Nollywood stars Lateef Adedimeji and Tina Mba, alongside 3 Cold Dishes—a film co-produced by Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy were among the biggest winners at the 21st Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA).
The ceremony took place on Sunday at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Ikeja GRA, Lagos, celebrating the continent’s finest filmmakers, actors, and creative talent.
3 Cold Dishes won Best Nigerian Film and Best Young/Promising Actor for Ruby Akubueze. Co-produced by Burna Boy and actress Osas Ighodaro, the multilingual thriller follows three women from Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, and Benin who reunite years after surviving human trafficking to take revenge on their abusers.
Lateef Adedimeji was awarded Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in Lisabi: The Uprising, while Tina Mba claimed Best Actress in a Supporting Role for The Serpent Gift.
The five-hour event, organized by the Africa Film Academy, opened with an energetic performance by the Ebony Band. In his opening remarks, AFA Chief Executive Officer Raymond Anyiam-Osigwe praised African filmmakers for elevating the continent’s storytelling on the global stage.
“We salute Nollywood and all creatives whose accomplishments have earned African cinema international recognition. Nigeria’s strength lies in collaboration, not competition,” he said.
A six-member AMAA jury presented 26 awards across acting, directing, cinematography, and technical categories, recognizing outstanding contributions to African cinema.
South Africa’s The Heart Is a Muscle emerged as Best Film, also winning awards for Cinematography, Editing, and Best Debut Feature for director Imran Hamdulay. Burkina Faso’s Katanga: Dance of the Scorpions took home Best Film in an African Language, Best Screenplay, and Best Costume Design.
The evening also featured a short stage play starring veteran actor Pete Edochie as a divine figure and Tony Umez as a man seeking answers. Musical performances by Made Kuti, Rizyn Band, and DJ Kenchello added energy to the event, highlighted by Kuti’s soulful rendition of his grandfather Fela Kuti’s classic Palava.
A special tribute honored African film practitioners who passed away between January and November 2025. Notable guests included Bukky Wright, Keppy Ekpeyong Bassey, Lancelot Imasuen, Jide Achufusi, and former Lagos Commissioner Uzamat Yusuf.
Full list of winners
- NFVCB Award for Best Nigerian Film: 3 Cold Dishes
- Best Young/Promising Actor: Ruby Akubueze – 3 Cold Dishes
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Clemento Ashietey – Last Stop
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Tina Mba – The Serpent Gift
- Best Actor in a Leading Role: Lateef Adedimeji – Lisabi: The Uprising
- Best Actress in a Leading Role: Florence Mariserena – Small Gods
- Best Debut Feature Film by a Director: The Heart Is a Muscle – Imran Hamdulay
- Best Director: Dany Kouyaté – Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions – Burkina Faso
- Best Film: The Heart Is a Muscle – South Africa
- Best Film in an African Language: Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions – Burkina Faso
- Eferé Ozako Award for Best Short Film: The Missing Piece – Kenya
- Jubril Malafia Award for Best Animation: Dawn – Cameroun
- Best Documentary: The Journey East – DRC
- Best Diaspora Short: Cartes – USA
- Michael Anyiam Osigwe Award for Best Film by an African Living Abroad: Ancestral Visions of the Future – Lesotho/France/Germany
- Achievement in Costume Design: Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions
- Achievement in Sound: Algiers
- Best Diaspora Documentary: Rediscovering Fenon – USA/Algeria/Martinique
- Best Diaspora Narrative Feature: Romeo N Juliet 4EVA – Jamaica
- Achievement in Production Design: 3 Cold Dishes
- Achievement in Make-up: Lisabi: The Uprising
- Achievement in Soundtrack: Old Righteous Blues
- Achievement in Visual Effects: For Land, For Love, For Power
- Achievement in Cinematography: The Heart Is a Muscle
- Achievement in Editing: The Heart Is a Muscle
- Achievement in Screenplay: Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions – Burkina Faso
