AMAA 2026 nominations: ‘To Adaego With Love’, ‘The Herd’ lead the line for Nigeria

The 21st Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) nominations have been announced on Saturday, spotlighting the continent’s finest cinematic achievements.

Uganda’s ‘Slum Bomber’ and Kenya’s ‘One Woman, One Bra’ lead the pack with an impressive 14 nominations each,  followed by Nollywood’s ‘To Adaego With Love’, which secured 11,  Daniel Etim-Effiong’s ‘The Herd’ with 10 nods and ‘Colours of Fire’ with nine nominations.

Several Nigerian actors were also nominated in different categories, including Daniel Etim-Effiong, Osas Ighodaro, Toyin Abraham, Omowunmi Dada, Uzor Arukwe and Wale Ojo.

However, Etim-Effiong received three nominations, including ‘Best Director’, ‘Best Debut Feature’, and ‘Best Actor in a Leading Role’, while Osas Ikponyon was nominated for ‘Best Young/Promising Actor’ for her role in ‘Evi’.

For the ‘Best Film’ category, nine entries from six African countries will compete, including Nigeria’s ‘To Adaego With Love’ and ‘The Herd’, South Africa’s ‘The Trek’ and ‘Ben Made It’, and Ghana’s ‘The Fisherman’.

The awards ceremony is scheduled for November 15.

EFERE OZAKO AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM

• The Last Miracle – Egypt/Germany/Sudan
• Demm – Senegal/Switzerland
• Taxi Moto – Rwanda/Switzerland
• Hurriyah – Nigeria
• Ashes of Accra – Ghana
• The Spectacular Death of Prisca – Nigeria/USA
• The Man, The Cliff and The Dog – South Africa
• A Night With The Queen – Nigeria/UK
• God Sleeps On Sunday – Zimbabwe
• Emanya – Namibia

JUBRIL MALAFIA AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATION

• The Plot – Nigeria/UK
• Ananse and The Divine Journey – Ghana/USA
• Sundrud – Mali/France/Belgium/Iceland
• Ana Fein W Geit Menein – Egypt
• The Lion of Gwoza – Nigeria
• The Shadow of a Griot (L’ombre D’un Griot) – Côte d’Ivoire

AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY

• Truck Mama – Kenya
• The Greatest Soul on Earth – South Africa
• Djeyha, Memory of Django – Burkina Faso
• Fosta – South Africa
• Asaba Massacre – Nigeria
• Chichen Ghetto – Uganda
• The Rhythm of Ancestors – Nigeria
• Ekitibiwa ky’olugbobo – Uganda

OUSMANE SEMBENE AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR BEST FILM IN AN AFRICAN LANGUAGE

• Slum Bomber – Uganda
• Iwe Ala – Nigeria
• Mabanda – Cameroon
• One Woman, One Bra – Kenya
• Ben Made It – South Africa
• Efunroye (The Unicorn) – Nigeria

MICHAEL ANYIAM OSIGWE AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR BEST FILM BY AN AFRICAN LIVING ABROAD

• Hanami
• A Tribe Called Love
• The Man Who Never Was
• Boys Wear Pink Too

AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA SHORT

• Till Death – USA
• Jamari’s Rose & Da 5 Bullet Holes
• The Things We Carry
• River Mama
• Cross Roads

AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA DOCUMENTARY

• Nashville Soul – USA
• Reclaiming The Past – USA
• Sisters in Destiny: Angela Davis & Getty Archimède – Guadeloupe
• Stolen – USA

AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA NARRATIVE FEATURE

• A Tribe Called Love
• Montmartre
• Heirloom

AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN

• To Adaego With Love
• Slum Bomber
• The Herd
• Light Out
• Colours of Fire
• One Woman, One Bra
• Cordelia
• The Creek

AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN

• The Fisherman
• One Woman, One Bra
• Iwe Ala
• Idia
• To Adaego With Love
• The Trek

AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP

• Efunroye (The Unicorn)
• Colours of Fire
• Slum Bomber
• Mabanda
• The Herd
• Suky

AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUNDTRACK

• Slum Bomber
• To Adaego With Love
• Black Burn Fast
• Evi
• Idia
• One Woman, One Bra

AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS

• The Creek
• Colours of Fire
• The Fisherman
• Suky
• The Herd

AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND

• The Trek
• Suky
• To Adaego With Love
• Colours of Fire
• Slum Bomber
• Colours of Exile
• Black Burn Fast
• One Woman, One Bra

AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY

• The Trek
• Colours of Exile
• One Woman, One Bra
• Slum Bomber
• Hanami
• Cordelia
• Ben Made It

AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING

• Colours of Exile
• Slum Bomber
• Ben Made It
• The Trek
• Suky
• Evi
• One Woman, One Bra

AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SCREENPLAY

• To Adaego With Love
• Slum Bomber
• Colours of Exile
• One Woman, One Bra
• Onobiren
• The Herd
• Ben Made It

AMAA 2026 – NATIONAL FILM AND VIDEO CENSORS BOARD (NFVCB) AWARD FOR BEST NIGERIAN FILM

• Iwe Ala
• To Adaego With Love
• Colours of Fire
• Suky
• Efunroye (The Unicorn)
• The Herd
• Cordelia
• The Creek
• Oversabi Aunty

AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR BEST YOUNG/PROMISING ACTOR

• Muntaha Mohammed – A Tribe Called Love
• Abdou Aziz Dabak Salis – Colours of Exile
• James Solomon Damilare – Suky
• Osas Okonyon – Evi
• Dailma Mendes (Young Nana) – Hanami
• Leah Lindeque – The Trek
• Onyinye Odokoro – Oblation
• Ocen Daniel – Slum Bomber
• Azania Thella – Ben Made It
• Gbubemi Ejeye – Idia

AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

• Amos Leuka – One Woman, One Bra
• Dele Odule – Iwe Ala
• Samuel Kabugo – Slum Bomber
• Femi Branch – Colours of Fire
• Bucci Franklin – The Creek
• Bob-Manuel Udokwu – To Adaego With Love
• Maurice Carpede – The Trek

AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

• Norng’aruani Kipuker – One Woman, One Bra
• Precious Nana – Mabanda
• Linda Ejiofor – The Herd
• Mercy Aigbe – Colours of Fire
• Zahra Elhawawi – Colours of Exile
• Omowunmi Dada – Evi
• Phumzile Kubheka – Ben Made It
• Patience Ozokwo – Onobiren

AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

• Maurice Carpede – The Trek
• Wale Ojo – Light Out
• Daniel Etim-Effiong – The Herd
• Ricky Adelayitar – The Fisherman
• Uzor Arukwe – Colours of Fire
• Marcus Mabusela – Ben Made It
• Abdoulaziz Sall – Colours of Exile
• Kang Quintus – Mabanda

AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

• Chisom Agoawuike – To Adaego With Love
• Sarah Karel – One Woman, One Bra
• Deborah Kabongo – Rusambo
• Faithia Balogun – Efunroye (The Unicorn)
• Jackline Nafula – Slum Bomber
• Osas Ighodaro – Colours of Fire
• Naku Sy Savane – Colours of Exile
• Toyin Abraham – Oversabi Aunty

AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT FEATURE FILM BY A DIRECTOR

• Daniel Etim-Effiong – The Herd
• Maureen Jolly Nankya – Slum Bomber
• Vincho Nchogu – One Woman, One Bra
• Meekaaeel Adam – The Trek
• Zoey Martinson – The Fisherman
• Angela Zivo Gapa – Rusambo
• Pheello Makosholo – Ben Made It
• Nwamaka Chikezie – To Adaego With Love
• Mohamed Ahmed – A Tribe Called Love
• Chinazaekpere Chukwu – Her Daughters’ Mother

AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR

• Meekaaeel Adam – The Trek (South Africa)
• Nwamaka Chikezie – To Adaego With Love (Nigeria)
• Azlorabe Alaoui – Colours of Exile (Côte d’Ivoire)
• Maureen Nankya – Slum Bomber (Uganda)
• Vincho Nchogu – One Woman, One Bra (Kenya)
• Daniel Etim-Effiong – The Herd (Nigeria)
• Pheello Makosholo – Ben Made It (South Africa)
• Kang Quintus – Mabanda (Cameroon)
• Zoey Martinson – The Fisherman (Ghana)

AMAA 2026 AWARD FOR BEST FILM

• The Trek – South Africa
• To Adaego With Love – Nigeria
• The Fisherman – Ghana
• Colours of Exile – Côte d’Ivoire
• Slum Bomber – Uganda
• One Woman, One Bra – Kenya
• The Herd – Nigeria
• Ben Made It – South Africa
• Mabanda – Cameroon