Nigeria’s film industry scored big at this year’s Africa Movie Academy Awards as Lisabi: The Uprising and 3 Cold Dishes bagged multiple nominations across major categories, including Best Film and Best Director.
The 21st edition of the awards, which celebrate excellence in African cinema, was announced during a virtual ceremony hosted by Nigerian actors Lilian Aluko, Emeka Ossai, Charles Inojie and Adaora Anyanwu on Saturday.
Leading the nominations is Burkina Faso’s Katanga: Dance of the Scorpions, with ten nods, followed by Nigeria’s Lisabi: The Uprising, which picked up seven.
The historical epic, directed by Niyi Akinmolayan, retells the story of Yoruba warrior Lisabi and his resistance against colonial oppression.
3 Cold Dishes, a pan-African thriller directed by Asurf Oluseyi, also features prominently with nominations for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Cinematography, among others.
Below is the full list of nominations:
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 – Morrocco
MIA – Burkina Faso
Stigma – Tunisia
LEES WAXUL – Senegal
The last Harvest – Cape Verde
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
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
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
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
AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA SHORT
Cartes – USA
Superman Doesn’t steal – USA
Harvest – USA
AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA DOCUMENTARY
The Billy Preston Story – USA
Carnival: ‘They Cant Steal Our Joy – Canada
Missing Rio Doce – Brazil/France
Rediscovering Fenon – USA/Algeria/Martinique
AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA NARRATIVE FEATURE
Sisters Maid – Brazil
Romeo N Juliet 4EVA – Jamaica
The Model, The Mannequin and Me – USA
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
AMAA 2025 ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions
The Lost Days
The Masked King
The Serpent Gift
Hunting Jessica Brok
AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP
Spelonk
Lisabi: The Uprising
Amanayanbo
The Masked King
The Heart is a Muscle
AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUNDTRACK
Recall
Freedom Way
Old Righteous Blues
Kites
Le Point- The Bridge
AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECT
For Land, For Love, For Power
Lisabi
Spelonk
Hunting Jessica Brok
Amanayanbo: The Eagle King
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
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
AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING
For Love, For Land, For power
Spelonk
The Heart is a Muscle
3 Cold Dishes
Algiers
AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SCREENPLAY
Old Righteous Blues
Le Point – The Bridge
For Love, For Land, For Power
Small Gods
Red circle
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso
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
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
AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Kojo Boakye – Two of a Kind
Femi Jacobs – Freedom Way
Clemento Ashietey – Last Stop
Abdulai Saidu Kamara – Code of Honor
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
AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Keenan Arrison – The Heart is a Muscle
KalkidanTessema – 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
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
Tsigereda Bekele – For Love, For Land, For Power
Florence Mariserena – Small gods
Meriem Medjkane – Algiers
Osas Ighodaro, Fat Toure and Maud Guerard – 3 Cold Dishes
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
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)
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)
The AMAA, founded in 2005, is one of Africa’s most prestigious film honours, spotlighting creativity and storytelling from across the continent and the diaspora.
