Linda Ejiofor makes history with double win; Uzor Arukwe, Sola Sobowale and Kanayo O. Kanayo among the night's biggest names Cover Photographed by Kàsh Faje.
Lagos put on its finest last night as Nollywood’s A-list descended on the Eko Hotel and Suites for the 12th Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards. The ceremony, which began at 7 p.m. on Saturday, celebrated outstanding achievements in African film, television and digital storytelling.
When the night was over, one film had written itself into AMVCA history.
The Dominant Film
One of the biggest winners of the night was My Father’s Shadow, which clinched multiple awards, including Best Movie, Best Director and Best Score/Music. Its director, Akinola Davies Jr., was crowned Best Director for his masterful work on the film. Notably, Davies and his brother Wale Davies also recently claimed the prestigious Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer award at the 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards. Wale Davies also took home Best Writing in a Movie, making My Father’s Shadow the undisputed film of the evening.
A Historic Night for Linda Ejiofor
The acting story of the night belonged to Linda Ejiofor. She made history at the AMVCA, emerging as a double winner — claiming both Best Actress for her lead performance in The Serpent’s Gift and Best Supporting Actress for her work in The Herd.
Best Actor and Supporting Performances
Uzor Arukwe claimed Best Lead Actor for his powerful and commanding performance in Colours of Fire, edging out a formidable list of Nollywood heavyweights including Wale Ojo, Femi Branch, William Benson, Mike Ezuruonye, Kanayo O. Kanayo, and Lateef Adedimeji, in what was one of the night’s most competitive categories.
Bucci Franklin delivered a standout performance in To Kill A Monkey, earning him Best Supporting Actor.
Technical and Continental Awards
Colours of Fire also won Best Costume Design and Best Art Direction, while To Kill A Monkey claimed Best Cinematography, with Kabelo Thathe behind the lens. Warlord won Best Makeup, again claimed by effects maestro Hakeem Onilogbo.
Across the continent, Addis Fikr won Best Indigenous Language (East Africa), while Lisabi: A Legend Is Born won Best Indigenous Language (West Africa) for Lateef Adedimeji. Kang Quintus made history as the first-ever winner in the newly introduced Best Indigenous Language (Central Africa) category, for his film Mabanda.
In the television categories, MTV Shuga Mashariki won Best Writing in a TV Series, while Nigerian Idol Season 10 claimed Best Unscripted M-Net Original. Femi D. Ogunsanwo won Best Scripted M-Net Original for Low Priest.
Honouring the Icons
The ceremony paused to celebrate those who built Nollywood’s foundations. Sola Sobowale and Kanayo O. Kanayo were presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising their immense contributions to the industry. Uche Montana was presented the Trailblazer Award in recognition of her rising impact, her new film Monica 2 broke viewing records on YouTube, garnering over 10 million views in 48 hours.
The 12th AMVCA Full winners list is available at africamagic.tv