The 2023 Winners Of The Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) Are Revealed

Sunday, October 29, 2023, saw the 19th Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) held at the Balmoral Convention Centre in Ikeja, Lagos. At the awards ceremony, which brought together filmmakers from all around the world, the finest of African cinema was honored.

Richard Ato Turkson, Nancy Isime, and Rahama Sadau hosted the awards ceremony. “Anikulapo,” which took home the Ousmane Sembene Award for Best Film in an African Language, is one of the winners this year. Directed by Kunle Afolayan, the movie is a historical epic featuring Kunle Remi, Sola Sobowale, and Bimbo Ademoye.

The Michael Anyiam Osigwe Award for Best Film by an African-Born Director Living Abroad went to Jude Idada, the director of “KOFA.” The Jubril Malaifia Award for Best Animation went to “Jabari,” an engrossing animated feature from a Ghana-based animation studio.

A standout movie that was nominated for twelve times was “Mami Wata” by C.J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi, which won awards for Best Film in an African Language, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Screenplay, and Best Director.

In the category of best actor and actress in a leading role, Nigeria received five nominations for the 2023 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). Additionally, Tobi Bakre, a former cast member of BBNaija and actor in Nollywood, won the AMAA’s Best Actor in a Leading Role award.

Here’s the full list of winners:

Efere Ozaka Award For Best Short Film

Lions (Ethiopia) – Winner

Riel (Namibia)

Enmity Djin (Mauritania)

 

Jubril Malaifia Award For Best Animation

Lost (Uganda)

Azania Rises (South Africa)

Jabari (Ghana) – Winner

Bashorum Gaa (Nigeria)

 

Best Documentary

Africa Cradle of Humanity and Modern Civilization (Senegal/Canada)

Nightlife in Lasgidi (Nigeria)

Maayo Wonaa Keerol – The River is not a Border (Senegal)

Ifine (Beauty) (Sierra Leone)

Le Spectre de Boko Haram (Cameroon) – Winner

 

Ousmane Sembene Award For Best Film In An African Language

Pusha Pressa Phanda (South Africa)

Anikulapo (Nigeria) – Winner

The Kitera Chronicle (Uganda)

Four Walls (South Africa)

Mami Wata (Nigeria)

 

Michael Anyiam Osigwe Award For Best Film By An African-Born Director Living Abroad

Talia’s Journey (Senegal/Belgium) – Christophe Rolin

Golden Stripes (Nigeria/UK) – Peace Osigbe

KOFA (Nigeria/Canada) – Jude Idada – Winner

 

Best Diaspora Short Film

We Were Meant To (United States) – directed by Tari Wariebi

The Ballad of Olive Morris (United Kingdom) – directed by Alex Kayode-Kay

Fifty-Four Days (United Kingdom) – directed by Cat White and Phoebe Torrance

Raw Materials (Jamaica) – Directed by Sosiessia Nixon – Winner

 

Best Diaspora Documentary

Sound of the Police (United States) – Directed by Stanley Nelson – Winner

Fantastico Negrito – Have You Lost Your Mind Yet (United States) – directed by Yvan Iturriaga and Francisco Nuñez

Black Rio (Brazil) – directed by Fernando Sousa and Gabriel Barbosa

 

Best Diaspora Narrative Feature

Cheese (Trinidad & Tobago) – directed by Damian Marcano

Our Father, The Devil (United States) – Directed by Ellie Foumbi – Winner

The Pastor and the Revolutionary (Brazil) – directed by José Eduardo Belmonte

 

Best Achievement in Production Design

Pat Nebo – Anikulapo – Nigeria – Winner

Eve Martin – Omen – DRC

Sira – Burkina Faso

Antoine Nshimiyimana – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda

Chantel Carter – Gereza – South Africa

 

Best Achievement in Costume Design

Bunmi Demilola Fashina – Mami Wata – Nigeria

Toyin Bifarin Ogundeji – Anikulapo – Nigeria

Millicent Jack – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria

Djibril Drame – Xalé – Senegal – Winner

Elkehoste and Baloji Omen – DRC

Sidi Ouedraogo Sira – Burkina Faso

 

