The nominations for the 21st Africa Movies Academy Awards (AMAA) have been announced ahead of the 2025 edition.
The nominations 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 Nigerian media personality, Chris Kehinde Nwandu; Executive Director of the National Film and Videos Censors Board, Dr Shaibu Husseini; and former Lagos commissioner, Steve Ayorinde. Both Husseini and Ayorinde represented the AMAA jury at the event.
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The award nomination was announced to the media and the general public at the BON Hotel Ikeja Residence situated in Ikeja GRA, Lagos.
The nominations streamed live worldwide on AMAA online platforms, as well as the film academy’s digital platforms (Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and X).
Also gathered at the nominees unveil, 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, COO AMAA; Tony Anih, Teco Benson, Lancelot Imasuen and several others.
Burkina Faso’s ‘Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions’ dominated with 10 nominations while Nigeria’s ‘Lisabi’ earned seven (7) nominations.
For the highly anticipated AMAA for Best Actress in a leading role, Nigeria’s Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Osas Ighodaro, and Shaffy Bello will slug it out with Rwandan actress Analisa Munyana, South African actress Danica De La Ray Jones, Ethiopian actress Getahun Hailu, Florence Mariserena, and Algiers actress Meriem Medjkane.
The AMAA 2025 award for best actor in a leading role also features some of the best in Africa including Keenan Arrison for ‘The Heart is a Muscle,’ Debebe Eshetu for ‘For Love, for Land, for Power,’ Adjetey Anang for ‘Last Stop,’ Lateef Adedimeji for ‘Lisabi: The Uprising,’ Ayden Croy for ‘Old Righteous Blues,’ Bizimana Hussain for ‘Small Gods,’ Mahamadi Nana for ‘Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions and Nabil Asli for ‘Algiers.’
The AMAA 2025 award for best film has eight African countries competing for the award. The nominees as announced include ‘Algiers’ from Algeria, ‘3 Cold Dishes’ from Nigeria, ‘The Heart is a Muscle,’ from South Africa, ‘Small Gods,’ from Uganda, ‘For Love, For Land, For Power’ from Ethiopia, ‘Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions’ from Burkina Faso, ‘Last Stop’ from Ghana, and ‘Lisabi: The Uprising,’ representing Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, popular Nigerian actor and filmmaker, Charles Inojie and Teco Benson took turns to express confidence in the jury and award organisers as well as delight with the nominations.
Teco Benson, a multiple AMAA winner, noted that the 21st edition of AMAA would further raise the bar in not only the Nigerian film industry but the African film industry as a whole, after proving itself as one of the most laudable reward platforms for African film practitioners.
The 21st Africa Movie Academy Awards will be presented on November 9 at the Balmoral Convention Centre Ikeja, Sheraton in Ikeja GRA, Lagos, Nigeria.
