The 19th edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards took place on Sunday, October 29, 2023, at the Balmoral Convention Centre in Ikeja, Lagos. The event was hosted by Nancy Isime, Rahama Sadau, and Richard Ato Turkson. Despite receiving three nominations in various categories, Uganda failed to secure a win in any of them.

In the Jubril Malaifia Award for Best Animation, Mulima Ashiraf's "Lost Animation" lost to Ghana's "Jabari." In the Best Film In An African Language category, Yiga Sadat's The Kitara Chronicles failed to win in a category won by Nigeria's "Anukalupo." Furthermore, Fernando Kamugisha was nominated in the Best Actor in a Leading Role category for "The Fallen Advocate," but the Award went to Nigeria's Tobi Bakre, who starred in "Brotherhood."

As we predicted in our previous article, Senegal's Xalé, Nigeria's Mami Wata, and Nigeria's Anikulapo emerged as big winners in this year's edition of the AMAs.

Just as we had anticipated, Senegal's Moussa Sene Absa's Xalé claimed four awards, including the overall Best Film, surpassing several other outstanding films that also secured other awards. Mami Wata, who had been nominated in 12 categories, walked away with three awards, including Best Film in Nigeria. 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) received one award, and Anikulapo secured two.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Efere Ozaka Award For Best Short Film

•              Lions (Ethiopia) – Winner

•              Riel (Namibia)

•              Enmity Djin (Mauritania)

Jubril Malaifia Award For Best Animation

• Lost (Uganda)
  
• Azania Rises (South Africa)
• Jabari (Ghana) –  Winner
• Bashorum Gaa (Nigeria)

Best Documentary

•              Africa Cradle of Humanity 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) – Winner

Ousmane Sembene Award For Best Film In An African Language

•              Pusha Pressa Phanda (South Africa)

•              Anikulapo (Nigeria) – Winner

•              The Kitera Chronicle (Uganda)

•              Four Walls (South Africa)

•              Mami Wata (Nigeria)

Michael Anyiam Osigwe Award For Best Film By An African-born Director Living Abroad

•              Talia’s Journey (Senegal/Belgium) – Christophe Rolin

•              Golden Stripes (Nigeria/UK) – Peace Osigbe

•              KOFA (Nigeria/Canada) – Jude Idada – Winner

Best Diaspora Short Film

•              We Were Meant To (United States) – directed by Tari Wariebi

•              The Ballad of Olive Morris (United Kingdom) – directed by Alex Kayode-Kay

•              Fifty-Four Days (United Kingdom) – directed by Cat White and Phoebe Torrance

•              Raw Materials (Jamaica) – Directed by Sosiessia Nixon – Winner

Best Diaspora Documentary

•              Sound of the Police (United States) – Directed by Stanley Nelson – Winner

•              Fantastico Negrito – Have You Lost Your Mind Yet (United States) – directed by Yvan Iturriaga and Francisco Nuñez

•              Black Rio (Brazil) – directed by Fernando Sousa and Gabriel Barbosa

Best Diaspora Narrative Feature

•              Cheese (Trinidad & Tobago) – directed by Damian Marcano

•              Our Father, The Devil (United States) – Directed by Ellie Foumbi – Winner

•              The Pastor and the Revolutionary (Brazil) – directed by José Eduardo Belmonte

Best Achievement in Production Design

•              Pat Nebo – Anikulapo – Nigeria – Winner

•              Eve Martin – Omen – DRC

•              Sira – Burkina Faso

•              Antoine Nshimiyimana – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda

•              Chantel Carter – Gereza – South Africa

Best Achievement in Costume Design

•              Bunmi Demilola Fashina – Mami Wata – Nigeria

•              Toyin Bifarin Ogundeji – Anikulapo – Nigeria

•              Millicent Jack – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria

•              Djibril Drame – Xalé – Senegal – Winner

•              Elkehoste and Baloji Omen – DRC

•              Sidi Ouedraogo Sira – Burkina Faso

Uganda's representatives at the Award Ceremony. R-L Fernando Kamugisha, Ashiraf Mulima, Kevin Johns Nabukenya, Yiga Sadat and Kizito Sudaisy

Best Achievement in Make-Up

•              Campell Precious Arebamen – Mami Wata – Nigeria – Winner

•              Hakeem Effect and Toyin Bifarin Ogundeji – Anikulapo – Nigeria

•              Lila Vander Elst – Omen – DRC

•              Our Lady of the Chinese Shop – Angola

•              Omowunmi Okungbure – Gangs of Lagos – Nigeria

Best Achievement in Soundtrack

•              Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda – Winner

•              L’Axe Lourd (The Highway) – Cameroon

•              Gereza – South Africa

•              Omen – DRC

•              Obinna Arua – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

