The Africa Film Academy (AFA), organisers of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), have announced nominees for its 2025 edition.
The nomination list was unveiled on Saturday during a press briefing at BON Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
Burkina Faso’s ‘Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions’ leads the pack with 10 nominations, followed by Nollywood’s ‘Lisabi’, which secured seven.
For the best film category, eight African countries will slug it out, including Algeria’s ‘Algiers’, Nigeria’s ‘3 Cold Dishes’ and ‘Lisabi: The Uprising’, and South Africa’s ‘The Heart is a Muscle’.
Others are Uganda’s ‘Small Gods’, Ethiopia’s ‘For Love, For Land, For Power’, Burkina Faso’s ‘Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions’, and Ghana’s ‘Last Stop’.
See the full nominations below:
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
The last Harvest – Cape Verde
Jibril Malafia 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
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 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 – Nigeria
The Heart is a Muscle – South Africa
Michael Anyiam Odigwe Award for Best Film by an African Living Abroad
‘Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions’ – (B/Faso)
Khartoum – Ibrahim Snoopy – Sudan
Best Diaspora Short
Cartes – USA
Superman Doesn’t steal – USA
Harvest – USA
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
Best Diaspora Narrative Feature
Sisters Maid – Brazil
Romeo N Juliet 4EVA – Jamaica
The Model, The Mannequin and Me – USA
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions
The Heart is a Muscle
3 Cold Dishes
Last Stop
Red Circle
Achievement In Costume Design
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions
The Lost Days
The Masked King
The Serpent Gift
Hunting Jessica Brok
Award for Achievement In Make-up
Lisabi: The Uprising
Amanayanbo
The Masked King
The Heart is a Muscle
Award for Achievement In Soundtrack
Recall
Freedom Way
Old Righteous Blues
Kites
Le Point- The Bridge
Award for Achievement In Visual Effect
For Land, For Love, For Power
Lisabi
Spelonk
Hunting Jessica Brok
Amanayanbo: The Eagle King
Award for Achievement In Sound
Algiers
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
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso
Award for Achievement In Editing
For Love, For Land, For power
Spelonk
The Heart is a Muscle
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
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
Abdulai Saidu Kamara – Code of Honor
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
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
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
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 P
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)
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)
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)”
The 21st edition of the awards ceremony will be held on November 9 at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Ikeja, Lagos.
