Iyke Bede
Nigerian films have emerged among the major contenders for the 22nd Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), with Nwamaka Chikezie’s ‘To Adaego With Love’ and Daniel Etim-Effiong’s ‘The Herd’ securing 11 and 10 nominations, respectively, as the 2026 nominees were unveiled at a ceremony attended by notable figures in the Nigerian film industry.
The two productions are among the leading entries in this year’s nominations, although Uganda’s ‘Slum Bomber’ and Kenya’s ‘One Woman, One Bra’ occupy the top positions with 14 nominations each. South Africa’s ‘The Trek’ and ‘Ben Made It’, alongside Côte d’Ivoire’s ‘Colours of Exile’, also secured 10 nominations apiece.
The nominations placed Nigerian productions in contention across several major categories, including Best Film, Best Director, acting, screenplay and technical achievements.
For Nigeria, the performance of ‘To Adaego With Love’ is particularly notable. The historical romance explores the lingering divisions of the Nigerian Civil War through the relationship between a Northern Nigerian soldier and an Igbo schoolteacher from the war-affected Eastern region.
It is nominated for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Supporting Actor for Bob-Manuel Udokwu and Best Debut Feature Film by a Director for Chikezie.
‘The Herd’ nominations include Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Debut Feature Film by a Director and Best Supporting Actress for Linda Ejiofor. Etim-Effiong’s showing is particularly significant, as he has received individual nominations for Best Director, Best Debut Feature Film by a Director and Best Actor in a Leading Role.
Meanwhile, Niyi Akinmolayan’s ‘Colours of Fire’ has nine nominations, with its cast and crew represented in categories including Best Actress in a Leading Role for Osas Ighodaro, Best Actor in a Leading Role for Uzor Arukwe, Best Supporting Actress for Mercy Aigbe and Best Supporting Actor for Femi Branch.
Nigeria’s strong representation is also reflected in the Best Film category, where ‘To Adaego With Love’ and ‘The Herd’ will compete against seven other productions from across the continent.
The other nominees are South Africa’s ‘The Trek’ and ‘Ben Made It’, Ghana’s ‘The Fisherman’, Côte d’Ivoire’s ‘Colours of Exile’, Uganda’s ‘Slum Bomber’, Kenya’s ‘One Woman, One Bra’ and Cameroon’s ‘Mabanda’.
The acting categories have also produced a competitive field, with established Nollywood performers among the nominees.
In the Best Actor in a Leading Role category, Etim-Effiong will compete with Wale Ojo, nominated for ‘Light Out’, and Arukwe for ‘Colours of Fire’. They face Maurice Carpede for ‘The Trek’, Ricky Adelayitar for ‘The Fisherman’, Marcus Mabusela for ‘Ben Made It’, Abdoulaziz Sall for ‘Colours of Exile ’, and Kang Quintus for ‘Mabanda’.
The Best Actress in a Leading Role category features four Nigerian contenders: Agoawuike for ‘To Adaego With Love’, Faithia Balogun for ‘Efunroye (The Unicorn)’, Ighodaro for ‘Colours of Fire’ and Toyin Abraham for ‘Oversabi Aunty’.
They will compete against Sarah Karel for ‘One Woman, One Bra’, Deborah Kabongo for ‘Rusambo’, Jackline Nafula for ‘Slum Bomber’ and Naku Sy Savane for ‘Colours of Exile’.
Chikezie and Etim-Effiong are among nine filmmakers nominated for Best Director. The category also features Meekaaeel Adam for ‘The Trek’, Azlorabe Alaoui for ‘Colours of Exile’, Maureen Nankya for ‘Slum Bomber’, Vincho Nchogu for ‘One Woman, One Bra’, Pheello Makosholo for ‘Ben Made It’, Kang Quintus for ‘Mabanda’ and Zoey Martinson for ‘The Fisherman’.
While announcing that the 22nd AMAA ceremony is scheduled for November 15 at the Lagos Marriott Hotel, the Chief Operating Officer of AMAA, Dr Raymond Anyiam-Osigwe, noted that AMAA has become more than just an awards platform but a mirror reflecting Africa’s shared struggles, triumphs and diverse cultures.
“The films nominated this year remind us that African stories are global stories, possessing the power to captivate, challenge, and inspire audiences anywhere in the world,” he said.