The 12th Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards nominations landed on March 29, and within hours the celebration gave way to confusion. Filmmakers scrolled through the list, cinephiles argued in comment sections, and a familiar question resurfaced: what exactly are the rules anymore.
This year’s nominees, spread across 32 categories, reflect an industry that has exploded in ambition, scale, and output. Yet the awards meant to celebrate that growth seem to be struggling to keep up. A limited series is competing against feature films in technical categories. Two of the most critically praised films of the year received zero nominations. And the distinction between lead and supporting roles has become a source of heated debate, fuelled by the fact that some artistes appear in both categories in the same year.
The result is a nomination list that has left many wondering whether the AMVCA still knows what it wants to be.
The Film That Went Missing
Among the most talked-about snubs this year is Taiwo Egunjobi’s The Fire and the Moth. The film, a taut thriller about the smuggling of a priceless Ife Bronze head, was released on Prime Video in June 2025 to strong reviews. The Nollywood Reporter called it “three leaps forward for Egunjobi’s career” and praised its restrained dialogue and the biblical proverb anchoring the characters’ fatal pull toward the artefact. The reviewer wrote that the film “sows the wind and reaps the whirlwind” with a precision that makes it the director’s most potent social commentary yet.
Yet when the AMVCA nominations were announced, the film didn’t appear in any category: no Best Film, no Best Director. No acting nods. Nothing.
The absence is harder to explain because the film represents exactly the kind of storytelling awards bodies claim to want. And it is not the only acclaimed work left off the list. Last year’s ceremony saw a similar outcry when With Difficulty Comes Ease, one of the most celebrated Nigerian films of its year, was shut out of major categories. The pattern suggests a recurring disconnect between critical consensus and the AMVCA jury.
When Series and Films Share a Category
Beyond the snubs, the nomination list reveals a structural problem that has quietly grown over several editions. To Kill A Monkey, a limited series, is nominated in Best Scripted Series, which is appropriate. But it also appears in technical categories such as Best Cinematography, Best Sound Design, and Best Music Score, alongside feature films.
The AMVCA’s technical categories now place a multi-episode series, with its longer runtime and different production rhythms, in direct competition with standalone features. It raises a fundamental question: if the awards are going to combine formats, why have separate film and television categories at all?
The Herd, directed by Daniel Etim Effiong, leads this year with nine nominations. It is a feature film, and had a theatrical release on October 17, 2025. The Nollywood Reporter review called it “tense, brutal, and uncompromising,” praising Effiong’s direction and the performances of Genoveva Umeh, Linda Ejiofor, and Tina Mba. There is no confusion about the format of The Herd. But its presence in the same cinematography category as a series like To Kill A Monkey highlights the inconsistency of the current category structure.
The Lead vs Supporting Role Debate
On social media and in film circles, another conversation has taken hold. Several artistes appear in both lead and supporting categories in the same year, prompting accusations of strategic category placement.
Lateef Adedimeji is nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Red Circle and Best Lead Actor for Lisabi: A Legend Is Born. Sola Sobowale appears in Best Lead Actress for Her Excellency and Best Supporting Actress for The Covenant.
It is possible, within a single eligibility window, for an artiste to have genuinely delivered both a lead and a supporting performance. But the overlap has led many to question whether some category placements are strategic rather than accurate.
Critical Acclaim vs Nomination Success
A comparison of the nominated films against critical reviews reveals a striking gap. Gingerrr, which received multiple nominations, was praised for its performances but critiqued for structural issues. The Serpent’s Gift, also nominated, earned a review that noted its “strong premise and committed performances” but concluded that the film “slips between cultural storytelling and soap-like spectacle.”
Behind the Scenes, Funke Akindele’s December release, picked up several nominations. The Nollywood Reporter review was measured: it praised Scarlet Gomez’s performance and Akindele’s villainous turn. Still, it said the film “finds a relatable premise but settles for familiar shortcuts,” relying on “obvious morals, broad humour, and conflicts that resolve too neatly.”
In contrast, The Fire and the Moth received no nominations despite a review that called it a significant step forward for its director. The Herd did get nominations, aligning with its critical reception. My Father’s Shadow, which premiered at Cannes and won a Caméra d’Or special mention, earned seven nominations, suggesting the jury can recognise art-house successes when they fit a certain profile.
But the absence of The Fire and the Moth raises a harder question about what the jury is actually rewarding. When a filmmaker like Taiwo Egunjobi, whose work has drawn consistent critical praise, receives no recognition, the awards risk appearing disconnected from the industry they claim to champion.
What the Rules Say
According to the official AMVCA rules, there are 32 categories: 18 are decided by a jury and 11 by public voting. New categories were added this year to expand Pan-African representation, including Best Indigenous Language – North Africa and Best Indigenous Language – Central Africa. The eligibility window covered films and TV series broadcast or screened between January 1 and December 31, 2025.
The jury is led by Nollywood icon Joke Silva, who succeeded Femi Odugbemi as Head Judge. The guidelines state that the jury is responsible for vetting submissions, ensuring eligibility, and selecting nominees based on artistic and technical merit. But the rules are less clear on how format classification is enforced. Submissions are made online, and it appears that filmmakers themselves choose which categories to enter.
That freedom, while seemingly inclusive, may be the root of the problem. When a series is entered in both film and television categories, the jury’s role is to evaluate the work, not to reclassify it. So if no one at the entry stage flags the format mismatch, the nominations proceed as submitted. The result is a list that reflects what filmmakers wanted to compete for, not necessarily a consistent application of category definitions.
A Platform Outgrowing Its Structure
The AMVCA was created at a time when Nollywood was still finding its footing. The categories were straightforward, the format distinctions clear. But today’s industry is radically different. Streaming platforms have blurred the line between film and television. Limited series have become prestige projects. Production values have risen across the board. And the awards have expanded their Pan-African reach, adding new categories each year to keep up.
But expansion without structural reform creates chaos. When a platform tries to be everything to everyone, it risks losing coherence. This year’s nominations feel like a symptom of that drift. The rules are there, but their application has become inconsistent. The jury is respected, but its decisions are increasingly questioned. The categories have multiplied, but they no longer map neatly onto the work being made.
What Needs to Change
If the AMVCA wants to remain the definitive awards platform for African film and television, it must address three things.
First, format classification must be enforced at the entry stage, not left to filmmakers to decide. A clear definition of what constitutes a film versus a television series would eliminate the category confusion that has plagued this year’s list.
Second, the jury’s deliberations should be more transparent. Not in a way that compromises their independence, but enough to assure the industry that the process is consistent and fair. A brief statement on why high-profile projects like The Fire and the Moth were overlooked is the minimum the industry deserves.
Third, the acting categories need clearer guidelines on what constitutes a lead versus a supporting role. The current ambiguity invites strategic submissions and fuels unnecessary controversy. A rule anchored in screen time or narrative function would remove the guesswork entirely.
The Bigger Question
For now, the conversation around the AMVCA nominations is not just about who was nominated and who was snubbed. It is about what the awards represent. When a filmmaker like Taiwo Egunjobi, whose work has drawn critical acclaim, is left off the list, the message sent to emerging directors is confusing. When a limited series competes against feature films in technical categories, the integrity of those categories is diluted.
The AMVCA has grown into a continental institution. That growth matters. But if the confusion around this year’s nominations is treated as acceptable noise rather than a structural failure, the awards risk meaning less each year – not because African cinema has declined, but because the platform measuring it has stopped keeping up.