The 2026 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) nominations have put Uganda’s Slum Bomber and Kenya’s One Woman, One Bra at the front of this year’s race, with both films earning 14 nominations ahead of the ceremony scheduled for 15 November in Lagos, Nigeria.
Nigeria also has a strong presence in the nominations. Nwamaka Chikezie’s To Adaego With Love received 11 nominations, while Daniel Etim-Effiong’s The Herd secured 10. South Africa’s The Trek and Ben Made It, along with Cote d’Ivoire’s Colours of Exile, also earned 10 nominations each. Colours of Fire follows with nine.
The nominations for the 22nd edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards were announced during a livestream on the awards’ official YouTube channel. The selection brings together productions and film professionals from across Africa and beyond, reflecting the range of countries represented in this year’s competition.
The Best Film category features nine titles: The Trek from South Africa, To Adaego With Love from Nigeria, The Fisherman from Ghana, Colours of Exile from Cote d’Ivoire, Slum Bomber from Uganda, One Woman, One Bra from Kenya, The Herd from Nigeria, Ben Made It from South Africa and Mabanda from Cameroon.
The competition extends across directing, acting, screenwriting, cinematography, editing, sound, costume design, production design, makeup, visual effects, animation, documentary and short film categories. The nominations also recognise emerging performers and debut feature filmmakers, alongside films made in African languages.
Nigeria’s showing is particularly visible in the acting and technical categories, with performers including Wale Ojo, Uzor Arukwe, Faithia Balogun, Osas Ighodaro, Toyin Abraham, Mercy Aigbe and Patience Ozokwo among the nominees. The country’s films also appear across several craft categories, including screenplay, sound, production design and visual effects.
The Best Director category includes Maureen Nankya for Slum Bomber, Vincho Nchogu for One Woman, One Bra, Nwamaka Chikezie for To Adaego With Love and Daniel Etim-Effiong for The Herd. They will compete against Meekaaeel Adam for The Trek, Azlorabe Alaoui for Colours of Exile, Pheello Makosholo for Ben Made It, Kang Quintus for Mabanda and Zoey Martinson for The Fisherman.
The awards also place a spotlight on short films, animation and documentaries from different countries, with entries representing African productions and international co-productions. The Ousmane Sembene Award for Best Film in an African Language, the Efere Ozako AMAA Award for Best Short Film and the Jubril Malafia Award for Best Animation are among the categories included in the nominations.
The winners are due to be announced at the awards ceremony on 15 November 2026 at the Lagos Marriott Hotel. Until then, the nomination count gives Slum Bomber and One Woman, One Bra the joint lead, while To Adaego With Love, The Herd, The Trek, Ben Made It and Colours of Exile remain prominent contenders across multiple categories.
The full list of nominees is below.
Best Film
- The Trek – South Africa
- To Adaego With Love – Nigeria
- The Fisherman – Ghana
- Colours of Exile – Cote d’Ivoire
- Slum Bomber – Uganda
- One Woman, One Bra – Kenya
- The Herd – Nigeria
- Ben Made It – South Africa
- Mabanda – Cameroon
Best Director
- Meekaaeel Adam – The Trek (South Africa)
- Nwamaka Chikezie – To Adaego With Love (Nigeria)
- Azlorabe Alaoui – Colours of Exile (Cote d’Ivoire)
- Maureen Nankya – Slum Bomber (Uganda)
- Vincho Nchogu – One Woman, One Bra (Kenya)
- Daniel Etim-Effiong – The Herd (Nigeria)
- Pheello Makosholo – Ben Made It (South Africa)
- Kang Quintus – Mabanda (Cameroon)
- Zoey Martinson – The Fisherman (Ghana)
Best Actor in a Leading Role
- Maurice Carpede – The Trek
- Wale Ojo – Light Out
- Daniel Etim-Effiong – The Herd
- Ricky Adelayitar – The Fisherman
- Uzor Arukwe – Colours of Fire
- Marcus Mabusela – Ben Made It
- Abdoulaziz Sall – Colours of Exile
- Kang Quintus – Mabanda
Best Actress in a Leading Role
- Chisom Agoawuike – To Adaego With Love
- Sarah Karel – One Woman, One Bra
- Deborah Kabongo – Rusambo
- Faithia Balogun – Efunroye (The Unicorn)
