Dance of The Scorpions,’ Nigeria’s ‘Lisabi’ are top contenders
The nominations for the 21st Africa Movies Academy Awards, AMAA, were announced on Saturday evening ahead of the 2025 edition.
African actors of Nigerian descent, including Lilian Aluko, Emeka Ossai, Charles Inojie, and Adaora Anyanwu, announced the nominations. Other dignitaries who announced the nominees include Nigerian media personality Chris Kehinde Nwandu, Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board, Shaibu Husseini, and former Lagos commissioner Steve Ayorinde. Both Husseini and Ayorinde represented the AMAA jury at the event.
The award nomination was announced to the media and the general public at the BON Hotel Ikeja Residence in Ikeja GRA, Lagos.
Also gathered at the nominees unveil, which was anchored by veteran Nollywood actor cum singer, Segun Arinze, include the AMAA board led by Raymond Anyiam-Osigwe, Mr George Anyiam-Osigwe, COO AMAA, Tony Anih, Teco Benson, Lancelot Imasuen and several others.
Top contenders
Burkina Faso’s ‘Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions’ dominated with 10 nominations, while Nigeria’s ‘Lisabi’ earned seven (7).
For the highly anticipated AMAA for Best Actress in a Leading role, Nigeria’s Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Osas Ighodaro, and Shaffy Bello will slug it out with Rwandan actress Analisa Munyana, South African actress Danica De La Ray Jones, Ethiopian actress Getahun Hailu, Florence Mariserena, and Algerian actress Meriem Medjkane.
The AMAA 2025 award for best actor in a leading role also features some of the best in Africa, including Keenan Arrison for ‘The Heart is a Muscle,’ Debebe Eshetu for ‘For love, for land, for power,’ Adjetey Anang for ‘Last Stop,’ Lateef Adedimeji for ‘Lisabi: The Uprising,’ Ayden Croy for ‘Old Righteous Blues,’ Bizimana Hussain for ‘Small Gods,’ Mahamadi Nana for Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions and Nabil Asli for ‘Algiers.’
Other highlights
Eight African countries are competing for the AMAA 2025 award for best film. The nominees, as announced, include ‘Algiers’ from Algeria, ‘3 Cold Dishes’ from Nigeria, ‘The Heart is a Muscle’ from South Africa, ‘Small Gods’ from Uganda, ‘For Love, For Land, For Power’ from Ethiopia, ‘Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions’ from Burkina Faso, ‘Last Stop’ from Ghana, and ‘Lisabi: The Uprising’ representing Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, popular Nigerian actor and filmmaker Charles Inojie and Teco Benson took turns expressing confidence in the jury and award organisers and delighting in the nominations.
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Teco Benson, a multiple AMAA winner, noted that the 21st edition of AMAA will further raise the bar in the Nigerian and African film industries after proving itself as one of the most lauded African film industries.
The 21st Africa Movie Academy Awards will be presented on 9 November at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Ikeja—Sheraton, Ikeja GRA, Lagos, Nigeria.
The full nominees
1. EFERE OZAKO AMAA 2025 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
2. JUBRIL MALAFIA AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATION
Dawn – Cameroun
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
3. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR 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
4. OUSMANE SEMBENE AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST FILM IN AN AFRICAN LANGUAGE
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso
Small Gods – Uganda/UK
Lukas – Namibia
Lobola Man – South Africa
Lisabi: The Uprising
The Heart is a Muscle – South Africa
5. MICHAEL ANYIAM OSIGWE AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST FILM BY AN AFRICAN LIVING ABROAD:
Lemohang Jeremiah – Ancestral Visions of the Future –
Lesotho/France/Germany
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions – Dany Kouyate (B/Faso)
Khartoum – Ibrahim Snoopy – Sudan
6. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA SHORT
Cartes – USA
Superman Doesn’t Steal – USA
Harvest – USA
7. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR 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
8. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA
NARRATIVE FEATURE
Sisters Maid – Brazil
Romeo N Juliet 4EVA – Jamaica
The Model, The Mannequin and Me – USA
9. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions
The Heart is a Muscle
3 Cold Dishes
Last Stop
Red Circle
10. AMAA 2025 ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions
The Lost Days
The Masked King
The Serpent Gift
Hunting Jessica Brok
11. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-
UP
Spelonk
Lisabi: The Uprising
Amanayanbo
The Masked King
The Heart is a Muscle
12. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN
SOUNDTRACK
Recall
Freedom Way
Old Righteous Blues
Kites
Le Point- The Bridge
13. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN
VISUAL EFFECT
For Land, For Love, For Power
Lisabi
Spelonk
Hunting Jessica Brok
Amanayanbo: The Eagle King
14. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND
Algiers
Old Righteous Blues
Le Point – The Bridge
Hunting Jessica Brok
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso
15. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN
CINEMATOGRAPHY
3 cold dishes
Old Righteous Blues
Spelonk
Small gods
For love, for land, for power
The Heart is a muscle
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso
16. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN
EDITING
For Love, For Land, For power
Spelonk
The Heart is a Muscle
3 Cold Dishes
Algiers
17. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN
SCREEN PLAY
Old Righteous Blues
Le Point – The Bridge
For Love, For Land, For Power
Small Gods
Red circle
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso
18. AMAA 2025- NATIONAL FILM AND VIDEO
CENSORS BOARD (NFVCB) AWARD FOR BEST
NIGERIAN FILM
Lisabi: The Uprising
Recall
Freedom Way
The Serpent Gift
Amanayanbo
3 Cold Dishes
Red Circle
The Masked King
19. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST YOUNG/
PROMISING ACTOR
Alejandro Cooper- Lukas
Turinayo Jatham – Small gods
Tiwalola Adebola-Walter – Freedom Way
Kisi Ogborueche – Kill Boro
Ruby Akubueze – 3 Cold Dishes
20. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A
SUPPORTING ROLE
1. Kojo Boakye – Two of a Kind
2. Femi Jacobs – Freedom Way
3. Clemento Ashietey – Last Stop
4. Abdulai Saidu Kamara – Code of Honor
21. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A
SUPPORTING ROLE
Zohra Chetioui – Le Point- The Bridge
Tina Mba – The Serpent Gift
Fadela Brown – Old Righteous Blues
Bukky Wright – Red Circle
22. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A
LEADING ROLE
Keenan Arrison – The Heart is a Muscle
Debebe Eshetu – 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 -B/Faso
Nabil Asli – Algiers
23. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A
LEADING ROLE
Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman – The Serpent Gift
Analisa Munyana – Mucoma: The Battle of the Couple
Shaffy Bello – The Masked King
Danica De La Ray Jones- Hunting Jessica Brok
Getahun Hailu – For Love, For Land, For Power
Florence Mariserena – Small gods
Meriem Medjkane – Algiers
Osas Ighodaro, Fat Toure and Maud Guerard – 3 Cold Dishes
24. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR 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
25. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR
Niyi Akinmolayan- Lisabi: The Uprising (Nigeria)
The Heart is a Muscle – Imran Hamdulay (South Africa)
Asurf Oluseyi – 3 Cold Dishes (Nigeria)
Asher Rosen- Small Gods – (Uganda)
Theodros Teshome -For Love, For Land, For Power (Ethiopia)
Dany Kouyate – Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso
Kwabena Gwansah – Last Stop (Ghana)
Chakib Taleb-Bendiab – Algiers (Algeria)
26. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR 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 -B/Faso
Last Stop – Ghana
Lisabi: The Uprising (Nigeria)