The Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) 2025 was indeed an unforgettable night, with talented Afrobeat singer and multi-instrumentalist, Omorinmade Kuti, better known as Made Kuti, the Ebony Band, and DJ Kenchello, thrilling the over 500 African film practitioners that gathered across the continent and diaspora with their musical performances.

Held on Sunday, November 9, at the Balmoral Convention Centre, inside Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja Lagos, Made Kuti’s rendition of his grandfather Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s classic Palava, had the guests sing along and swing their bodies to the rhythm.

The five-hour ceremony, organised by the Africa Film Academy (AFA), opened with a lively performance by the Ebony Band. It also featured a short stage drama starring veteran actor Pete Edochie as a godly figure and Tony Umez as a man seeking divine answers to some of the nation’s trending issues like the Donald Trump proposed intervention on insecurity.

Nollywood stars Lateef Adedimeji and Tina Mba, along with 3 Cold Dishes, a movie co-produced by Afrobeats star and Grammys winner, Burna Boy, were among the biggest winners at this year’s award, which is the 21st edition that celebrates the achievements of Africa’s finest filmmakers and actors.

3 Cold Dishes emerged a major winner, taking ‘Best Nigerian Film’ and ‘Best Young/Promising Actor’ for Ruby Akubueze. Co-produced by Burna Boy and Osas Ighodaro, the multilingual thriller follows three women from Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, and Benin who reunite years after surviving human trafficking to seek revenge on their abusers.

Lateef Adedimeji took home the ‘Best Actor in a Leading Role’ for his performance in Lisabi: The Uprising, while Tina Mba won ‘Best Actress in a Supporting Role’ for her role in The Serpent Gift.

South Africa’s The Heart Is a Muscle, shone brightly, as it clinched the ‘Best Film’ award along with ‘Cinematography’, ‘Editing’, and ‘Best Debut Feature’ by director Imran Hamdulay. Burkina Faso’s Katanga: Dance of the Scorpions impressed, winning ‘Best Film in an African Language’, ‘Screenplay’, and ‘Costume Design’.

In his welcome remarks, AMAA’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Raymond Anyiam-Osigwe, commended African filmmakers for pushing the continent’s storytelling to global recognition. “We salute Nollywood and all creatives whose accomplishments have earned African cinema international recognition. Nigeria is vital and vibrant, but her finest contribution comes when she complements the whole through collaboration, not competition,” he said.