•              Andrej Gregori, Voranc Kumar, Ziga Radulji -Omen – DRC

•              Alexandre Dachkevitch – Mami Wata – Nigeria

•              Josh Borrill – The Trade – Nigeria

•              Emmanuel Bassey – Gangs of Lagos – Nigeria – Winner

Best Achievement in Sound

•              Juliana Oswald – Our Lady of the Chinese Shop – Angola

•              Vianney Aube – Sira – Burkina Faso – Winner

•              Erik Griekspoor – Omen – DRC

•              Samy Bardet – Mami Wata – Nigeria

•              Michel Tsagli – Xalé – Senegal

Best Achievement in Cinematography

•              Lilis Soares – Mami Wata – Nigeria – Winner

•              Joachim Philippe – Omen – DRC

•              Richard Henkels – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda

•              Thomas Wilski – Talia’s Journey – Senegal/Belgium

•              Eduardo Kropotkine – Our Lady of the Chinese Shop – Angola

Best Achievement in Editing

•              Nathan Delannoy – Mami Wata – Nigeria

•              Bertrand Conard – Omen – DRC – Winner

•              Sylvie Gadner – Sira – Burkina Faso

•              Layla Swart – Gereza

•              Madhew Leutwyler – Fight Like a Girl

Best Achievement in Screenplay

•              C.J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi – Mami Wata – Nigeria

•              Ufuoma MeHHri – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria

•              Moussa Sene Absa, Pierre Magny, Ben Diogay Beye – Xalé – Senegal – Winner

•              Madhew Leutwyler – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda

National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVB) Award for Best Nigerian Film

•              Mami Wata – Winner

•              Anikulapo

•              4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four)

•              Gangs of Lagos

•              The Trade

•              L.I.F.E.

•              Brotherhood

Best Young/Promising Actor

•              Maleek Sanni – Gangs of Lagos – Winner

•              Ewube -L’axe Lourd (The Highway

•              Darisimi Nadi – Obara’m

•              Sanou Titiama – Le chant des fusils (The Song of the Rifle

•              Eyiyemi Afolyan – Anikulapo

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

•              Francis Onwuchei – The Trade – Nigeria

•              Jeff Jackson – Four Walls – South Africa

•              Hakeem Kae-Kazim – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda

•              Jimmy-Jean Louis – Rise – Winner

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

•              Uzoamaka Aniunoh – Mami Wata – Nigeria

•              Rokhaya Niang – Xalé – Senegal – Winner

•              Clarck Natmbwe – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda

Best Actor in a Leading Role

•              Richard Mofe Demalo – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria

•              Marc Zunga – Omen – DRC

•              Fenando Kamugisha – The Fallen Advocate –Uganda

•              Tobi Bakre – Brotherhood – Nigeria – Winner

•              Justine Murichii – Shimoni – Kenya

•              Mike Danon – Sira – Burkina Faso

Best Actress in a Leading Role

•              Lucie Debay – Omen – DRC

•              Ehle Mbali Mlotshwa – 4 Walls – South Africa

•              Nafissatou Sisse – Sira – Burkina Faso

•              Adesua Etomi – Guns of Lagos – Nigeria

•              Nse Ikpe Etim – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria – Winner

•              Bimbo Ademoye – Anikulapo – Nigeria

•              Ama Qamata – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda

First Debut Feature by a Director

•              Baloji – Omen – DRC – Winner

•              Ery Claver – Our Lady of the Chinese Shop – Angola

•              Jean Elliot Ilboudo (le Chant des fusils)The Song of the Riffle – Cameron

Best Director

•              Moussa Sene Absa – Xalé

•              C.J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi – Mami Wata

•              Baloji – Omen

•              Apolline Traore – Sira – Winner

•              Izu Ojukwu – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four)

•              Kunle Afolayan – Anikulapo

•              Kgosana Monchusi, Menzi Mzimela, Juvaiś Dunn – 4 Walls

Best Film

•              Xalé- Senegal – Winner

•              Mami Wata – Nigeria

•              4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) Nigeria

•              Omen – DRC

•              4 Walls – South Africa

•              Sira – Burkina Faso

•              Anikulapo – Nigeria.

By Martin Kabagambe