The 12th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards was held on May 9, 2026, at the Eko Hotel and Suites Convention Centre, under the evolving partnership between Canal+ and MultiChoice, bringing together the biggest names in African film, television, and entertainment for a night of celebrating cinematic excellence and storytelling across the continent.
Hosted by Nomzamo Mbatha and Bovi, the ceremony opened with the Best Costume Design category, where Valerie Okeke won for Colours of Fire.
Among the biggest winners of the night was My Father’s Shadow, which secured five awards, including Best Movie, Best Director for Akinola Davies Jr., Best Writing Movie for Wale Davies and Akinola Davies, Best Sound Design, and Best Score/Music.
Colours of Fire also emerged as one of the night’s standout productions, earning three awards, including Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction for Ajamolaya Bunmi and Yakub Oladejo, and Best Lead Actor for Uzor Arukwe.
Similarly, To Kill a Monkey snagged multiple wins, taking home Best Cinematography for Kabelo Thathe, Best Editing for Daniel Anyiam, and Best Supporting Actor for Bucci Franklin.
In the acting categories, Linda Ejiofor earned two awards, winning Best Lead Actress for The Serpent’s Gift and Best Supporting Actress for The Herd.
Other major winners included Hakeem Onilogbo (Hakeem Effect) for Best Makeup for Lisabi, while MTV Shuga Mashariki won Best Writing TV Series.
The awards also celebrated storytelling across Africa’s indigenous language categories, with Lisabi winning Best Indigenous Language (West Africa), Leul Addis Fikir winning East Africa, Tlhaho Ya Mosadi taking Southern Africa, Our Memories, Areal Alhanin winning North Africa, and Mabanda emerging winner in Central Africa.
In television and digital categories, Inimba secured two awards for Best Indigenous M-Net Original and Best Scripted Series, while Nigerian Idol Season 10 won Best Unscripted M-Net Original. Out and About emerged as the winner of Best Unscripted Series, while Leave to Live by Sophia Chisom and Emmanuel Kanaga won Best Digital Content Creator.
The Best Documentary award went to Beyond Olympic Glory by Shedrack Salami, while Hussaini, by Josh Olaoluwa and Orire Nwani, won Best Short Film. MTN also rewarded the winners with a ₦5 million cash prize in recognition of their achievement.
Beyond the awards, the ceremony featured memorable performances from Fave, Tiwa Savage, and BNXN, while Purp (Nigerian Idol Season 10 winner) delivered a moving memorial performance in honour of industry figures who passed away.
Veteran actors Sola Sobowale and Kanayo O. Kanayo received the Industry Merit Award for their contributions to the African film industry, while Uche Montana was honoured with the Trailblazer Award.
Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, also addressed guests during the ceremony, commending Canal+ and the organisers for sustaining the platform and celebrating African creativity.
“If you don’t win tonight, you can win next year because it is not just about winning alone. Even being nominated is a big achievement,” he said, adding that the AMVCA would continue to grow bigger with each edition.
With its blend of entertainment, recognition, and cultural celebration, AMVCA 12 once again reinforced its position as one of Africa’s most prestigious platforms celebrating excellence in African film and television.