – WINNER
The Herd – Emmanuel Igbekele
Finding Nina – Daanong Gyang
The Serpent’s Gift – Emmanuel Igbekele
Stitches – KC Obiajulu
Gingerrr – Emmanuel Igbekele

Best Costume Design

The Serpent’s Gift – Mary Chukuma
The Real Housewives of Lagos (S3) – Deola Art Alade and Darey Art Alade
Colours of Fire – Valerie Okeke – WINNER
Something About The Briggs – Yolanda Okereke
To Kill a Monkey – Ikechukwu Urum & John Joseph Angel

Best Editing

Cordelia – Kazeem Agboola
My Father’s Shadow – Omar Guzman Castro
Landline – Nwanguma Peter Chidebere and Dele Doherty
3 Cold Dishes – Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi
Osamede – Winston AIG-Ohioma
To Kill a Monkey – Daniel Anyiam – WINNER

Best Writing (Movie)

The Herd – Lani Aisida
My Father’s Shadow – Wale Davies – WINNER
Blackout – Ikenna Okpara
Cards on the Table – Shirleen Wangari
Gingerrr – Xavier Ighorodje
Suky – Isaac Ayodeji
3 Cold Dishes – Tomi Adesina

Best Art Direction

The Serpent’s Gift – Zainab Oladupupo
The Herd – Omolade Abisola
Colours of Fire – Ajamolaya Bunmi – WINNER
Aljana – Olatunji Afolayan and Gideon Stephen
Suky – Victor Akpan
Inimba – Thabiso Senne

Special Awards

Trailblazer Award: Uche Montana

Industry Merit Award: Sola Sobowale and Kanayo O. Kanayo

Best Indigenous Language Film (West Africa)
The Serpent’s Gift – Winifred Mena-Ajakpovi
Labake Olododo – Iyabo Ojo & Team
Aljana – Grace Yachat Yakubu
Olorisha – Abiola Adeshina
Lisabi: A Legend is Born – Lateef Adedimeji – WINNER

Best Digital Content Creator

Luxury Koko – Maryam Apaokagi-Greene (Taaooma)
The Marriage List – Destiny Ogie Osarewinda
The Rate Race – Benedict Ehimare Oriaifo
August Meeting Election – Steve Chuks
Did I Just Hear Muah – Akwaman
Leave To Live – Emmanuel Kanaga and Sophia Chisom – WINNER

Best Scripted M-Net Original

Adam To Eve – Lizz Njagah & Alexandros Konstantaras
Mother of the Brides – Rogba Arimoro and Bio Arimoro
The Yard – James Kalu Omokwe
Bobo – Maurice Muendo
The Low Priest – Femi D. Ogunsanwo – WINNER

Best Indigenous M-Net Original

Kukoyi – David Akande
Undugu – Hatibu Madudu
Out N’ About (Harar) – Bruk Yibrah
Kampala Creme – Joel Ndugwa
The Chocolate Empire – Grace Kahaki and Phillippe Bresson
Mgbuka – Eze Izu
Inimba – Siphosethu Tshapu, Thandi Ramathesele and Yolanda Ndhlovu – WINNER

Best Unscripted M-Net Original

The Real Housewives of Lagos (S3) – Deola Art Alade & Darey Art Alade
Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa – Graeme Swanepoel
Off Air – Gbemi & Toolz
Out N’ About – Bruk Yibrah
Nigerian Idol (S10) – Sulaiman Kassim & Anneke De Ridder – WINNER

Best Scripted Series

To Kill a Monkey – Kemi Adetiba
The Yard – James Kalu Omokwe
The Chocolate Empire – Grace Kahaki and Philippe Bresson
Kash Money – Grace Khaki & Phillipe Benson
Inimba – Siphosethu Tshapu, Thandi Ramathesele and Yolanda Ndhlovu – WINNER

Best Documentary

Beyond Olympic Glory – Shedrack Salami
The Good x The Bad of Afrobeat – Louis Ejiofor
The People Shall – Mark Maina & Nick Wambugu
Beyond Olympic Glory – Shedrack Salami – WINNER

Best Short Film

Rise – Jessie J. Rowlands
Fleas – Jordy Sank
Telephone – Fimisinuola Adejonwo
My Body, God’s Temple – Uzoamaka Power
Hussainin – Orire Nwani and Josh Olaoluwa – WINNER

Best Makeup

Behind The Scenes – Mojisola Imam
Lisabi (A Legend Is Born) – Adeola Thelma Bamgboye
Gingerrr – Diablaq Artistry
Abanisete – Adeola Thelma Bamgboye
Suky – Ruth Harcourt
Labake Olododo – Adeola Thelma Bamgboye
Warlord – Hakeem Onilogbo (Hakeem Effect) – WINNER









5 comments:

  1. Anonymous19:42

    Just beautiful

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lawunmi Shodeinde19:43

    Am so proud to be a Nigerian!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Alex Okey19:43

    Happy for Lateef, Linda & Ozor......

    ReplyDelete
  4. Denrele Yusuf19:44

    Mercy Eke & Toyin Lawani & the Bread outfit were killers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Boluwatife Adeosun19:45

    Nigerians should fashi Grammies & focus on our own Headies!
    Like this now is our own Oscars!!

    ReplyDelete

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