- Jackline Nafula – Slum Bomber
- Osas Ighodaro – Colours of Fire
- Naku Sy Savane – Colours of Exile
- Toyin Abraham – Oversabi Aunty
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- Amos Leuka – One Woman, One Bra
- Dele Odule – Iwe Ala
- Samuel Kabugo – Slum Bomber
- Femi Branch – Colours of Fire
- Bucci Franklin – The Creek
- Bob-Manuel Udokwu – To Adaego With Love
- Maurice Carpede – The Trek
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
- Norng’aruani Kipuker – One Woman, One Bra
- Precious Nana – Mabanda
- Linda Ejiofor – The Herd
- Mercy Aigbe – Colours of Fire
- Zahra Elhawawi – Colours of Exile
- Omowunmi Dada – Evi
- Phumzile Kubheka – Ben Made It
- Patience Ozokwo – Onobiren
Best Debut Feature Film by a Director
- Daniel Etim-Effiong – The Herd
- Maureen Jolly Nankya – Slum Bomber
- Vincho Nchogu – One Woman, One Bra
- Meekaaeel Adam – The Trek
- Zoey Martinson – The Fisherman
- Angela Zivo Gapa – Rusambo
- Pheello Makosholo – Ben Made It
- Nwamaka Chikezie – To Adaego With Love
- Mohamed Ahmed – A Tribe Called Love
- Chinazaekpere Chukwu – Her Daughters’ Mother
Best Young/Promising Actor
- Muntaha Mohammed – A Tribe Called Love
- Abdou Aziz Dabak Salis – Colours of Exile
- James Solomon Damilare – Suky
- Osas Okonyon – Evi
- Dailma Mendes (Young Nana) – Hanami
- Leah Lindeque – The Trek
- Onyinye Odokoro – Oblation
- Ocen Daniel – Slum Bomber
- Azania Thella – Ben Made It
- Gbubemi Ejeye – Idia
Ousmane Sembene Award for Best Film in an African Language
- Slum Bomber – Uganda
- Iwe Ala – Nigeria
- Mabanda – Cameroon
- One Woman, One Bra – Kenya
- Ben Made It – South Africa
- Efunroye (The Unicorn) – Nigeria
Efere Ozako AMAA Award for Best Short Film
- The Last Miracle – Egypt/Germany/Sudan
- Demm – Senegal/Switzerland
- Taxi Moto – Rwanda/Switzerland
- Hurriyah – Nigeria
- Ashes of Accra – Ghana
- The Spectacular Death of Prisca – Nigeria/USA
- The Man, The Cliff and The Dog – South Africa
- A Night With The Queen – Nigeria/UK
- God Sleeps On Sunday – Zimbabwe
- Emanya – Namibia
Jubril Malafia Award for Best Animation
- The Plot – Nigeria/UK
- Ananse and The Divine Journey – Ghana/USA
- Sundrud – Mali/France/Belgium/Iceland
- Ana Fein W Geit Menein – Egypt
- The Lion of Gwoza – Nigeria
- The Shadow of a Griot (L’Ombre d’un Griot) – Cote d’Ivoire
Best Documentary
- Truck Mama – Kenya
- The Greatest Soul on Earth – South Africa
- Djeyha, Memory of Django – Burkina Faso
- Fosta – South Africa
- Asaba Massacre – Nigeria
- Chichen Ghetto – Uganda
- The Rhythm of Ancestors – Nigeria
- Ekitibiwa ky’olugbobo – Uganda
Achievement in Screenplay
- To Adaego With Love – Nigeria
- Slum Bomber – Uganda
- Colours of Exile – Cote d’Ivoire
- One Woman, One Bra – Kenya
- Onobiren – Nigeria
- The Herd – Nigeria
- Ben Made It – South Africa
Achievement in Cinematography
- The Trek – South Africa
- Colours of Exile – Cote d’Ivoire
- One Woman, One Bra – Kenya
- Slum Bomber – Uganda
- Hanami – Switzerland/Portugal/Cape Verde
- Cordelia – Nigeria
- Ben Made It – South Africa
Achievement in Editing
- Colours of Exile – Cote d’Ivoire
- Slum Bomber – Uganda
- Ben Made It – South Africa
- The Trek – South Africa
- Suky – Nigeria
- Evi – Nigeria
- One Woman, One Bra – Kenya
Achievement in Sound
- The Trek – South Africa
- Suky – Nigeria
- To Adaego With Love – Nigeria
- Colours of Fire – Nigeria
- Slum Bomber – Uganda
- Colours of Exile – Cote d’Ivoire
- Black Burn Fast – Nigeria
- One Woman, One Bra – Kenya
Achievement in Visual Effects
- The Creek – Nigeria
- Colours of Fire – Nigeria
- The Fisherman – Ghana
- Suky – Nigeria
- The Herd – Nigeria
Achievement in Costume Design
- The Fisherman – Ghana
- One Woman, One Bra – Kenya
- Iwe Ala – Nigeria
- Idia – Nigeria
- To Adaego With Love – Nigeria
- The Trek – South Africa
Achievement in Production Design
- To Adaego With Love – Nigeria
- Slum Bomber – Uganda
- The Herd – Nigeria
- Light Out – Nigeria
- Colours of Fire – Nigeria
- One Woman, One Bra – Kenya
- Cordelia – Nigeria
- The Creek – Nigeria
Achievement in Make-up
- Efunroye (The Unicorn) – Nigeria
- Colours of Fire – Nigeria
- Slum Bomber – Uganda
- Mabanda – Cameroon
- The Herd – Nigeria
- Suky – Nigeria
