The nominees have been announced.
28 award categories were announced. New award categories are Best Indigenous Language (North Africa) and Best Indigenous Language (Central Africa), expanding the scope of regional representation.
The main awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in May 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria.
Here’s the full list of AMVCA 2026 nominees:
BEST DIGITAL CONTENT CREATOR
“Dr Judgina – Situationally Transmitted Delusion” – Elozonam Ogbolu and Genoveva Umeh
“The Marriage List” – Destiny Ogie Osarewinda
“Leave To Live” – Emmanuel Kanaga and Sophia Chisom
“The Rate Race” – Benedict Ehimare Oriaifo
“Luxury Koko” – Maryam Apaokagi-Greene (Taaoma)
“August Meeting Election” – Steve Chuks
“Did I Just Hear Muah” – Akwaman
BEST SCRIPTED MNET ORIGINALS
“Adam to Eve” – Lizz Njagah and Alexandros Konstantaras
“Mother of the Brides” – Rogba Arimoro and Bio Arimoro
“The Yard” – James Kalu Omokwe
“The Low Priest” – Femi D. Ogunsanwo
“Bobo” – Maurice Muendo
BEST INDIGINEOUS MNET ORIGINALS
“Inimba” – Siphosethu Tshapu , Thandi Ramathesele and Yolanda Ndhlovu
“Kukoyi” – David Akande
“Undugu” – Hatibu Madudu
“Out N’ About (Harar)” – Bruk Yibrah
“Kamapala Creme” – Joel Ndugwa
“The Chocolate Empire” – Grace Kahaki and Phillippe Bresson
“Mgbuka” – Eze Izu
BEST USCRIPTED MNET ORIGINALS
“Nigerian Idol (Season 10)” – Suleiman Kassim and Anneke De Ridder
“Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa” – Graeme Swanepoel and Jemma Ford
“Chappa Chappa My Love” – Ercilla Justino, Jojo Almeida and Gabriela Ueno
“Out N’ About” – Bruk Yibrah
“Undugu” – Hatibu Madudu
BEST SHORT FILM
“Rise” – Jessie J. Rowlands
“Fleas” – Jordy Sank
“Telephone” – Fimisinuola Adejonwo
“Hussainin” – Orire Nwani, Josh Olaoluwa
“My Body, God’s Temple” – Uzoamaka Power
BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE FILMS (WEST AFRICA)
“The Serpent’s Gift” – Winifred Mena-Ajakpovi
“Lisabi (A Legend is Born)” – Lateef Adedimeji
“Labake Olododo” – Alice Iyabo Ojo, Olukanmi Abayomi, Aalaba Onaolapo, Kene Okwuosa, Ladun Awobokun
“Aljana” – Grace Yachat Yakubu
“Olorisha” – Abiola Adeshina
BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE FILMS (EAST AFRICA)
“Inside Job” – Kamau Wandug’u, Joe Mahinda, Barbara Njeri Maina
“Sayari” – Omar Hamza, June Wairegi
“Addis Fikir” – Leul Shoaferaw
“My Son” – Isarito Mwakalindile
“Kimote” – Hassan Mageye
BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE FILMS ( SOUTHERN AFRICA)
“Bet I Love You” – Joseph Duke, Keamogetse Modise
“Sebata (The Beast) – African Entertainers
“Ben Made It” – Thabang Mathuumetse, Thapelo Dikhutso
“Terra of Queens and Kuma 2” – Neo Leonardo Mokoena
“Tlhaho Ya Mosadi” – Naledi Galane, Promise Ramoroka, Ernest Ramoroka, Modipadi Mokgohioa
BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE FILMS (NORTH AFRICA)
“The Omnipresent” – Youssef Ben Khalifa
“The Delivery” – Abdalla Ezyan
“The Hidden Voice” – Houssem Eddine Abdelwahed
“This is Portsaid” – Abdalla Ezyan
“Artal Alhanin: Our Memories” – Mohamed Awad and Mohamed Abdulraham Eldouma
BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE FILMS (CENTRAL AFRICA)
“Mabanda” – Kang Quintus
“Safou (A Gift From Nature)” – Nyasha Makamba
“Golden Spoon” – Egbe Francis Ettabrown
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
“The Yard” – Simileoluwa Hassan
“Gingerrr” – Lateef Adedemeji
“Colours of Fire” – Gabriel Afolayan
“To Kill a Monkey” – Bucci Franklin
“Agesinkole (King Of Thieves) 2” – Femi Adebayo
“Red Circle” – Lateef Adedimeji
“Owabbe Thieves” – Femi Branch
“Behind the Scenes” – Uzor Arukwe
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
“The Herd” – Linda Ejiofor
“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 LEAD ACTOR
“Oversabi Aunty” – Mike Ezuruonye
“Lisabi (A Legend is Born)” – Lateef Adedimeji
“To Kill a Monkey” – William Benson
“Grandpa Must Obey” – Kanaya O. Kanayo
“Bet I Love You” – Khumbuza Meyiwa
“Colours of Fire” – Uzor Arukwe
“3 Cold Dishes” – Wale Ojo
“Red Circle” – Femi Branch
BEST LEAD ACTRESS
“The Serpent’s Gift” – Linda Ejiofor
“To Kill a Monkey” – Bimbo Akintola
