The 21st Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) nominations have been announced, spotlighting the continent’s finest cinematic achievements as filmmakers from eight nations vie for glory in the Best Film category.

Burkina Faso’s epic drama Katanga: Dance of the Scorpions leads the pack with an impressive 10 nominations, underscoring the rising influence of West African storytelling on the global stage.

Close behind is Nigeria’s historical actioner Lisabi: The Uprising, which secured seven nominations, affirming Nollywood’s enduring dominance in African cinema.

The nominations, revealed during a star-studded virtual ceremony hosted by actors of Nigerian descent, including Lilian Aluko, Emeka Ossai, Charles Inojie, and Adaora Anyanwu, celebrate innovation, cultural depth, and technical prowess across 26 categories.

From Burkina Faso’s gripping tale of rebellion to Uganda’s poignant Small Gods and South Africa’s introspective The Heart is a Muscle, the list reflects Africa’s diverse narrative voices.

Other strong contenders include Ethiopia’s For Love, For Land, For Power and Ghana’s Last Stop, each earning multiple nods in technical and performance fields.

Nollywood enthusiasts will be thrilled by Nigeria’s robust showing in the major categories, with homegrown talents poised for potential sweeps.

In the race for Best Film, two Nigerian entries stand out: 3 Cold Dishes, a pan-African thriller blending suspense and social commentary, and Lisabi: The Uprising, directed by Niyi Akinmolayan and chronicling the legendary Yoruba hero’s fight against colonial oppression. These films are up against international heavyweights like Katanga and Algeria’s Algiers.

For Best Director, Nigeria claims two of the eight slots: Niyi Akinmolayan for Lisabi: The Uprising, praised for his visceral action sequences and historical fidelity, and Asurf Oluseyi for 3 Cold Dishes, noted for its taut pacing and ensemble dynamics.

They will face stiff competition from Burkina Faso’s Dany Kouyaté (Katanga), South Africa’s Imran Hamdulay (The Heart is a Muscle), and Ethiopia’s Theodros Teshome.

In the acting arenas, Nigerian stars are bringing star power. Lateef Adedimeji earns a nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role as the titular warrior in Lisabi: The Uprising, delivering a tour-de-force performance that captures raw defiance and vulnerability.

He joins nominees like Burkina Faso’s Mahamadi Nana (Katanga) and South Africa’s Ayden Croy (Old Righteous Blues).

In the Best Actress pot, a trio of Nigerian powerhouses: Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman for her nuanced portrayal in The Serpent Gift, Shaffy Bello in the regal lead of The Masked King, and Osas Ighodaro as part of the ensemble in 3 Cold Dishes—a film that also nods to cross-cultural collaborations with Fat Toure and Maud Guerard. This category promises fierce rivalry with entries from Ethiopia, Uganda, and Algeria.

Beyond the majors, Nigeria’s footprint is evident elsewhere: Lisabi snagged nods for Achievement in Visual Effects and Make-Up, while 3 Cold Dishes contends in Cinematography and Editing. The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) Award for Best Nigerian Film pits Lisabi against fellow locals like Recall, Freedom Way, and The Serpent Gift.

See full list of nominations below:

EFERE OZAKO AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST

SHORT FILM

The Missing Piece – Kenya

Vandals – Mozambique

Echoes From The Past- Nigeria/UK

Abu Judy -Egypt

Chikha-Queen – Morrocco

MIA – Burkina Faso

Stigma – Tunisia

LEES WAXUL – Senegal

The last Harvest – Cape Verde

JUBRIL MALAFIA AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST

ANIMATION

Dawn – Cameroun

My Brother, My Brother- Egypt/France/Germany

The Travails of Ajadi – Nigeria

Nkizzi’s First Day – Uganda

Amara and the Spirit of Nyamagunda – Uganda

Monologue – Nigeria/UK

AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY

The Journey East – DRC

Double Minority – Nigeria

The Empty Grave – Tanzania/UK

Khartoum – Sudan/UK

Ancestral Visions of the Future -Lesotho/France/Germany

OUSMANE SEMBENE AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR

BEST FILM IN AN AFRICAN LANGUAGE

Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso

Small Gods – Uganda/UK

Lukas: Namibia

Lobola Man – South Africa

Lisabi: The Uprising

The Heart is a Muscle: South Africa

MICHAEL ANYIAM OSIGWE AMAA 2025 AWARD

FOR BEST FILM BY AN AFRICAN LIVING

ABROAD

Lemohang Jeremiah – Ancestral Visions of the

Future – Lesotho/France/Germany

Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions – Dany Kouyate (B/Faso)