Best Achievement in Make-Up

Campell Precious Arebamen – Mami Wata – Nigeria – Winner

Hakeem Effect and Toyin Bifarin Ogundeji – Anikulapo – Nigeria

Lila Vander Elst – Omen – DRC

Our Lady of the Chinese Shop – Angola

Omowunmi Okungbure – Gangs of Lagos – Nigeria

 

Best Achievement in Soundtrack

Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda – Winner

L’Axe Lourd (The Highway) – Cameroon

Gereza – South Africa

Omen – DRC

Obinna Arua – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria

 

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

Andrej Gregori, Voranc Kumar, Ziga Radulji -Omen – DRC

Alexandre Dachkevitch – Mami Wata – Nigeria

Josh Borrill – The Trade – Nigeria

Emmanuel Bassey – Gangs of Lagos – Nigeria – Winner

 

Best Achievement in Sound

Juliana Oswald – Our Lady of the Chinese Shop – Angola

Vianney Aube – Sira – Burkina Faso – Winner

Erik Griekspoor – Omen – DRC

Samy Bardet – Mami Wata – Nigeria

Michel Tsagli – Xalé – Senegal

 

Best Achievement in Cinematography

Lilis Soares – Mami Wata – Nigeria – Winner

Joachim Philippe – Omen – DRC

Richard Henkels – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda

Thomas Wilski – Talia’s Journey – Senegal/Belgium

Eduardo Kropotkine – Our Lady of the Chinese Shop – Angola

 

Best Achievement in Editing

Nathan Delannoy – Mami Wata – Nigeria

Bertrand Conard – Omen – DRC – Winner

Sylvie Gadner – Sira – Burkina Faso

Layla Swart – Gereza

Madhew Leutwyler – Fight Like a Girl

 

Best Achievement in Screenplay

C.J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi – Mami Wata – Nigeria

Ufuoma MeHHri – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria

Moussa Sene Absa, Pierre Magny, Ben Diogay Beye – Xalé – Senegal – Winner

Madhew Leutwyler – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda

 

National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVB) Award for Best Nigerian Film

Mami Wata – Winner

Anikulapo

4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four)

Gangs of Lagos

The Trade

L.I.F.E.

Brotherhood

 

Best Young/Promising Actor

Maleek Sanni – Gangs of Lagos – Winner

Ewube -L’axe Lourd (The Highway

Darisimi Nadi – Obara’m

Sanou Titiama – Le chant des fusils (The Song of the Rifle

Eyiyemi Afolyan – Anikulapo

 

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Francis Onwuchei – The Trade – Nigeria

Jeff Jackson – Four Walls – South Africa

Hakeem Kae-Kazim – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda

Jimmy-Jean Louis – Rise – Winner

 

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Uzoamaka Aniunoh – Mami Wata – Nigeria

Rokhaya Niang – Xalé – Senegal – Winner

Clarck Natmbwe – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda

 

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Richard Mofe Demalo – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria

Marc Zunga – Omen – DRC

Fenando Kamugisha – The Fallen Advocate –Uganda

Tobi Bakre – Brotherhood – Nigeria – Winner

Justine Murichii – Shimoni – Kenya

Mike Danon – Sira – Burkina Faso

 

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Lucie Debay – Omen – DRC

Ehle Mbali Mlotshwa – 4 Walls – South Africa

Nafissatou Sisse – Sira – Burkina Faso

Adesua Etomi – Guns of Lagos – Nigeria

Nse Ikpe Etim – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria – Winner

Bimbo Ademoye – Anikulapo – Nigeria

Ama Qamata – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda

 

First Debut Feature by a Director

Baloji – Omen – DRC – Winner

Ery Claver – Our Lady of the Chinese Shop – Angola

Jean Elliot Ilboudo (le Chant des fusils)The Song of the Riffle – Cameron

 

Best Director

Moussa Sene Absa – Xalé

C. J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi – Mami Wata

Baloji – Omen

Apolline Traore – Sira – Winner

Izu Ojukwu – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four)

Kunle Afolayan – Anikulapo

Kgosana Monchusi, Menzi Mzimela, Juvaiś Dunn – 4 Walls

 

Best Film

Xalé- Senegal – Winner

Mami Wata – Nigeria

4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) Nigeria

Omen – DRC

4 Walls – South Africa

Sira – Burkina Faso

Anikulapo – Nigeria