Nigeria’s ‘3 Cold Dishes,’ co-produced by Afrobeats superstar, Damini Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy, and actress Osas Ighodaro, clinched the ‘Best Nigerian Film’ award.
Lateef Adedimeji’s historical epic ‘Lisabi: The Uprising’ won ‘Best Actor’, ‘Achievement in Makeup’ at the 2025 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA).
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The 21st Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), whose nominations were announced on 11 October, took place on Sunday night at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
Top wins
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At the award ceremony, the Burkinabè thriller ‘Katanga: Dance of the Scorpions’ and South Africa’s ‘The Heart is a Muscle’ emerged as the biggest winners, with the two films tied for the night’s highest honours, each taking home four awards.
‘Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions’ claimed ‘Best Director’ for Dany Kouyaté, ‘Achievement in Costume Design’, ‘Achievement in Screenplay’, and ‘Best Film in an African Language’, cementing its dominance as a pan-African favourite.
Moreover, ‘The Heart is a Muscle’ matched that feat with four major wins, including ‘Achievement in Cinematography’, ‘Achievement in Editing’, and the evening’s most coveted prize, ‘Best Film’, solidifying its place as one of the continent’s most technically accomplished productions.
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Nollywood
Nigeria’s ‘3 Cold Dishes’, a pan-African thriller co-produced by Damini and actress Osas Ighodaro, also made a strong showing, clinching the ‘Best Nigerian Film’ award. It also earned ‘Achievement in Production Design’, while its star, Ruby Akubueze, took home ‘Best Young/Promising Actor’.
Another Nigerian title, ‘Lisabi: The Uprising’ by Lateef Adedimeji, bagged two awards, ‘Best Actor and Achievement in Makeup’, which reaffirms Nollywood’s steady presence at Africa’s most prestigious film event.
Other notable win includes the Nigerian film, ‘Old Righteous Blues, which won ‘Achievement in Soundtrack’, adding to the evening’s musical celebration.
Award night
The night opened with a theatrical flourish, as veteran actor Pete Edochie appeared on stage in a divine role, seated between two angels.
“I created the African continent before the others. Our men and women run faster than all the other people in the world,” Mr Edochie said. His short performance with fellow actor Tony Umez set a dramatic tone for the evening.
AMAA founder Raymond Anyiam-Osigwe formally opened the ceremony, receiving 26 sealed envelopes containing this year’s winners from the 6-man jury.
The AMAA founder praised the posterity and unity the award academy has brought to Africa, saying it complements the rise of the continent’s movie industry.
“But as remarkable as Nigeria’s film industry is, we are reminded of a popular African adage that says a tree does not make a forest.
“Nigeria is a vital and vibrant member of our continent, but her finest contribution comes when she complements the whole when African nations rise together, through collaboration, not competition,” Mr Anyiam-Osigwe said.
The event was laced with electrifying musical performances from Afrobeat singer Made Kuti and the Godbless and Ebony Band, celebrating the fusion of film and music that defines African artistry.
Additionally, other diaspora honours went to ‘Superman Doesn’t Steal’ (USA) for ‘Best Diaspora Short’, and ‘Rediscovering Fenon’ (USA/Algeria/Martinique) for ‘Best Diaspora Documentary’. Find the complete list below.
