AMAA 2026: Two Nigerian Films Make Final Cut for Africa’s Best Film

By Emmanuel Kwada

Nigeria has strengthened its presence in African cinema, with To Adaego With Love, The Herd and Colours of Fire emerging as the country’s leading contenders at the 22nd Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), securing 11, 10 and nine nominations, respectively.

The nominations, announced on Saturday ahead of the awards ceremony scheduled for November 15, 2026, highlight the growing recognition of Nigerian filmmakers, actors and technical professionals across Africa’s competitive film industry.

Two Nigerian productions, To Adaego With Love and The Herd, will compete for the prestigious Best Film award against seven other films from across Africa.

Among the Nigerian entries, To Adaego With Love, directed by Nwamaka Chikezie, leads with 11 nominations, while Daniel Etim-Effiong’s The Herd follows closely with 10. Colours of Fire has also secured nine nominations, placing it among the country’s most recognised productions at this year’s awards.

The three films feature across major categories, including Best Film, acting, directing and technical achievements, underscoring Nigeria’s strong representation in the continental competition.

Two Nigerian productions, To Adaego With Love and The Herd, will compete for the prestigious Best Film award against seven other films from across Africa.

The contenders include 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.

The competition reflects the diversity of African filmmaking, with productions from different countries bringing their stories, cultural experiences and creative approaches to one of the continent’s most prominent film awards.

Nigerian filmmakers are also represented in the Best Director category, where Chikezie earned recognition for To Adaego With Love, while Etim-Effiong was nominated for The Herd.

Both directors are also among the nominees for Best Debut Feature Film by a Director, further strengthening Nigeria’s presence in the awards’ major categories.

AMAA chief executive Raymond Anyiam-Osigwe

Although the nominations place Nigerian productions among the leading contenders, the winners will be determined at the November ceremony.

Nigeria’s representation extends to the acting categories, with several established Nollywood performers receiving nominations for their work in different productions.

Toyin Abraham earned a nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Oversabi Aunty, alongside Osas Ighodaro for Colours of Fire, Faithia Balogun for Efunroye (The Unicorn) and Chisom Agoawuike for To Adaego With Love.

Other nominees in the category include Sarah Karel for Kenya’s One Woman, One Bra, Deborah Kabongo for Rusambo, Jackline Nafula for Uganda’s Slum Bomber and Naku Sy Savane for Côte d’Ivoire’s Colours of Exile.

In the Best Actor in a Leading Role category, Daniel Etim-Effiong received recognition for The Herd, while Wale Ojo was nominated for Light Out and Uzor Arukwe for Colours of Fire.

They will compete against 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’s entries also extend to documentary filmmaking, short films and animation.

Linda Ejiofor was recognised for The Herd, Mercy Aigbe for Colours of Fire, Omowunmi Dada for Evi and veteran actress Patience Ozokwo for Onobiren.

In the Best Supporting Actor category, Dele Odule received a nomination for Iwe Ala, Femi Branch for Colours of Fire, Bucci Franklin for The Creek and Bob-Manuel Udokwu for To Adaego With Love.

The nominations bring together established performers and other talents whose work continues to contribute to the development and visibility of African cinema.

Beyond acting and directing, Nigerian productions have received recognition in several technical categories, demonstrating the importance of the creative professionals who work behind the scenes to bring films to life.

To Adaego With Love features in categories including production design, costume design, soundtrack, sound and screenplay.

The Herd and Colours of Fire have also secured nominations in selected technical categories, including production design, sound, visual effects and screenplay.

These awards recognise the contributions of professionals responsible for the visual presentation, sound quality, storytelling, costumes and other production elements that shape the quality of a film.

Nigeria’s entries also extend to documentary filmmaking, short films and animation.

The documentary category includes Asaba Massacre and The Rhythm of Ancestors, while Nigerian-linked short-film entries include Hurriyah, The Spectacular Death of Prisca and A Night With The Queen.

In animation, The Plot and The Lion of Gwoza are among the nominated productions, providing further representation for Nigerian creative projects beyond conventional feature films.

Meanwhile, Iwe Ala and Efunroye (The Unicorn) are nominated for the Ousmane Sembène Award for Best Film in an African Language, alongside productions from Uganda, Cameroon, Kenya and South Africa.

The National Film and Video Censors Board Award for Best Nigerian Film also features nine Nigerian productions: Iwe Ala, To Adaego With Love, Colours of Fire, Suky, Efunroye (The Unicorn), The Herd, Cordelia, The Creek and Oversabi Aunty.

While Nigeria has secured substantial representation, other African countries have also emerged strongly in the nominations.

Uganda’s Slum Bomber and Kenya’s One Woman, One Bra lead the overall nominations with 14 each, according to the published list.

The nominated films reflected Africa’s cultural diversity, shared experiences and creative excellence.

South Africa’s The Trek and Ben Made It, as well as Côte d’Ivoire’s Colours of Exile, have also recorded strong performances, with 10 nominations apiece.

The spread of nominations across the continent highlights the growing competition among African filmmakers and the variety of stories being presented to audiences.

Speaking at the announcement, AMAA Chief Executive Raymond Anyiam-Osigwe said the nominated films reflected Africa’s cultural diversity, shared experiences and creative excellence.

He said African stories had the capacity to connect with audiences beyond the continent by engaging them through narratives that challenge, inspire and entertain.

Anyiam-Osigwe also praised the filmmakers for raising standards in African cinema.

Representing the jury, National Film and Video Censors Board Executive Director, Dr Shaibu Husseini, expressed confidence in the awards process.

The 22nd edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards is scheduled to hold on November 15, 2026, at the Lagos Marriott Hotel.

The strong showing by Nigerian films comes as Nollywood continues to play a significant role in Africa’s entertainment industry through film production, acting, distribution and digital content.

Recognition at continental awards can help draw attention to Nigerian productions, strengthen the profiles of filmmakers and actors, and create opportunities for wider distribution and collaboration.

However, nominations alone do not guarantee commercial success or international distribution. The industry’s long-term growth also depends on investment, effective distribution networks, intellectual property protection, professional training and sustainable financing for film production.

For Nigeria, the AMAA nominations provide an opportunity to showcase its creative talent while competing with filmmakers whose productions reflect different African societies and experiences.

With To Adaego With Love, The Herd and Colours of Fire leading the country’s nominations, attention will now turn to the November ceremony, where the winners will be announced.

The awards will ultimately reveal how Nigerian productions fare against their continental competitors and whether the country’s strong showing in the nominations translates into major wins.