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The 21st Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) are officially underway, as the full list of nominations for 2025 was unveiled in an exclusive ceremony attended by members of the press and prominent veterans of the African film industry.
The event, moderated by Nigerian actor Segun Arinze, spotlighted the continent’s brightest cinematic talents and showcased a rich variety of stories from across Africa and the diaspora.
Emerging as the frontrunner this year is Burkina Faso’s Katanga: Dance of the Scorpions, racking up numerous nominations across major categories, including Best Film, Best Director, and several technical fields. Hot on its heels are South Africa’s The Heart is a Muscle, Nigeria’s historical epic Lisabi: The Uprising , and the soon-to-be-released 3 Cold Dishes.
Nigerian cinema maintains a strong showing in this year’s competition, with a lineup led by Lisabi, 3 Cold Dishes, Red Circle, Freedom Way, Amanyanabo, and The Masked King. These titles secured nominations across acting, production, and screenplay categories, showcasing the industry’s diversity and growing global appeal.
Full List of 2025 AMAA Nominations (27 Categories):
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
LEES WAXUL – Senegal
The Last Harvest – Cape Verde
Jubril Malafia AMAA 2025 Award For Best Animation
Dawn – Cameroon
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 – Burkina Faso
Small gods – Uganda/UK
Lukas – Namibia
Lobola Man – South Africa
Lisabi: The Uprising – Nigeria
The Heart is a Muscle – South Africa
Michael Anyiam Osigwe Award For Best Film By An African Living Abroad
Lemohang Jeremiah – Ancestral Visions of the Future – Lesotho/France/Germany
Dany Kouyate – Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions – Burkina Faso
Ibrahim Snoopy – Khartoum – Sudan
Best Diaspora Short
Cartes – USA
Superman Doesn’t Steal – USA
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
Best Diaspora Narrative Feature
Sisters Maid – Brazil
Romeo N Juliet 4EVA – Jamaica
The Model, The Mannequin and Me – USA
Achievement in Production Design
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’s Gift
Hunting Jessica Brok
Achievement in Makeup
Spelonk
Lisabi: The Uprising
Amanyanabo
The Masked King
The Heart is a Muscle
Achievement in Soundtrack
Recall
Freedom Way
Old Righteous Blues
Kites
Le Point – The Bridge
Achievement in Visual Effects
For Land, For Love, For Power
Lisabi
Spelonk
Hunting Jessica Brok
Amanyanabo: The Eagle King
Achievement in Sound
Algiers
Old Righteous Blues
Le Point – The Bridge
Hunting Jessica Brok
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions
Achievement in Cinematography
3 Cold Dishes
Old Righteous Blues
Spelonk
Small gods
For Land, For Love, For Power
The Heart is a Muscle
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions
Achievement in Editing
For Love, For Land, For Power
Spelonk
The Heart is a Muscle
3 Cold Dishes
Algiers
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
NFVCB Award For Best Nigerian Film
Lisabi: The Uprising
Recall
Freedom Way
The Serpent’s Gift
Amanyanabo
3 Cold Dishes
Red Circle
The Masked King
Best Young/Promising Actor
Alejandro Cooper – Lukas
Turinayo Jatham – Small gods
Tiwalola Adebola-Walter – Freedom Way
Kosi Ogborueche – Kill Boro
Ruby Akubueze – 3 Cold Dishes
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
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Zohra Chetioui – Le Point – The Bridge
Tina Mba – The Serpent’s Gift
Fadela Brown – Old Righteous Blues
Bukky Wright – Red Circle
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Keenan Arrison – The Heart is a Muscle
Kalkidan Tessema – 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
Nabil Asli – Algiers
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman – The Serpent’s Gift
Analisa Munyana – Mucoma: The Battle of the Couple
Shaffy Bello – The Masked King
Danica De La Ray Jones – Hunting Jessica Brok
Tsigereda Bekele – For Love, For Land, For Power
Florence Mariserena – Small gods
Meriem Medjkane – Algiers
Osas Ighodaro, Fat Toure, Maud Guerard – 3 Cold Dishes
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
Best Director
Niyi Akinmolayan – Lisabi: The Uprising (Nigeria)
Imran Hamdulay – The Heart is a Muscle (South Africa)
Asurf Oluseyi – 3 Cold Dishes (Nigeria)
Asher Rosen – Small gods (Uganda)
Theodros Teshome – For Love, For Land, For Power (Ethiopia)
Dani Kouyate – Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions (Burkina Faso)
Kwabena Gwansah – Last Stop (Ghana)
Chakib Taleb-Bendiab – Algiers (Algeria)
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 – Burkina Faso
Last Stop – Ghana
Lisabi: The Uprising – Nigeria
The AMAA 2025 awards night will take place on November 9.
Source: TheNet.ng | Read the Full Story…
