2025 AMAA Awards Winners: Burna Boy, Lateef Adedimeji, Others Win Big

The 2025 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) winners have finally been revealed and the ceremony celebrated the best of African cinema. The 21st edition of the prestigious awards occurred at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.

Here is a compilation of all the categories, nominees and winners:

1. Best Film

Nominees

• Algiers (Algeria)
• 3 Cold Dishes (Nigeria)
• The Heart Is a Muscle (South Africa) – Winner
• Small Gods (Uganda)
• For Love, For Land, For Power (Ethiopia)
• Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions (Burkina Faso)
• Last Stop (Ghana)
• Lisabi: The Uprising (Nigeria)

2. Best Actor in a Leading Role

Nominees

• Keenan Arrison – The Heart Is a Muscle
• Debebe Eshetu – For Love, For Land, For Power
• Adjetey Anang – Last Stop
• Lateef Adedimeji – Lisabi (Winner)
• The Uprising; Ayden Croy – Old Righteous Blues
• Bizimana Hussain – Small Gods
• Mahamadi Nana – Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions
• Nabil Asli – Algiers

3. Best Actress in a Leading Role

Nominees

• Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman – The Serpent Gift
• Analisa Munyana – Mucoma: The Battle of the Couple
• Shaffy Bello – The Masked King
• Danica De La Ray Jones – Hunting Jessica Brok
• Getahun Hailu – For Love, For Land, For Power
• Florence Mariserena – Small Gods (Winner)
• Meriem Medjkane – Algiers
• Osas Ighodaro / Fat Toure / Maud Guerard – 3 Cold Dishes

4. Achievement in Cinematography

Nominees

• 3 Cold Dishes
• Old Righteous Blues
• Spelonk
• Small Gods
• For Love
• For Land
• For Power
• The Heart Is a Muscle – Winner
• Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions

5. Best Actress (Supporting Role)

Nominees

• Zohra Chetioui – Le Point – The Bridge
• Tina Mba – The Serpent Gift
• Fadela Brown – Old Righteous Blues
• Bukky Wright – Red Circle
• Tina Mba – The Serpent Gift (Winner)

6. Best Actor (Supporting Role)

Nominees

• Kojo Boakye – Two of a Kind
• Femi Jacobs – Freedom Way
• Clemento Ashietey – Last Stop (Winner)
• Abdulai Saidu Kamara – Code of Honor
• 8. Best Actress (Supporting Role)

7. Best Nigerian Film (NFVCB Award)

Nominees

• Lisabi: The Uprising
• Recall
• Freedom Way
• The Serpent Gift
• Amanayanbo
• 3 Cold Dishes – Winner
• Red Circle
• The Masked King

8. Best Young/Promising Actor

Nominees

• Alejandro Cooper – Lukas
• Turinayo Jatham – Small Gods
• Tiwalola Adebola-Walter – Freedom Way
• Kisi Ogborueche – Kill Boro
• Ruby Akubueze – 3 Cold Dishes (Winner)

9. Best Debut Feature Film by a Director

Nominees

• The Lost Days – Wingonia Ikpi
• Small Gods – Asher Rosen
• Algiers – Chakib Taleb-Bendiab
• Kill Boro – Obayuwana Courage
• The Heart Is a Muscle – Imran Hamdulay (Winner)
• Freedom Way – Afolabi Olalekan

10. Best Director

Nominees

• Niyi Akinmolayan – Lisabi: The Uprising
• Imran Hamdulay – The Heart Is a Muscle
• Asurf Oluseyi – 3 Cold Dishes
• Asher Rosen – Small Gods
• Theodros Teshome – For Love, For Land, For Power
• Dany Kouyaté – Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions (Winner)
• Kwabena Gwansah – Last Stop
• Chakib Taleb-Bendiab – Algiers

11. Best Film in an African Language

Nominees

• Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions – Burkina Faso (Winner)
• Small Gods – Uganda/UK
• Lukas – Namibia
• Lobola Man – South Africa
• Lisabi: The Uprising – Nigeria
• The Heart Is a Muscle – South Africa

12. Eferé Ozako Award for Best Short Film

Nominees

• The Missing Piece – Kenya
• Vandals – Mozambique
• Echoes From The Past – Nigeria/UK
• Abu Judy – Egypt
• Chikha-Queen – Morocco
• MIA – Burkina Faso
• Stigma – Tunisia
• Lee’s Waxul – Senegal (Winner)
• The Last Harvest – Cape Verde

13. Jubril Malafia Award for Best Animation

Nominees

• Dawn – Cameroon
• My Brother, My Brother – Egypt/France/Germany (Winner)
• The Travails of Ajadi – Nigeria
• Nkizzi’s First Day – Uganda
• Amara and the Spirit of Nyamagunda – Uganda
• Monologue – Nigeria/UK