Saturday night in Lagos, Nigeria belonged to African storytelling. The 12th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards brought together Nollywood’s finest filmmakers from across the continent, and the kind of electric atmosphere that only the AMVCAs can produce. Held at the iconic Eko Hotel and Suites, the ceremony arrived with a fresh energy: comedian Bovi Ugboma and South African actress Nomzamo Mbatha took over hosting duties from IK Osakioduwa, who had helmed the show for over a decade, and the night moved with charm, laughter, and more than a few tears. Veteran actress Joke Silva led the jury, and under the theme, “Honouring Craft, Celebrating Culture,” the industry showed up in full force to do exactly that.
From the Cultural Night, where stars like Bucci Franklin arrived in a custom wine velvet robe adorned with gold monkey appliqués, to the main ceremony where gowns, agbadas, and architectural couture competed for attention on the red carpet, the AMVCAs reminded the world that African creativity does not begin and end on screen. But, it was inside the auditorium where the real magic happened.
The Big Winners
The night’s most decorated film was Akinola Davies Jr.‘s My Father’s Shadow, a British-Nigerian production set during Nigeria’s annulled 1993 presidential election. The film took home six awards in total, including Best Movie, Best Director, Best Writing, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Design, and Best Music Score. It was a comprehensive sweep that reflected the film’s technical and narrative ambition, and the room received each win with the kind of applause that suggests the jury and the audience were largely in agreement.
Linda Ejiofor had a night she will not forget in a hurry. She walked away as a double winner, claiming Best Lead Actress for her work in The Serpent’s Gift and Best Supporting Actress for The Herd, making her one of the very few performers in the ceremony’s history to achieve that feat in a single night.
Uzor Arukwe took Best Lead Actor for his performance in Niyi Akinmolayan’s Colours of Fire, a win that was met with genuine celebration from the audience.
Lateef Adedimeji brought heart to the evening when he won Best Indigenous Movie (West Africa) for Lisabi: A Legend Is Born, dedicating the award to his wife, actress Mo Bimpe Adedimeji, in a moment that drew warm applause from across the room.
And the legendary Sola Sobowale and Kanayo O. Kanayo were honoured with the Industry Merit Award, a recognition of careers that have defined what Nollywood is and what it can be. Sobowale, characteristically, could not resist a playful jab at Linda Ejiofor during her acceptance speech, sending the room into laughter.
Uche Montana, affectionately known to fans as “Monica,” received the Trailblazer Award, one of the evening’s most emotionally received special honours. The recognition, which sits outside the jury-voted and public-voted categories, celebrated her rapid rise across film, television, and digital content. “I’m still trying to find words,” she said in her acceptance. “Winning the Trailblazer Award at AMVCA is such an incredible honour. I’m deeply grateful to everyone who has supported, believed in, and grown with me on this journey. This means everything.” The room responded with the kind of warmth that suggested her journey had not gone unnoticed.
Then came the moment that stopped everything. Bucci Franklin won Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the morally complex Oboz in Kemi Adetiba’s Netflix thriller To Kill a Monkey, and when he reached the microphone, the celebration became something else entirely.
He revealed that he had lost his mother just seven days before the series premiered.
With his voice breaking, he said;
I created Oboz for her by the special grace of God, but she didn’t get to watch it.
I know my mum is throwing a party right now.
The room rose to its feet. It was the kind of moment that reminds you why these nights matter beyond the trophies.
What the Internet Had to Say
The celebrations had barely wound down before the discourse began, as it always does. Nigerian Twitter and Instagram wasted no time weighing in on the results, and a few categories drew significantly more heat than others.
The most discussed absence of the night was Scarlet Gomez and Behind the Scenes. The film had grossed over two billion Naira at the Nigerian box office, dominated online conversation for much of the past year, and had Gomez topping fan polls for Best Lead Actress ahead of the ceremony. When that award went to Linda Ejiofor for The Serpent’s Gift instead, the reaction was swift and pointed. Many viewers felt that Gomez’s central performance, carrying the emotional weight of a film about Black tax, family expectations, and class aspiration, was the kind of work that awards ceremonies exist to recognise. Others argued that Behind the Scenes as a film deserved the Best Movie prize over My Father’s Shadow, pointing to its cultural resonance and commercial dominance as markers of impact the jury appeared to overlook. The debate reignited a familiar tension: does a jury owe anything to a film the public has already crowned?
To Kill a Monkey had its own moment in the discourse, though of a different kind. While Bucci Franklin’s win was celebrated almost universally, some viewers questioned why the film, and Kemi Adetiba’s direction in particular, did not receive broader recognition across other categories. The series had been one of the most talked-about productions of the eligibility year, and for many, Franklin’s single award felt like the show was acknowledged without being fully honoured.
As always, the AMVCAs reminded us that an awards ceremony is never just about what happens on the night. It is about the conversation it sets off, the names it elevates, and the questions it leaves open for the next edition. The 12th chapter was no different: glittering, emotional, contested, and entirely alive.
