Entertainment
Mami Wata, Anikulapo Lead As AMAA Unveils Nominations For 19th Edition
Organisers of the Africa Movie Academy Awards, AMAA, have announced the nominees for the 19th edition of the prestigious awards ceremony, themed ‘The Renaissance’.
Africa Film Academy (AFA) board represented by Mr. Raymond Anyiam-Osigwe and the AMAA Jury represented by Mr. Steve Ayorinde, announced the line up of activities for the 2023 edition of the film and movie awards ceremony at a media briefing in Lagos on Thursday.
According to Anyiam-Osigwe, the awards ceremony will be held on October 29, 2023 at The Balmoral Event Centre situated inside Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.
He further explained that this edition would redefine the awards ahead of future plans and the 20th edition in 2024.
Also speaking during the briefing, Ayorinde, who represented the president of the AMAA jury, Keith Shiri, stressed that the jury went through a tedious and steadfast process to arrive at the nominees for each of the 26 categories that will compete for the 2023 AMAA coveted plaques.
Ayorinde also said the process, which has always been credited as very transparent by industry heads, began from call for entries submission, to screening by the College of Screeners headed by film critic and journalist, Dr. Shaibu Husseini, followed by its submission to the jury for final nomination after which the official nomination list was unveiled.
During the event, a one-minute silence was observed to honour the late founder and Chief Executive Officer of AFA and AMAA, Peace Ogechi Anyiam-Osigwe, who passed away earlier this year.
C. J. Obasi’s 2023 globally-acclaimed film, ‘Mami Wata’, clinched the most nominations this year with a total of 12 while Kunle Afolayan’s ‘Anikulapo’ got nine nominations, slightly ahead of Izu Ojukwu’s ‘4-4-44’ with eight nominations.
The three Nigerian films will compete in the awards two biggest categories, Best Picture and Best Director, where four other strong films across Africa are competing.
Below is the full list of nominees for the 19th AMAA:
AMAA 2023 Nomination List
1. Efere Ozako Award for Best Short Film
• Lions – Ethiopia
• Riel – Namibia
• Enmity Djinn – Mauritania
2. Jubril Malaifia Award for Best Animation
• Lost – Uganda
• Azania Rises – South Africa • Jabari – Ghana
• Bashorun Gaa – Nigeria
3. Best Documentary
• Africa, Cradle of Humankind 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
4. Ousmane Sembene Award for Best Film in an African Language
• Pusha Pressa Phanda – South Africa •
• Anikulapo – Nigeria
• The Kitara Chronicle – Uganda
• Four Walls – South Africa
• Mami Wata – Nigeria
5. Michael Anyiam Osigwe Award for Best Film by an
African-Born Director Living Abroad
• Talia’s Journey – Senegal/Belgium)
• Golden Stripes – Nigeria/UK
• KOFA – Nigeria/Canada
6. Best Diaspora Short Film
• We Were Meant To – United States
• The Ballad of Olive Morris – United Kingdom
• Fifty-Four Days – United Kingdom
• Raw Materials – Jamaica
7. Best Diaspora Documentary
• Sound of the Police – United States
• Fantastico Negrito: Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? United States
• Black Rio – Brazil
8. Best Diaspora Narrative Feature
• Chee$e – Trinidad & Tobago
• Our Father, The Devil – United States
• The Pastor and the Revolutionary – Brazil
9. Best Achievement in Production Design
• Anikulapo – Nigeria
• Omen – DRC
• Sira – Burkina Faso
• Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda
• Gereza – South Africa
10. Best Achievement in Costume Design
• Mami Wata – Nigeria
• Anikulapo – Nigeria
• 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria
• Xalé – Senegal
• Omen – DRC
• Sira – Burkina Faso
11. Best Achievement in Make-Up
• Mami Wata – Nigeria
• Anikulapo – Nigeria
• Omen – DRC
• Our Lady of the Chinese Shop – Angola
• Gangs of Lagos – Nigeria
12. Best Achievement in Soundtrack
• Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda
• L’Axe Lourd (The Highway) – Cameroon
• Gereza – South Africa
• Omen – DRC
• 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria
13. Best Achievement in Visual Effects
• Omen – DRC
• Mami Wata – Nigeria
• The Trade – Nigeria
• Gangs of Lagos – Nigeria
14. Best Achievement in Sound
• Our Lady of the Chinese Shop – Angola
• Sira – Burkina Faso
• Omen – DRC
• Mami Wata – Nigeria
• Xalé – Senegal
15. Best Achievement in Cinematography
• Mami Wata – Nigeria
• Omen – DRC
• Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda
• Talia’s Journey – Senegal/Belgium
• Our Lady of the Chinese Shop – Angola
16. Best Achievement in Editing
• Mami Wata – Nigeria
• Omen – DRC
• Sira – Burkina Faso
• Gereza – South Africa
• Fight like a Girl – Rwanda
17. Best Achievement in Screenplay
• Mami Wata – Nigeria
• 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria
• Xalé – Senegal
• Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda
18. National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVB) Award
for Best Nigerian Film
• Mami Wata
• Anikulapo
• 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four)
• Gangs of Lagos
• The Trade
• L.I.F.E.
