My Father’s Shadow Wins Best Overall Movie at AMVCA 2026 as Linda Ejiofor Claims Double Victory

The 12th Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) lit up Lagos on the evening of May 9, 2026, with a grand ceremony at the Eko Hotel and Suites celebrating the very best in African film and television.

While the drama on stage was unforgettable, the night belonged to two standout performers. Uzor Arukwe was crowned Best Lead Actor for his powerful role in the film “Colours of Fire”. In the women’s category, the talented Linda Ejiofor achieved a historic double win, taking home the Best Lead Actress award for “The Serpent’s Gift”. She also won the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “The Herd,” marking her as the first person to win both lead and supporting acting awards in the same evening.

The film “My Father’s Shadow” was the undeniable force of the evening, emerging as the biggest winner across multiple top categories. It won Best Overall Movie and earned its director, Akinola Davies Jr., the Best Director prize. It also secured victories for Best Cinematography, Best Sound Design, and Best Writing in a Movie.

The awards also placed a strong focus on celebrating stories told in African languages across the continent. The historical epic “Lisabi: A Legend Is Born” won Best Indigenous Language Film (West Africa). In East Africa, the award went to “Fikir” from Ethiopia. “Tlhaho Ya Mosadi” from South Africa won for the South African region. The North African winner was Sudan’s “Artal Alhanin: Our Memories”, while Cameroon’s “Mabanda” won for Central Africa.

The evening wasn’t just about handing out trophies. One of the most talked about moments was when comedian Bovi Ugboma and South African actress Nomzamo Mbatha recreated the viral onstage snub between Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham from a previous awards season. The playful reenactment brought the house down, referencing a real life rivalry that had captivated fans. Adding to the emotional weight of the night, actress Uche Montana broke down in tears while accepting her Trailblazer Award, a moment that resonated deeply with the audience. In a fitting tribute to a legendary career, veteran actress Sola Sobowale was presented with the Industry Merit Award.

The AMVCA 2026 was not just an awards show but a full celebration of African cinema. While fans celebrated the winners, conversations also turned to notable snubs, with many expressing surprise that Funke Akindele’s “Behind The Scenes” and content creator Taaooma did not win in their respective categories. Nonetheless, the night solidified the growing global influence of Nollywood and the richness of storytelling from across the African continent. The winners and the unforgettable moments from the ceremony will be discussed for many months to come.

Full List of AMVCA 2026 Winners by Category

· Best Supporting Actor
Bucci Franklin – To Kill A Monkey (Winner)
Lateef Adedimeji – Gingerrr
Simileoluwa Hassan – The Yard
Femi Branch – Owambe Thieves
Gabriel Afolayan – Colours Of Fire
Femi Adebayo – King Of Thieves 2
Lateef Adedimeji – Red Circle
Uzor Arukwe – Behind The Scenes

· Best Supporting Actress
Linda Ejiofor – The Herd (Winner)
Olamide Kidbaby – Oversabi Aunty
Bisola Aiyeola – Gingerrr
Nadia Dutch – Aljana
Sola Sobowale – The Covenant
Amal Umar – The Herd
Juliebrenda Nyambura – MTV Shuga Mashariki
Funke Akindele – Behind The Scenes

· Best Lead Actor
Uzor Arukwe – Colours Of Fire (Winner)
Lateef Adedimeji – Lisabi: A Legend Is Born
William Benson – To Kill A Monkey
Mike Ezuruonye – Oversabi Aunty
Kanayo O. Kanayo – Grandpa Must Obey
Khumbuza Meyiwa – Bet I Love You
Wale Ojo – 3 Cold Dishes
Femi Branch – Red Circle

· Best Lead Actress
Linda Ejiofor – The Serpent’s Gift (Winner)
Bimbo Akintola – To Kill A Monkey
Ifeoma Fafunwa – The Lost Days
Ariyike Owolagba – Something About The Briggs
Sola Sobowale – Her Excellency
Scarlet Gomez – Behind The Scenes
Genoveva Umeh – The Herd
Gloria Anozie-Young – Mother Of The Brides

