Nigerian Films Dominate AMAA 2026 Nominations as Three Productions Earn 30 Nods

Nigerian films have secured 30 combined nominations at the 22nd Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), with To Adaego With Love, The Herd and Colours of Fire emerging as the country’s leading contenders ahead of the ceremony scheduled for Sunday, November 15, 2026, in Lagos.

The nominations, announced on Saturday, October 17, place To Adaego With Love at the top of Nigeria’s entries with 11 nominations, followed by The Herd with 10 and Colours of Fire with nine, according to the published nomination list.

Despite Nigeria’s strong showing, Uganda’s Slum Bomber and Kenya’s One Woman, One Bra lead the overall nominations with 14 each, placing both productions ahead of every Nigerian entry.

Directed by Nwamaka Chikezie, To Adaego With Love is a historical romance set in 1975, in the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War, and follows a forbidden relationship between a Northern Nigerian soldier on a reconciliation mission and an Igbo schoolteacher from the war-affected Eastern region.

The film explores love, family loyalties, cultural differences and the challenges of reconciliation in a country still dealing with the divisions left by the conflict.

The Herd, directed by Daniel Etim-Effiong, secured 10 nominations, placing it among the leading contenders across the continent.

Etim-Effiong received nominations for Best Director, Best Debut Feature Film by a Director and Best Actor in a Leading Role for his work on the production.

Meanwhile, Colours of Fire earned nine nominations, further strengthening Nigeria’s representation across the awards’ major and technical categories.

The three productions collectively account for 30 nominations, reflecting Nigeria’s presence in the race for continental recognition in acting, directing and filmmaking craftsmanship.

Nigeria will also have two contenders in the Best Film category, where To Adaego With Love and The Herd will compete against seven productions from other African countries.

The other nominees in the category are South Africa’s The Trek and Ben Made It, Ghana’s The Fisherman, Côte d’Ivoire’s Colours of Exile, Uganda’s Slum Bomber, Kenya’s One Woman, One Bra and Cameroon’s Mabanda.

The Best Director category also features both Nigerian productions, with Chikezie nominated for To Adaego With Love and Etim-Effiong recognised for The Herd.

Both filmmakers are additionally nominated for Best Debut Feature Film by a Director, placing their productions among the entries receiving recognition for both their overall work and directorial achievements.

Nigerian performers also secured nominations in the leading and supporting acting categories.

Chisom Agoawuike received a Best Actress in a Leading Role nomination for To Adaego With Love, while Osas Ighodaro was nominated for Colours of Fire and Faithia Balogun for Efunroye (The Unicorn).

Toyin Abraham also earned a nomination in the same category for Oversabi Aunty, extending Nigeria’s representation beyond the three most-nominated productions.

In the Best Actor in a Leading Role category, Etim-Effiong was nominated for The Herd, alongside Uzor Arukwe for Colours of Fire and Wale Ojo for Light Out.

Nigeria’s supporting acting contenders include Linda Ejiofor for The Herd, Mercy Aigbe for Colours of Fire, Omowunmi Dada for Evi and Patience Ozokwo for Onobiren.

In the Best Actor in a Supporting Role category, Dele Odule was nominated for Iwe Ala, Femi Branch for Colours of Fire, Bucci Franklin for The Creek and Bob-Manuel Udokwu for To Adaego With Love.

Beyond feature films and acting, Nigerian productions also appear in documentary, short film and animation categories.

The Nigerian documentary entries include Asaba Massacre and The Rhythm of Ancestors, while short film nominees include Hurriyah, The Spectacular Death of Prisca and A Night With The Queen.

In animation, The Plot and The Lion of Gwoza are among the Nigerian entries recognised on the nomination list.

The National Film and Video Censors Board Award for Best Nigerian Film also features nine productions, including Iwe Ala, To Adaego With Love, Colours of Fire, Suky, Efunroye (The Unicorn), The Herd, Cordelia, The Creek and Oversabi Aunty.

The awards’ chief executive said the nominated films demonstrate the international appeal of African storytelling, stating, “The films nominated this year remind us that African stories are global stories, possessing the power to captivate, challenge, and inspire audiences anywhere in the world.”

He added, “You have raised the bar for African cinema and for that entire continent.”

The 22nd Africa Movie Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, November 15, 2026, at the Lagos Marriott Hotel in Lagos, where winners across the various categories are expected to be announced.

The awards, organised by the Africa Film Academy, recognise achievements in African filmmaking across feature films, acting, directing, documentaries, short films, animation and technical crafts.

With To Adaego With Love, The Herd and Colours of Fire leading Nigeria’s nominations, the country will be looking to translate its strong presence on the shortlist into wins when the ceremony holds next month.