by Thinus Ferreira
South African actress and producer Nomzamo Mbatha and Nigerian comedian and actor Bovi Ugboma will be the co-presenters of 2026's 12th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards (AMVCAs) in Lagos, Nigeria, on 9 May.
It spells the end of longtime host IK Osakioduwa after more than a decade, with the pan-African awards show which will again be broadcast live on all of M-Net's Africa Magic TV channels on DStv and GOtv.
The 12th AMVCAs has 32 categories, with 18 jury-decided and 11 done through public voting. While the "Viewers' Choice" remains in the name, the AMVCAs isn't really, with multiple categories now decided by a professional jury.
The leading nominees include Gingerrr and The Herd with both films that have 9 nominations each, followed by To Kill A Monkey that has 8 nominations. My Father's Shadow has 7 nominations.
In a rare technical feat, cinematographer Emmanuel Igbekele received three nominations for Best cinematography in a single year for his work on The Herd, The Serpent's Gift and Gingerrr.
The legendary actress Joke Silva has taken over as AMVCA head judge from Femi Odugbemi. Her influence is credited with a stronger focus on craftsmanship and technical excellence.
For the first time, the awards have introduced specific categories for North Africa and Central Africa (Best Indigenous Language Film). This means that regions like Egypt, Morocco, Cameroon, and the DRC are now directly represented.
In addition, all films nominated for Best Movie this year had theatrical runs, signalling a shift where traditional cinema is currently outperforming global streaming platforms in the top category.
