The 11th Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA 2025) nominations have been announced, bringing with them discussions, reflections, and industry-wide reactions. The AMVCA, regarded as one of the most popular awards in Nollywood, has seen some structural changes in recent years, particularly with the balance between jury-decided and audience-voted categories. These adjustments have shaped this year’s nominations in ways that reflect both expected recognitions and notable omissions.

With Seven Doors leading with 11 nominations, followed closely by Lisabi: The Uprising with 10, and Skeleton Coast securing 8, this year’s selection highlights a strong presence of historical and culturally rooted narratives. While these films have undoubtedly made their mark, the nominations also leave room for discussions about which films and performances were recognized, which were overlooked, and what these choices say about Nollywood’s landscape.

The Structure of the Awards: Jury Decisions vs. Audience Influence

The AMVCA now follows a hybrid voting system, where some categories are determined by a professional jury while others are open to public votes. Jury-decided categories, which focus on artistic and technical merit, include: Best Movie, Best Director, Best Lead Actor and Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Writing (Movie and Series), Best Sound Design, Best Score/Music, Best Art Director, Best Makeup, Best Costume Design, Best Series (Scripted and Unscripted), and Best Documentary. This shift is intended to prioritize artistic and technical merit, ensuring that winners are selected based on professional evaluation rather than fan-driven popularity.

Audience-voted categories emphasize mainstream appeal and engagement, including Best Digital Content Creator, Best Indigenous Language Films (West, East, and Southern Africa) Best Indigenous M-Net Original, Best Scripted M-Net Original, Best Unscripted M-Net Original, Best Short Film, and Best MultiChoice Talent Factory Film.

This balance is meant to incorporate both industry judgment and audience preferences. Yet, the nominations this year raise concerns about how the jury applies its standards and whether accessibility played a bigger role than artistic merit in some selections.

How Lisabi Was Prioritized Over The Uprising: Wives on Strike 3?

Lisabi: The Uprising was nominated for Best Movie, despite being a multi-part project rather than a standalone film. This raises questions about whether the nomination was based on Part 1 alone or if the entire two-part story was considered. If both parts were included, then Lisabi is competing on different terms than the other nominees, which had to tell complete narratives within a single runtime. The AMVCA has not clarified how multi-part films are judged in comparison to standalone works.

Wives on Strike 3: The Uprising, which was not nominated at all, presents an interesting contrast. Unlike Lisabi, Wives on Strike 3 is a sequel but functions as a completely independent film, telling a full story that does not rely on previous installments to make sense. As a film, it was tightly written, engaging, and carried by strong performances, making it a stronger contender than Lisabi in terms of narrative cohesion. If Lisabi was eligible despite being a multi-part project, then Wives on Strike 3 should have been considered as well—unless the deciding factor was not about storytelling but accessibility.

The AMVCA’s preference for films widely available on streaming platforms like Netflix and Prime Video over theatrical releases or films with limited digital distribution suggests that accessibility played a role in selection rather than just merit. Wives on Strike 3, despite its strengths, did not have the same level of streaming visibility as Lisabi, which may explain its exclusion.

If the AMVCA is shifting toward prioritizing streaming-backed films, then it should clearly define this as part of its selection criteria. Otherwise, strong films that aren’t globally distributed online will continue to be sidelined, not because of their quality but because of how they reach audiences.

Why Was The Weekend’s Director Recognized, But Not The Film?

Daniel Oriahi was nominated for Best Director for his work on The Weekend, yet the film itself was not included in Best Movie. This creates an inconsistency. If Oriahi’s direction was strong enough to be recognized, then why wasn’t the film itself considered among the best?

Best Director and Best Movie nominations are typically linked because a well-directed film is often a strong contender for Best Movie. The fact that Oriahi was nominated while The Weekend was left out suggests either the jury saw flaws in other aspects of the film, or there is no clear connection between Best Director and Best Movie selections. If the AMVCA is moving toward separating these categories more distinctly, there should be transparency about how that decision is made.

A Shift Away from Box Office Dominance

This year’s nominations reflect a significant shift away from recognizing commercially successful films, a departure from past AMVCAs where box office hits often dominated major categories. This year, Farmer’s Bride was the only top-grossing film in the Best Movie category, while major hits like Everybody Loves Jenifa were absent.

This change raises the question: should commercial success and audience impact factor into nominations, or should the focus remain solely on artistic merit? While prioritizing quality over popularity is a positive step, completely excluding films that had major cultural impact suggests that mainstream success is being undervalued.

Why Streaming Titles Are Dominating Over Cinema Releases

One of the clearest patterns in this year’s nominations is the dominance of films backed by streaming platforms like Netflix and Prime Video. Most of the nominated films were released primarily on digital platforms, while many theatrically released films were almost absent from major categories.

At the same time, the treatment of Mai Martaba contradicts this pattern. Unlike many of the other nominated films, Mai Martaba had only a very limited cinema release, showing in just a few states for a short period, yet it still received a nomination in Best Indigenous Language Film. If theatrical presence was a key factor in limiting other cinema films from nominations, then why did Mai Martaba qualify despite its minimal release?

The inconsistencies in selection suggest that factors beyond just distribution models are at play. Whether funding sources, platform backing, or industry positioning influenced nominations, this year’s trends show that the AMVCA’s selection process is evolving in ways that are not entirely transparent.

Films That Were Expected But Did Not Appear

Some films that gained critical and industry recognition over the past year were notably missing from the nominations. With Difficulty Comes Ease, a film that was widely discussed for its storytelling and emotional depth, did not receive any nominations despite expectations for categories like Best Movie, Best Director, and Best Lead Actress. Similarly, Phoenix Fury, a film recognized for its visual approach and strong performances, was left out of categories where it was anticipated to perform well, such as Best Cinematography and Best Writing.

These omissions bring up broader discussions about how the AMVCA is evolving in terms of genre recognition, storytelling styles, and the balance between mainstream and indie productions. While jury decisions are meant to reflect industry expertise, they also shape the larger conversation about what types of films Nollywood prioritizes and celebrates.

Performance Categories: New Names and Familiar Faces

The acting categories this year featured a mix of well-established actors and some newer names, but there were also notable absences. Wale Ojo, who portrayed Wole Soyinka in The Man Died, was expected to be a strong contender for Best Lead Actor, yet he did not make the final list. Similarly, Onyinye Odokoro, whose performance in Princess on a Hill was highly regarded, was not included in Best Lead Actress, despite expectations.

Meanwhile, for the first time in years, Funke Akindele did not receive a nomination. Whether this was due to submission choices or selection criteria, her absence marks a shift from previous AMVCAs where her films and performances consistently received recognition.

Looking Ahead to the AMVCA 2025 Ceremony

With the winners set to be announced on May 10, 2025, this year’s AMVCA will provide further insight into how these nominations translate into actual wins. The jury’s decisions so far reflect a growing focus on industry merit, but they also raise ongoing discussions about representation, inclusion, and the types of films Nollywood continues to celebrate.

While some films and performances have received the recognition they deserve, others remain absent from the conversation. The balance between artistic recognition and audience engagement, critical acclaim and commercial success, established names and fresh talent is still shifting. Whether this year’s selections represent a progressive step forward or just a restructured version of old patterns will ultimately be determined when the winners are revealed.

What remains certain is that the AMVCA continues to be a reflection of Nollywood’s evolving landscape, and as the industry grows, so will the conversations about how its best works are chosen, recognized, and remembered.