Ahead of the 21st edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), which celebrates excellence in African cinema, the organisers on Saturday, October 11, released the list of nominees for the 2025 award ceremony scheduled for November 9 at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Lagos.
Held at a facility in GRA Ikeja, the nominations streamed live worldwide on AMAA online platforms, as well as the film academy’s digital platforms (Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and X) has Katunga: Dance of The Scorpions (Burkina Faso) topping the list with 10 nominations in various categories. It is followed by Lisabi: The Uprising (Nigeria) with seven nods, Algiers from Algeria with four nominations and Freedom Way (Nigeria) with three nods.
The nominees were announced by African actors of Nigerian descent including Lilian Aluko, Emeka Ossai, Charles Inojie and Adaora Anyanwu. Other dignitaries that announced the nominees include Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Dr Shaibu Husseini; former Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde, and media personality Chris Kehinde Nwandu (CKN). Both Husseini and Ayorinde represented the AMAA jury at the event.
Also gathered at the event, which was anchored by veteran Nollywood actor cum singer, Segun Arinze, include the AMAA board, led by Dr Raymond Anyiam-Osigwe, Mr George Anyiam-Osigwe, Teco Benson, Lancelot Imasuen, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of AMAA, Tony Anih and other filmmakers.
For the highly competitive AMAA Best Actress in a Leading Role category, Nigeria’s Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Osas Ighodaro and Shaffy Bello will slug it out with their contemporaries: Analisa Munyana (Rwanda); Danica De La Ray Jones (South Africa); Getahun Hailu, Florence Mariserena (Ethiopia) and Meriem Medjkane (Algeria).
In the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role category, Lateef Adedimeji (Lisabi: The Uprising) is up against some of the continent’s finest actors including Keenan Arrison (The Heart is a Muscle — South Africa), Debebe Eshetu (For Love, for Land, for Power — Ethiopia), Adjetey Anang (Last Stop — Ghana), Ayden Croy (Old Righteous Blues — South Africa), Bizimana Hussain (Small Gods — Uganda), Mahamadi Nana (Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions — Burkina Faso) and Algeria’s Nabil Asli (Algiers).
The AMAA 2025 award for ‘Best Film’ has eight African countries competing for the revered gong. The nominees as announced include Algiers (Algeria), 3 Cold Dishes (Nigeria), The Heart is a Muscle (South Africa), Small Gods (Uganda), For Love, For Land, For Power (Ethiopia), Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions (Burkina Faso), Last Stop (Ghana), and Lisabi: The Uprising (Nigeria).
Known for its rich history of recognising outstanding cinematic achievements in Africa, this year’s AMAA promises to be exciting, as the awards ceremony will honour outstanding films, actors, directors, and other industry professionals from across the continent.