“The Lost Days” – Ifeoma Fafunwa
“Something About The Briggs” – Ariyike Owolagba
“Her Excellency” – Sola Sobowale
“Behind the Scenes” – Scarlet Gomez
“The Herd” – Genoveva Umeh
“Mother of the Brides” – Gloria Anozie-Young
BEST ART DIRECTION
“The Serpent’s Gift” – Zainab Oladupupo
“The Herd” – Omolade Abisola
“Colours of Fire” – Ajamolaya Bunmi
“Aljana”- Olatunji Afolayan, Gideon Stephen
“Suky” – Victor Akpan
“Inimba” – Thabiso Senne
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
“My Father’s Shadow” – Jermaine Edwards
“To Kill A Monkey” – Kabelo Thathe
“The Herd” – Emmanuel Igbekele
“Finding Nina” – Daanong Gyang
“The Serpent’s Gift” – Emmanuel Igbekele
“Stitches” – KC Obiajulu
“Gingerr” – Emmanuel Igbekele
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
“The Serpent’s gift” – Mary Chukuma
“The Real Housewives of Lagos (S3)” – Deola Art Alade, Darey Art Alade
“Colours of Fire” – Valerie Okeke
Something About The Briggs” – Yolanda Okereke
“To Kill a Monkey” – Ikechukwu Urum, John Joseph Angel
BEST MAKEUP
“Behind the scenes” – Mojisola Imam
“Lisabi (A Legend Is Born)” – Adeola Thelma Bamgboye
“Gingerr” – Diablaq Artistry
“Abanisete” – Adeola Thelma Bamgboye
“Warlord” – Hakeem Onilogbo (Hakeem Effect)
“Suky” – Ruth Harcourt
“Labake Olododo” – Adeola Thelma Bamgboye
BEST SOUND/SOUND DESIGN
“My Father’s Shadow” – Pius Fatoke, CJ Mirra
“Gingerrr” – Tolu Obanro
“Ben Made It” – Vaughan Phillips
“The Party” – Tolu Obanro
“Sebata (The Beast)” – Vaughan Phillips
“The Herd” – Fisayo Adefolaju
BEST SCORE MUSIC
“My Father’s Shadow” – Duval Timothy, CJ Mirra
“3 Cold Dishes” – Nissi Ogulu
“Osamede” – Chubb Okobah
“Gingerrr” – Tolu Obanro
“The Party” – Tolu Obanro
“MTV Shuga Mashariki” – Sofresh
“To Kill a Monkey” – Oscar Heman-Ackah
BEST EDITING
“Cordelia” – Kazeem Agboola
“My Father’s Shadow” – Omar Guzman Castro
“Landline” – Nwanguma Peter Chidebere, Dele Doherty
“3 Cold Dishes” – Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi
“Osamede” – Winston AIG-Ohioma
“To Kill a Monkey” – Daniel Anyiam
BEST WRITING (MOVIE)
“The Herd” – Lani Aisida
“My Father’s Shadow” – Wale Davies
“Blackout” – Ikenna Okpara
“Cards on the Table” – Shirleen Wangari
“Gingerrr” – Xavier Ighorodje
“Suky” – Isaac Ayodeji”
“3 Cold Dishes” – Tomi Adesina
BEST WRITING (TV SERIES)
“The Wives” – Donald Tombia, Timendu Aghahowa, Chiemeka Osuagwu
“MTV Shuga Masahariki” – Annette Shadeya, Natasha Likimani, Mkamzee Mwatela, Arnold Mwanjila, Makgano Mamabolo
“Our Husband” – Xavier Ighorodje
“Addis Fikir” – Besufekade Mulu
“Baba OH” – Temilola Balogun
“The Party” – Stephen Okonkwo
“Gizat” – Yednekachew Ayne
BEST DOCUMENTARY
“Beyond Olympic Glory” – Shedrack Salami
“The Good x The Bad of Afrobeat” – Louis Ejiofor
“The People Shall” – Mark Maina, Nick Wambugu
“Not Adressing This Anymore” – Huzzain Bello
“BOU” – Mwaka Gerald Remmy
BEST SERIES (SCRIPTED)
“To Kill a Monkey” – Kemi Adetiba
“The Yard” – James Kalu Omokwe
“The Chocolate Empire” – Grace Kahaki, Philippe Bresson
“Inimba” – Siphosethu Tshapu, Thandi Ramathesele, Yolanda Ndhlovu
“Kash Money” – Grace Khaki, Phillipe Benson
BEST SERIES (UNSCRIPTED)
“The Real Housewives of Lagos (S3)” – Deola Art Alade, Darey Art Alade
“Nigerian Idol (S10)” – Sulaiman Kassim, Anneke De Ridder
“Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa” – Graeme Swanepoel
“Off Air” – Gbemi and Toolz
“Out N’ About” – Bruk Yibrah
BEST DIRECTOR
“My Father’s Shadow” – Akinola Davies JR
“Cordelia” – Tunde Kelani
“Osamede” – James Kaluu Omokwe
“The Herd” – Daniel Etim Effiong
“Gingerrr” – Yemi Filmboy Morafa
“3 Cold Dishes” – Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi
BEST MOVIE
“Gingerrr” – Ope Ajayi, Bisola Aiyeola, Bukunmi Adeaga-Ilori, Wumi Toriola, Bolaji Ogunmola, Onyeka Nnama
“The Herd” – Daniel Etim Effiong, Efe Ejukoriem, Ulogo Chukwudi, Kene Okwuosa, Craig Shurn, Ladun Awobokun
“My Father’s Shadow” – Funmbi Ogunbanwo, Rachel Dargavel
“3 Cold Dishes” – Martial Dansou, Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi, Ly Oumar
“The Serpent’s Gift” – Winifred Mena-Ajakpovi
“Behind the Scenes” – Funke Ayotunde Akindele, Wendy Uwadie Imaseun
