The 12th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA 2026) concluded on Sunday night at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos, leaving behind memories and heartbreak.
Themed ‘Honouring Craft, Celebrating Culture’, the ceremony witnessed a historic transition in hosting as Bovi Ugboma and Nomzamo Mbatha took over from long-time host IK Osakioduwa.
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On Friday, head judge Joke Silva prepared AMVCA’s audience and film lovers in general for the shocks that may come.
“Well, I think awards, a lot of times, again, I will always say it, are subjective. And that is why we have a panel of judges. We have two sets of judges, so, as much as possible, we aggregate marks, since every film is graded. Hopefully, the prayer is always: ” May the best man win,” she said.
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Beyond the glamour, several aspects of the night either left viewers in stitches or sent them into deep thoughts
Below are some highlights of the AMVCA 2026.
Queen Atang’s bread dress
When the organisers announced the night’s fashion theme, little did they know that an outfit would make other guests crave Ewa Agoyin, a popular bean dish.
Perhaps the most stunning outfit of the night was the ‘bread dress’ worn by BBNaija’s Queen Atang and designed by Toyin Lawani, the CEO of Tiannah’s Place
The outfit, an evening gown, features a high neckline, adorned with gold spangles and intricate embellishments throughout.
From the trunk down, the outfit is fitted with actual loaves of bread, inspired by Queen’s bakery business, Switcakes & Desserts.
Reenacting Toyin Abraham/Funke Akindele snub
In March, two of Nollywood’s biggest producers, Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham, trended online after a snubbing incident.
A video of Funke ignoring Toyin at Iyabo Ojo’s film premiere went viral, sparking reactions.
In the video, Toyin was seen trying to greet Funke, but she didn’t respond; she kept her gaze elsewhere.
This prompted Toyin to post on her social media, “If I ever greet her again, call me Bastard”
That moment has now received renewed attention as hosts of AMVCA 20206, Bovi Ugboma and South African actress Nomzamo Mbatha reenacted the encounter.
In their version, Bovi is trying to present an award to Nomzamo, but she keeps snubbing him.
This led Bovi to utter the infamous statement, “If I ever present an award to you again, call me a bastard,” triggering laughter from the audience.
Biggest upset
With an award of this magnitude, upsets can only be expected. But nothing prepared the audience and movie lovers in general for the fact that Nollywood’s highest-grossing Nigerian film of all time would not win a single award.
This was the case for Funke Akindele’s ‘Behind the Scenes’.
Upon its December 2025 release, the film shattered Nigerian box-office records, becoming the fastest film in West Africa to cross ₦1 billion and the highest-grossing Nigerian film of all time, with over ₦2 billion in gross.
The film was nominated in the Best Lead Actress (Scarlet Gomez), Best Supporting Actor (Uzor Arukwe), Best Supporting Actress (Funke Akindele), Best Makeup (Mojisola Imam) and Best Movie categories.
Sadly, it won none of them.
Between Bovi and ‘Anikulapo’ star, Kunle Remi
It may have taken some time, but the show’s co-host had the perfect comeback for actor Kunle Remi.
In March, the ‘Aníkúlápó’ star took a swipe at the AMVCA while celebrating Michael B. Jordan’s Oscars win.
“So they engrave your name after you win! Right there. Take it home! If it’s AMVCA, all of you will share one for the night, then come back and collect it at the next award,” he said.
Midway into the night, Bovi took a detour to address Kunle’s misgivings, which many believe is caused by his missing out on receiving an award in the previous edition.
“By the way, all winners have their individual awards today. Shout out to Kunle Remi. Winners have always had their individual awards. But I understand, Kunle has never won one, so he wouldn’t know,” Bovi said.
Nana Akua Addo’s castle outfit
Still on the stunning outfits, Ghanaian actress Nana Akua Addo stole the show with her Gothic Architecture-inspired dress.
Titled ‘In My Mother’s House’, the outfit was designed by Abbaswoman and is inspired by the Gothic cathedrals of Cologne, Germany.
It features a complex, multi-tiered silhouette composed of numerous miniature, pointed cathedral spires and arched window motifs.
Linda Ejoifor’s clean sweep
For the first time in the 12 editions of the AMVCA, one person won both the ‘Best Actress’ and ‘Best Supporting Actress’ awards.
Linda Ejiofor won the two highly competitive categories: Best Lead Actress (‘The Serpent’s Gift’) and Best Supporting Actress (‘The Herd’).
“Lagos no dey carry last” – Sanwo-olu
As the night progressed, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu, drew applause when he established the bragging rights of the State, using the famed street lingo, “Lagos no dey carry last.”
In his speech, the governor urged the movie industry practitioners to keep raising the bar.
“But this is the message that I need to leave with all of you. All the great work you’re doing will amount to nothing if we let piracy take the shine out of us.
“We need to kill piracy in whatever form or shape. Because we want you all to be economically sound, to have the full economic benefit of your sweat,” he said.
He further promised that the Lagos State Government will continue to lend its support by creating policies and programs that will make the industry not just the best in Nigeria, not just the best in Africa, but the best in the world.
READ ALSO: AMVCA 2026: 15 female celebrity looks everyone is talking about (PHOTOS)
Bucci Franklin’s emotional speech
In December 2025, Nollywood star Bucci Frankiln announced the death of his mother, Joy Odurukwe.
This was seven days before the release of the critically acclaimed series, ‘To Kill a Monkey’.
His role in the title has now earned him the ‘Best Supporting Actor’ award, drawing tears from the actor as he received it.
“Seven days before To Kill a Monkey came out, I lost the most important person in my life. I lost my mom, my guardian angel, my prayer warrior, my best friend.
“I created a buzz for her by the special grace of God, but she didn’t get to watch it. Thank you, Jesus. I know my mom is throwing a party right now on my behalf,” he said, amidst tears.
