In a pivotal move marking its 10th anniversary, the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) has abandoned public voting for key acting categories.
AMVCA Shifts to Jury Voting for Key Acting Categories
BY Fareedat Taofeeq
January 17, 2024
9:43 am
Breaking from tradition, the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) has announced its decision to use a jury rather than public votes to select winners in key acting categories for its 10th edition in 2024.
The shift comes in response to criticism that social media popularity has often overshadowed genuine acting talent. A handpicked jury will now decide Best Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress.
While the Best Actor and Actress categories will now be decided by a jury, eight categories will continue to involve audience voting. These include Best Scripted Africa Magic Original, Best Unscripted Africa Magic Original, Best Digital Content Creator, Best Indigenous Language (for West, East, and Southern Africa), Best Multichoice Talent Factory Film, and Best Indigenous Africa Magic Original.
The awards ceremony, slated to take place in Lagos, Nigeria, in May 2024, will see a total of 25 awards presented, including two special recognition accolades. To further enhance transparency and credibility in the judging process, Deloitte, known for its role in managing the “Big Brother Naija” voting process, has been enlisted to audit and verify the voting results.
The shift in the voting mechanism is not the only change in store for AMVCA’s 10th anniversary celebration. Busola Tejumola, the Head of Content and Channels West Africa at MultiChoice, confirmed the commencement of submissions for entries in a press release. Films and movies publicly exhibited or broadcast between December 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023, are eligible for submission, and the entry period is open from January 15 to February 14, 2023.
Tejumola expressed the organization’s commitment to reevaluating award categories, aligning with global trends, and ensuring a fair representation of talent. The changes will affect 16 categories, including Best Lead Actor and Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, Best Director, Art Direction, Cinematography, and Costume Design, among others.
As entertainment evolves, AMVCA’s voting changes signal a focus on merit-based recognition, setting new benchmarks for African cinema’s future.