• Brotherhood
19. Best Young/Promising Actor
• Maleek Sanni – Gangs of Lagos
• Jennifer Ewube -L’axe Lourd (The Highway)
• Darisimi Nadi – Obara’m
• Sanou Titiama – Le chant des fusils (The Song of the Rifles)
• Eyiyemi Afolayan – Anikulapo
20. Best Actor in a Supporting Role
• Francis Onwochei – The Trade – Nigeria
• Jeff Jackson Morgianho – Four Walls – South Africa
• Hakeem Kae-Kazim – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda
• Jimmy Jean-Louis -Rise – United States
21. Best Actress in a Supporting Role
• Uzoamaka Aniunoh – Mami Wata – Nigeria
• Rokhaya Niang – Xalé – Senegal
• Clarck Ntambwe – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda
22. Best Actor in a Leading Role
• Richard Mofe-Damijo(RMD) – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria
• Marc Zinga – Omen – DRC
• Fernando Kamugisha – The Fallen Advocate –Uganda
• Tobi Bakre – Brotherhood – Nigeria
• Justin Murichii – Shimoni – Kenya
• Mike Danon – Sira – Burkina Faso
23. Best Actress in a Leading Role
• Lucie Debay – Omen – DRC
• Ehle Mbali Mlotshwa – Four Walls – South Africa
• Nafissatou Cissé – Sira – Burkina Faso
• Adesua Etomi – Gangs of Lagos – Nigeria
• Nse Ikpe-Etim – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria
• Bimbo Ademoye – Anikulapo – Nigeria
• Ama Qamata – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda
24. First Debut Feature by a Director
• Baloji – Omen – DRC
• Ery Claver – Our Lady of the Chinese Shop – Angola
• Jean Elliot Ilboudo (Le Chant des Fusils)The Song of the Rifles- Burkina Faso
25. Best Director
• Moussa Sene Absa – Xalé
• C. J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi – Mami Wata
• Baloji – Omen
• Apolline Traore – Sira
• Izu Ojukwu – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four)
• Kunle Afolayan – Anikulapo
• Kgosana Monchusi, Menzi Mzimela, Juvaiś Dunn – Four
Walls
26. Best Film
• Xalé- Senegal
• Mami Wata – Nigeria
• 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) Nigeria
• Omen – DRC
• Four Walls – South Africa
• Sira – Burkina Faso
• Anikulapo – Nigeria
Nollywood actress Lizzy Anjorin has questioned the authenticity of an interim order issued by the Lagos State High Court on 2 September 2026, restraining her from publishing photographs of Priscilla Ojo’s one-year-old son, Rakeem Mkambala, and from posting editorials concerning the family on specified social media platforms.
Anjorin raised the issue during an Instagram Live session on Friday, 4 September, after Priscilla shared a copy of the court order online.
The actress argued that publicising court documents before formally serving the respondent undermines the case.
“Your case na dead on arrival. If you post court letter on any platform before serving person wey you wan go serve, that court case na fake court case,” Anjorin said during the live session.
Her comments came shortly after the High Court of Lagos State granted an ex parte application brought by Priscilla, her husband, Tanzanian singer Juma Mussa Mkambala, and their son, Rakeem.
Justice Yetunde Adesanya issued the interim order in Suit No. LD/ADR/6646/2026.
The order restrains Anjorin, as well as people acting under her authority, from publishing, posting, circulating, uploading or broadcasting photographs of Rakeem on specified social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and TikTok.
The court also directed Anjorin to cease publishing or broadcasting editorials concerning the applicants on the platforms covered by the order.
An ex parte order is made at an interim stage without the respondent being heard. The order is therefore not a final determination of the dispute and remains subject to further proceedings.
Priscilla shared the certified copy of the order on her Instagram Story on Friday, bringing the legal development into public view.
Anjorin’s reaction centres on the timing and manner in which the court documents were publicised. Her assertion that such publication makes a case “fake” is her own claim and is not a finding contained in the court order.
The development marks another chapter in the prolonged public dispute between Anjorin and Priscilla’s family, particularly Priscilla’s mother, actress Iyabo Ojo.
The disagreement has played out largely on social media and has previously resulted in legal action, including a ₦1 billion defamation suit filed by Iyabo Ojo against Anjorin.
In recent weeks, the dispute has also drawn Priscilla and her young son into the controversy, following public comments by Anjorin concerning the family.
Kesiena Tony Adjekpovu, popularly known as Kess, has said that participating in Big Brother Naija can make life harder, offering a candid reflection on the challenges that may come with the reality television experience.
The former Big Brother Naija housemate made the comment in a statement shared on social media, where he suggested that winning or simply taking part in the reality show does not necessarily make life easier after leaving the house.
“Big Brother makes your life harder,” Kess said.
The remark has drawn attention because life after reality television can bring a different set of expectations, particularly as former housemates adjust to increased public attention and the pressure that can accompany visibility.
Kess was a housemate on the seventh season of Big Brother Naija, which aired in 2022. He entered the show as a businessman and was among the contestants who competed for the season’s grand prize.
His time on the programme also placed him in the public eye, giving viewers an opportunity to follow his personality and relationships inside the house.
Kess’s latest comment offers a more reflective view of the reality TV platform, suggesting that the experience does not end when a contestant leaves the house.
However, he did not provide further details in the available post explaining which specific aspects of life after Big Brother he was referring to.
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