My Father’s Shadow Sweeps Five Awards as Linda Ejiofor Makes History at the 2026 AMVCA

Five awards. Two acting wins in one night. One film that crossed continents before it ever crossed the AMVCA stage. The 12th edition of Africa’s biggest film night had a clear story to tell, and boy did it do that excellently.

The 12th Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards had a definitive story by the end of Saturday night. When the last statuette was handed over at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos, one film had claimed five awards, one actress had walked away with two, and Nollywood had given another reminder of just how much ground it has covered.

My Father’s Shadow, the debut feature from Nigerian-British filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr. Akinola Davies Jr.: The British-Nigerian Filmmaker Rewriting the Rules of African Cinema, was the undisputed champion of the evening. The film emerged as the biggest winner of the 2026 AMVCA, securing five awards including the night’s highest honour, Best Movie. It also won Best Director for Akinola Davies Jr., Best Writing in a Movie for Wale Davies, Best Score/Music, and Best Sound Design.

For those who have been following the film’s journey, the sweep was not entirely surprising. Set against the backdrop of Nigeria’s turbulent 1993 election crisis, My Father’s Shadow follows two young brothers, Akin and Remi, who unexpectedly spend a transformative day in Lagos with their estranged father, Folarin. The screenplay, co-written by Akinola Davies Jr. and his brother Wale Davies, was largely inspired by their own experiences growing up after losing their father at a young age. That kind of personal weight tends to come through on screen, and it delivered.

Shot on 16mm film by cinematographer Jermaine Edwards, the movie captured Lagos with a textured, almost nostalgic visual style rarely seen in contemporary Nollywood productions. The grainy aesthetic, combined with muted tones and careful framing, gave the film a timeless quality that strengthened its emotional atmosphere.

Before dominating Lagos, the film had already built strong international credibility. It earned recognition at the British Independent Film Awards, the Gotham Independent Film Awards, the BAFTA Awards, and the International Film Festival of India. It was also selected as the United Kingdom’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards. Akinola Davies Jr. and his brother Wale Davies also claimed the Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer award at the 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards. Winning five AMVCA awards on top of all that puts the film in a category of its own.

The second biggest story of the night wore a sculptural green sequined gown.

Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman made history at the 12th AMVCA, winning Best Lead Actress for The Serpent’s Gift and Best Supporting Actress for The Herd in a single night, becoming one of the few performers in the ceremony’s history to achieve a lead and supporting acting double.

Earlier in the evening, she received the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Adamma in The Herd, directed by Daniel Etim Effiong. In the film, she plays the wife of a kidnapped man who must navigate financial secrets and uncooperative family members to raise a ransom, a performance selected by the jury over a highly competitive field that included Funke Akindele, Bisola Aiyeola, and Sola Sobowale. Beating that particular shortlist is no small feat.

By the time her name was called again for Best Lead Actress, the room already knew it was her night.

Uzor Arukwe had a strong night of his own. He claimed the Best Lead Actor award for his powerful and commanding performance in Colours of Fire, edging out a formidable list of Nollywood heavyweights including Wale Ojo, Femi Branch, William Benson, Mike Ezuruonye, and Kanayo O. Kanayo. Colours of Fire also picked up Best Costume Design for Valerie Okeke and Best Art Direction, giving the Niyi Akinmolayan-directed film a decent haul of its own.

To Kill A Monkey had a productive night as well. Bucci Franklin delivered a standout performance in the film, earning the Best Supporting Actor award at the 12th AMVCA. His portrayal of crime leader Oboz struck a chord with audiences and critics alike. The film also claimed Best Cinematography for Kabelo Thathe and Best Editing, making it one of the more technically decorated productions of the evening.

This award was the emotional standout of the night as Bucci, during his award speech said that he lost his mom just 7 days before the shooting of the movie began. That gave more weight and sentiment to the award. The fact that he could go through such a huge loss and still deliver a performance that stellar is the stuff of greatness.

Lateef Adedimeji secured a meaningful win in the Best Indigenous Language Film (West Africa) category for Lisabi: A Legend Is Born, a historical epic that had generated significant buzz ahead of the ceremony. Kanayo O. Kanayo and Sola Sobowale were both honoured with the Industry Merit Award, a recognition of careers that have shaped Nigerian cinema across multiple generations.

On the television side, Femi D. Ogunsanwo triumphed in the Best Scripted M-Net Original category for Low Priest, while Nigerian Idol Season 10, fronted by Sulaiman Kassim and Anneke de Ridder, claimed Best Unscripted M-Net Original. The scripted series category went to Inimba, and Out N’ About (Harar) won Best Unscripted Series.

In the digital content space, Leave to Live, created by Emmanuel Kanaga and Sophia Chisom, won Best Digital Content Creator, a category that shows how seriously the AMVCA has come to take the online creative economy.

The documentary Beyond Olympic Glory took the Best Documentary award, Hussainin by Orire Nwani and Josh Olaoluwa won Best Short Film, and Uche Montana received the Trailblazer Award in recognition of her growing influence in the industry.

The ceremony was hosted by Bovi Ugboma alongside Nomzamo Mbatha, and their chemistry with the audience was unmatched. The entire hall was filled with a variety of prestigious individuals, clad in some of the finest attires one could find across the globe; Nigerian fashion creators have really decided to not just make their marks, but also be consistent with it as we have seen at previous editions of the AMVCA.

My Father’s Shadow winning Best Movie in a field that included Gingerrr, The Herd, 3 Cold Dishes, The Serpent’s Gift, and Behind the Scenes was a statement. Its victory suggested that the AMVCA jury prioritised cinematic excellence and emotional sophistication over popularity contests or box office influence. In a year when Nollywood produced some genuinely impressive work, that is exactly the kind of statement the industry needed to make.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS — AMVCA 2026

Photo credits: Kashope Faje.

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