Di grand finale of di 12th edition of di Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards (AMVCA) 2026 dey hapun for Lagos, Nigeria, on May 9, 2026. Di award go feature 32 categories – 18 wey na di jury go decide and 11 wey na di audience vote. Na ogbonge actress Joke Silva be di Head Judge.
Di movie “Gingerrr” na im lead di nominations, with strong contenders like “To Kill A Monkey“, “My Father's Shadow” and “The Herd“. Dis year, dem also add a new category: Best Indigenous Language Film for North Africa and Central.
Lateef Adedimeji dey nominated for Best supporting actor for two roles and best actor for di films Gingerrr, Red Circle and Lisabi: A Legend Is Born. E be di person wit di most nomination as both actor and producer for di Lisabi: A Legend Is Born film. Di first Lisabi film, Lisabi (The Uprising) bin win two awards last year both for Makeup and Art Direction.
My Father’s Shadow wey recently win di British Academy Film Awards for Best Directorial Debut dey nominated for di AMVCA Best film category. Di film get seven nominations for Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Design, Best Musical Score, Best Writing in a Movie, as well as Best film.
To Kill A Monkey bin carry eight nominations wey include Best Scripted series, Gingerrr collect nine nominations, Behind di Scenes get five nominations and Oversabi Aunty collect two nominations.
Di Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards na im dey host African actors from across di continent to come celebrate di best of dem. Pipo go dey watch di fashion for di night, most especially wit di fact say di Met Gala happen dis week. For previous years, pipo don compare di AMVCA red carpet wit di Met Gala as di view of African designers dey grow positively globally.
Di 12th edition of di Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards kick off with di highly anticipated Cultural Night on 8th May 2026. Dis evening na a vital celebration of di diverse heritage wey define di continent, providing a space for guests to pay homage to dia roots through fashion.
Big Brother Naija Season 10 stars attend di AMVCA 12 Cultural Night showcasing regional styles ranging from Edo, Ijaw, and Yoruba to Northern Nigerian royalty. Dede, representing di beauty of Delta State, wear a wine-coloured velvet corset dress with floral lace and a dramatic floor-length silk cape. Kaybobo draw inspiration from di “ÒKÍN” (peacock), wearing a vibrant green and purple Aso-Oke Agbada with green glass beads.
Imisi, BBNaija S10 winner, wear a blue and white Adire gown with a woven mat on di shoulders, accented with cowrie shells. Jason Jae bring Northern Nigerian royalty, wearing a black velvet floor-length robe with gold braided edges and a fur-lined shoulder, plus a translucent gold face veil and a feathered Zanna cap.
Mensan appear as an Ijaw Prince, wearing a black and silver brocade long robe with traditional George fabric over di shoulder, finished with a red and gold crown and coral beads. Shaun Okojie stay true to im Edo roots, wearing a white long-sleeved tunic under a wine-coloured velvet robe with gold embroidery and a single strand of coral beads.
Uche Jombo, Bisola Aiyelola, and Uzor Arukwe also steal show at di Cultural Night, arriving dressed in elaborate traditional outfits. Di 2026 AMVCA weekend feature di Cultural Night and di main award ceremony on Saturday. Di awards cover various categories including best actor/actress in drama, indigenous language films (West, East, Southern Africa), digital content creation, and short films.
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