FULL LIST:
Efere Ozako Award for Best Short Film
The Missing Piece – Kenya
Vandals – Mozambique
Echoes From The Past- Nigeria/UK
Abu Judy -Egypt
Chikha-Queen – Morocco
MIA – Burkina Faso
Stigma – Tunisia
Lee’s Waxul – Senegal – WINNER
The last Harvest – Cape Verde
Jibril Malafia Award for Best Animation
Dawn – Cameroun
My Brother, My Brother- Egypt/France/Germany – WINNER
The Travails of Ajadi – Nigeria
Nkizzi’s First Day – Uganda
Amara and the Spirit of Nyamagunda – Uganda
Monologue – Nigeria/UK
Best Documentary
The Journey East – DRC
Double Minority – Nigeria
The Empty Grave – Tanzania/UK
Khartoum – Sudan/UK – WINNER
Ancestral Visions of the Future -Lesotho/France/Germany
Ousmane Sembene Award for Best Film in an African Language
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso – WINNER
Small Gods – Uganda/UK
Lukas – Namibia
Lobola Man – South Africa
Lisabi: The Uprising – Nigeria
The Heart is a Muscle – South Africa
Michael Anyiam Odigwe Award for Best Film by an African Living Abroad
Lemohang Jeremiah – ‘Ancestral Visions of the Future’ -Lesotho/France/Germany – WINNER
‘Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions’ – (B/Faso)
Khartoum – Ibrahim Snoopy – Sudan
Best Diaspora Short
Cartes – USA
Superman Doesn’t steal – USA – WINNER
Harvest – USA
Best Diaspora Documentary
The Billy Preston Story – USA
Carnival: ‘They Can’t Steal Our Joy – Canada
Missing Rio Doce – Brazil/France
Rediscovering Fenon – USA/Algeria/Martinique – WINNER
Best Diaspora Narrative Feature
Sisters Maid – Brazil
Romeo N Juliet 4EVA – Jamaica – WINNER
The Model, The Mannequin and Me – USA
Award for Achievement in Production Design
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions
The Heart is a Muscle
3 Cold Dishes – WINNER
Last Stop
Red Circle
Achievement In Costume Design
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions – WINNER
The Lost Days
The Masked King
The Serpent Gift
Hunting Jessica Brok
Award for Achievement In Make-up
Spelonk
Lisabi: The Uprising – WINNER
Amanayanbo
The Masked King
The Heart is a Muscle
Award for Achievement In Soundtrack
Recall
Freedom Way
Old Righteous Blues – WINNER
Kites
Le Point- The Bridge
Award for Achievement In Visual Effects
For Land, For Love, For Power – WINNER
Lisabi
Spelonk
Hunting Jessica Brok
Amanayanbo: The Eagle King
Award for Achievement In Sound
Algiers – WINNER
Old Righteous Blues
Le Point – The Bridge
Hunting Jessica Brok
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso
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 – WINNER
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso
Award for Achievement In Editing
For Love, For Land, For power
Spelonk
The Heart is a Muscle – WINNER
3 Cold Dishes
Algiers
Award for Achievement In Screenplay
Old Righteous Blues
Le Point – The Bridge
For Love, For Land, For Power
Small Gods
Red circle
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso – WINNER
NFVCB Award for Best Nigerian Film
Lisabi: The Uprising
Recall
Freedom Way
The Serpent Gift
Amanayanbo
3 Cold Dishes
Red Circle
The Masked King
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
Award For Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Kojo Boakye – Two of a Kind
Femi Jacobs – Freedom Way
Clemento Ashietey – Last Stop – WINNER
Abdulai Saidu Kamara – Code of Honour
Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Zohra Chetioui – Le Point- The Bridge
Tina Mba – The Serpent Gift – WINNER
Fadela Brown – Old Righteous Blues
Bukky Wright – Red Circle
Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Keenan Arrison – The Heart is a Muscle
Debebe Eshetu – For love, for land, for power
Adjetey Anang – Last Stop- WINNER
Lateef Adedimeji – Lisabi: The Uprising – WINNER
Ayden Croy- Old Righteous Blues
Bizimana Hussain – Small Gods
Mahamadi Nana – Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso
Nabil Asli – Algiers
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
Getahun Hailu – For Love, For Land, For Power
Florence Mariserena – Small gods – WINNER
Meriem Medjkane – Algiers
Osas Ighodaro, Fat Toure, and Maud Guerard – 3 Cold Dishes
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
Award for Best Director
Niyi Akinmolayan- Lisabi: The Uprising (Nigeria)
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