AMAA 2026 Nominations: 'Slum Bomber' & 'To Adaego With Love' Take the Lead!

The nominations for the 22nd Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) have been officially announced, setting the stage for a grand ceremony in Lagos this November. Films from across Africa, including Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, are poised to compete for some of the continent's most esteemed cinematic honors.

Leading the pack with an impressive 14 nominations each are Uganda's "Slum Bomber" and Kenya's "One Woman, One Bra." Nigeria is strongly represented, with Nwamaka Chikezie's "To Adaego With Love" securing 11 nominations and Daniel Etim-Effiong's "The Herd" following closely with 10. Other notable contenders, each with 10 nominations, include South Africa's "The Trek" and "Ben Made It," along with Côte d’Ivoire’s "Colours of Exile." "Colours of Fire" garnered nine nominations.

The awards ceremony is scheduled for November 15, 2026, at the Lagos Marriott Hotel. This event will bring together filmmakers, actors, and other industry professionals to celebrate the past year's achievements in African cinema. The nominations were revealed during a livestream broadcast on AMAA’s official YouTube channel.

"To Adaego With Love," starring Chisom Agoawuike and Adam Garba, has garnered significant attention, leading Nigeria's nominations. Chisom Agoawuike herself is nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in the film, while Bob-Manuel Udokwu received a nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in the same movie. Nwamaka Chikezie is also nominated for Best Director and for Best Debut Feature Film by a Director for "To Adaego With Love."

Key nominations across categories include:

• Best Film: "The Trek" (South Africa), "To Adaego With Love" (Nigeria), "The Fisherman" (Ghana), "Colours of Exile" (Côte d’Ivoire), "Slum Bomber" (Uganda), "One Woman, One Bra" (Kenya), "The Herd" (Nigeria), "Ben Made It" (South Africa), and "Mabanda" (Cameroon).
• Best Director: Meekaaeel Adam ("The Trek"), Nwamaka Chikezie ("To Adaego With Love"), Azlorabe Alaoui ("Colours of Exile"), Maureen Nankya ("Slum Bomber"), Vincho Nchogu ("One Woman, One Bra"), Daniel Etim-Effiong ("The Herd"), Pheello Makosholo ("Ben Made It"), Kang Quintus ("Mabanda"), and Zoey Martinson ("The Fisherman").
• Best Actor in a Leading Role: Maurice Carpede ("The Trek"), Wale Ojo ("Light Out"), Daniel Etim-Effiong ("The Herd"), Ricky Adelayitar ("The Fisherman"), Uzor Arukwe ("Colours of Fire"), Marcus Mabusela ("Ben Made It"), Abdoulaziz Sall ("Colours of Exile"), and Kang Quintus ("Mabanda").
• Best Actress in a Leading Role: Chisom Agoawuike ("To Adaego With Love"), Sarah Karel ("One Woman, One Bra"), Deborah Kabongo ("Rusambo"), Faithia Balogun ("Efunroye (The Unicorn)"), Jackline Nafula ("Slum Bomber"), Osas Ighodaro ("Colours of Fire"), Naku Sy Savane ("Colours of Exile"), and Toyin Abraham ("Oversabi Aunty").
• Best Young/Promising Actor: Osas Okonyon earned a nomination for her role in "Evi."
• Ousmane Sembene Award for Best Film in an African Language: "Slum Bomber" (Uganda), "Iwe Ala" (Nigeria), "Mabanda" (Cameroon), "One Woman, One Bra" (Kenya), "Ben Made It" (South Africa), and "Efunroye (The Unicorn)" (Nigeria).

"To Adaego With Love" also received nominations for Achievement in Screenplay, Achievement in Sound, and Achievement in Costume Design, and Achievement in Production Design further highlighting its strong presence at the awards.