Nigerian films To Adaego With Love, The Herd and Colours of Fire have emerged among the country’s leading contenders at the 22nd Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), securing 11, 10 and nine nominations, respectively.
The nomination list was announced on Saturday ahead of the awards ceremony scheduled for November 15, 2026, at the Lagos Marriott Hotel.
To Adaego With Love, directed by Nwamaka Chikezie, leads Nigeria’s entries with 11 nominations, while Daniel Etim-Effiong’s The Herd follows with 10. Colours of Fire secured nine nominations, further strengthening Nigeria’s presence at this year’s awards.
The three productions received recognition across several categories, including Best Film, acting and technical achievements, reflecting the range of Nigerian filmmaking represented in the competition.
At the continental level, Uganda’s Slum Bomber and Kenya’s One Woman, One Bra lead the overall nominations with 14 each. South Africa’s Theen Made It and Côte d’Ivoire’s Colours of Exile received 10 nominations apiece.
The Chief Executive Officer of AMAA, Raymond Anyiam-Osigwe, said the nominated productions showcased Africa’s cultural diversity, shared experiences and creative strength.
“The films nominated this year remind us that African stories are global stories, possessing the power to captivate, challenge, and inspire audiences anywhere in the world,” he said.
He added that the filmmakers had raised the standard of African cinema, commending their contributions to the continent’s film industry.
Representing the jury, the Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Dr Shaibu Husseini, also praised the awards and expressed confidence in the judging process.
Several Nigerian actors earned nominations in the leading and supporting acting categories.
Toyin Abraham received a nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Oversabi Aunty, alongside Osas Ighodaro for Colours of Fire and Faithia Balogun for Efunroye (The Unicorn).
Chisom Agoawuike was nominated for To Adaego With Love. Other contenders in the category include Sarah Karel for One Woman, One Bra, Deborah Kabongo for Rusambo, Jackline Nafula for Slum Bomber and Naku Sy Savane for Colours of Exile.
In the Best Actor in a Leading Role category, Etim-Effiong earned recognition for The Herd, while Wale Ojo was nominated for Light Out and Uzor Arukwe for Colours of Fire.
Other nominees include Maurice Carpede for The Trek, Ricky Adelayitar for The Fisherman, Marcus Mabusela for Ben Made It, Abdoulaziz Sall for Colours of Exile and Kang Quintus for Mabanda.
Nigeria also recorded nominations in the supporting acting categories. Linda Ejiofor was recognised for The Herd, Mercy Aigbe for Colours of Fire, Omowunmi Dada for Evi and Patience Ozokwo for Onobiren.
Dele Odule received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Iwe Ala, while Femi Branch was recognised for Colours of Fire, Bucci Franklin for The Creek and Bob-Manuel Udokwu for To Adaego With Love.
In the Best Film category, To Adaego With Love and The Herd will compete against seven other productions from across the continent.
The other nominees are South Africa’s The Trek and Ben Made It, Ghana’s The Fisherman, Côte d’Ivoire’s Colours of Exile, Uganda’s Slum Bomber, Kenya’s One Woman, One Bra and Cameroon’s Mabanda.
Nigeria’s presence is also evident in the Best Director category, where Chikezie received a nomination for To Adaego With Love and Etim-Effiong for The Herd. They will compete against filmmakers including Meekaaeel Adam for The Trek, Maureen Nankya for Slum Bomber and Zoey Martinson for The Fisherman.
Both Nigerian filmmakers are also nominated for Best Debut Feature Film by a Director.
The National Film and Video Censors Board Award for Best Nigerian Film features nine productions: Iwe Ala, To Adaego With Love, Colours of Fire, Suky, Efunroye (The Unicorn), The Herd, Cordelia, The Creek and Oversabi Aunty.
Meanwhile, the Ousmane Sembène Award for Best Film in an African Language includes Nigerian entries Iwe Ala and Efunroye (The Unicorn), alongside productions from Uganda, Cameroon, Kenya and South Africa.
Other Nigerian productions received nominations in documentary, short film and animation categories. They include Asaba Massacre, The Rhythm of Ancestors, Hurriyah, The Spectacular Death of Prisca, A Night With The Queen, The Plot and The Lion of Gwoza.
Additional Nigerian films recognised across various categories include Evi, Idia, Suky, Cordelia, The Creek and Oversabi Aunty.
The technical categories cover cinematography, editing, production design, costume design, make-up, soundtrack, sound, visual effects and screenplay. To Adaego With Love received nominations in several of these areas, including production design, costume design, soundtrack, sound and screenplay.
The documentary category features Nigeria’s Asaba Massacre and The Rhythm of Ancestors, alongside productions from Kenya, South Africa, Burkina Faso and Uganda. Nigerian entries also appear in the short film and animation categories, while the diaspora categories recognise narrative features, documentaries and short films produced beyond the continent.
The 22nd AMAA ceremony on November 15 is expected to bring together filmmakers, actors and other industry stakeholders to celebrate achievements in African cinema.
Organised by the Africa Film Academy, the Africa Movie Academy Awards recognise outstanding contributions to filmmaking across Africa and among people of African descent worldwide.