Khartoum – Ibrahim Snoopy – Sudan

AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA SHORT

Cartes – USA

Superman Doesn’t steal – USA

Harvest – USA

AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA

DOCUMENTARY

The Billy Preston Story – USA

Carnival: ‘They Cant Steal Our Joy – Canada

Missing Rio Doce – Brazil/France

Rediscovering Fenon – USA/Algeria/Martinique

AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA

NARRATIVE FEATURE

Sisters Maid – Brazil

Romeo N Juliet 4EVA – Jamaica

The Model, The Mannequin and Me – USA

AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN

PRODUCTION DESIGN

Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions

The Heart is a Muscle

3 Cold Dishes

Last Stop

Red Circle

AMAA 2025 ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN

Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions

The Lost Days

The Masked King

The Serpent Gift

Hunting Jessica Brok

AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP

Spelonk

Lisabi: The Uprising

Amanayanbo

The Masked King

The Heart is a Muscle

AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN

SOUNDTRACK

Recall

Freedom Way

Old Righteous Blues

Kites

Le Point- The Bridge

AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN

VISUAL EFFECT

For Land, For Love, For Power

Lisabi

Spelonk

Hunting Jessica Brok

Amanayanbo: The Eagle King

AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND

Algiers

Old Righteous Blues

Le Point – The Bridge

Hunting Jessica Brok

Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso

AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN

CINEMATOGRAPHY

3 cold dishes

Old Righteous Blues

Spelonk

Small gods

For love, for land, for power

The Heart is a muscle

Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso

AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN

EDITING

For Love, For Land, For power

Spelonk

The Heart is a Muscle

3 Cold Dishes

Algiers

AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN

SCREEN PLAY

Old Righteous Blues

Le Point – The Bridge

For Love, For Land, For Power

Small Gods

Red circle

Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso

AMAA 2025 – NATIONAL FILM AND VIDEO CENSORS BOARD (NFVCB) AWARD FOR BEST NIGERIAN FILM

Lisabi: The Uprising

Recall

Freedom Way

The Serpent Gift

Amanayanbo

3 Cold Dishes

Red Circle

The Masked King

AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST YOUNG/ PROMISING ACTOR

Alejandro Cooper- Lukas

Turinayo Jatham – Small gods

Tiwalola Adebola-Walter – Freedom Way

Kisi Ogborueche – Kill Boro

Ruby Akubueze – 3 Cold Dishes

AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Kojo Boakye – Two of a Kind

Femi Jacobs – Freedom Way

Clemento Ashietey – Last Stop

Abdulai Saidu Kamara – Code of Honor

AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Zohra Chetioui – Le Point- The Bridge

Tina Mba – The Serpent Gift

Fadela Brown – Old Righteous Blues

Bukky Wright – Red Circle

AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Keenan Arrison – The Heart is a Muscle

KalkidanTessema – For love, for land, for power

Adjetey Anang – Last Stop

Lateef Adedimeji – Lisabi: The Uprising

Ayden Croy- Old Righteous Blues

Bizimana Hussain – Small Gods

Mahamadi Nana – Katanga: Dance of The

Scorpions -B/Faso

Nabil Asli – Algiers

AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman – The Serpent Gift

Analisa Munyana – Mucoma: The Battle of the Couple

Shaffy Bello – The Masked King

Danica De La Ray Jones- Hunting Jessica Brok

Tsigereda Bekele – For Love, For Land, For Power

Florence Mariserena – Small gods

Meriem Medjkane – Algiers

Osas Ighodaro, Fat Toure and Maud Guerard – 3 Cold Dishes

AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT FEATURE FILM BY A DIRECTOR

The Lost Days – Wingonia Ikpi

Small Gods- Asher Rosen

Algiers- Chakib Taleb-Bendiab

Kill Boro- Obayuwana Courage

The Heart is a Muscle – Imran Hamdulay

Freedom Way – Afolabi Olalekan

AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR

Niyi Akinmolayan- Lisabi: The Uprising (Nigeria)

The Heart is a Muscle – Imran Hamdulay (South Africa)

Asurf Oluseyi – 3 Cold Dishes (Nigeria)

Asher Rosen- Small Gods – (Uganda)

Theodros Teshome -For Love, For Land, For Power (Ethiopia)

Dany Kouyate – Katanga:

Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso

Kwabena Gwansah – Last Stop (Ghana)

Chakib Taleb-Bendiab – Algiers (Algeria)

AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST FILM

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 -B/Faso

Last Stop – Ghana

Lisabi: The Uprising (Nigeria)

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