· Best Director
Akinola Davies Jr. – My Father’s Shadow (Winner)
Tunde Kelani – Cordelia
James Omokwe – Osamede
Daniel Etim Effiong – The Herd
Yemi Filmboy Morafa – Gingerrr
Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi – 3 Cold Dishes

· Best Overall Movie
My Father’s Shadow (Winner)
Gingerrr
The Herd
3 Cold Dishes
The Serpent’s Gift
Behind The Scenes

· Best Digital Content Creator
Elozonam Ogbolu, Genoveva Umeh, Akwaman Destiny Ogie Osarewinda
Emmanuel Kanaga, Sophia Chisom (Winner)
Benedict Ehimare Oriaifo
Taaooma
Steve Chuks

· Best Cinematography
Jermaine Edwards – My Father’s Shadow (Winner)
Kabelo Thathe – To Kill A Monkey
Emmanuel Igbekele – The Herd
Daanong Gyang – Finding Nina
Emmanuel Igbekele – The Serpent’s Gift
KC Obiajulu – Stitches
Emmanuel Igbekele – Gingerrr

· Best Editing
Daniel Anyiam – To Kill A Monkey (Winner)
Kazeem Agboola – Cordelia
Omar Guzman Castro – My Father’s Shadow
Wanguma Peter Chidebere, Dele Doherty – Landline
Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi – 3 Cold Dishes
Winston Aig-Ohioma – Osamede

· Best Sound Design
Pius Fatoke, CJ Mirra – My Father’s Shadow (Winner)
Tolu Obanro – Gingerrr
Vaughan Phillips – Ben Made It
Tolu Obanro – The Party
Vaughan Phillips – Sebata: The Beast
Fisayo Adefolaju – The Herd

· Best Music Score
Xavier Ighorodje – Gingerrr (Winner)
Shirleen Wangari – Cards On The Table
Isaac Ayodeji – Suky
Tomi Adesina – 3 Cold Dishes

· Best Documentary
Beyond Olympic Glory (Winner)
The Good, The Bad of Afrobeat
The People Shall Not
Addressing This Anymore
BOU

· Best Scripted Series
Inimba (Winner)
To Kill A Monkey
The Yard
The Chocolate Empire
Kash Money

· Best Unscripted Series
Nigerian Idol (Winner)
The Real Housewives Of Lagos
Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa
Offair With Gbemi And Toolz
Out N’ About (Harar)

· Best Indigenous Language Film (West Africa)
Lisabi: A Legend Is Born (Winner)
The Serpent’s Gift
Labake
Olododo
Olorisha
Aljana

· Best Indigenous Language Film (East Africa)
Fikir (Winner)
Inside Job
Sayari Addis
My Son
Kimote

· Best Indigenous Language Film (South Africa)
Tlhaho Ya Mosadi (Winner)
Bet I Love You
Sebata: The Beast
Ben Made It
Terra Of Queens And Kuma 2

· Best Indigenous Language Film (North Africa)
Artal Alhanin: Our Memories (Winner)
The Omnipresent
The Delivery
The Hidden Voice
This Is Portsaid

· Best Indigenous Language Film (Central Africa)
Mabanda (Winner)
Safou: A Gift From Nature
Golden Spoon

· Best Short Film
Hussaini (Winner)
Fleas Rise
Telephone
My Body, God’s Temple

· Best Scripted M-Net Original
The Low Priest (Winner)
Adam to Eve
Mother of the Bride
The Yard
Bobo

· Best Unscripted M-Net Original
Nigerian Idol S10 (Winner)
Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa
Chapa Chapa
My Love
Out N About (Harar)
Undugu

· Best Indigenous M-Net Original
Inimba (Winner)
Kukoyi
Undugu
Out N’ About (Harar)
Kampala Creme
The Chocolate Empire
Mgbuka

· Trailblazer Award
Uche Montana (Winner)

· Industry Merit Award
Sola Sobowale (Winner)
Kanayo O. Kanayo (Winner)

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