A name for readability: Can the AMVCA rise to its personal ambitions? [OPINION]

From Votes to Verdicts: A Shift in Identification

The 2025 edition, with its perplexing nominations and some eyebrow-raising winners, made one thing clear: the AMVCA’s internal processes have not caught up with its lofty ambitions. This piece is not a critique of MultiChoice or the hardworking organizers, but a constructive call for the AMVCA to rise to the level of excellence it already promises.

Dressed to Impress, But Hard to Digest: Inside AMVCA 2025

This year’s edition had much to celebrate, vibrant media coverage, notable performances, and memorable moments. However, beneath the surface, there were significant cracks in the foundation.

Let’s begin with Freedom Way, which won Best Movie despite not receiving nominations in critical categories such as Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Actor, Best Actress, or Best Art Direction. How can a film win the top prize without excelling in the areas that typically define cinematic excellence? This is one out of many. 

Then there’s the issue of accessibility. The AMVCA’s official guidelines state that nominated films must be “produced and broadcast or publicly exhibited” between January 1 and December 31 of the previous year. One would assume that public exhibitions include cinemas, video-on-demand (VOD) platforms, or television. Yet, several 2025 nominees; Freedom Way, Phoenix Fury, Agemo, The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos, were shown only at film festivals, which cater to industry insiders, not the general audience.

Don’t get me wrong, some of these films are personal favorites. Phoenix Fury, for instance, is a standout. But if the AMVCA is still branding itself a viewers’ choice award, how can films that viewers have not seen be eligible, let alone win? Is the jury equating festival screenings with public exhibition? And if so, why? This isn’t in line with global standards, where festival runs are not substitutes for public access.

Judging the Judges: Why the AMVCA Jury Needs a Rethink

The AMVCA jury is composed of seasoned industry veterans, Femi Odugbemi, Steve Ayorinde, Mimi Bartels, Ireti Doyle, Debbie Odutayo, Biodun Stephen, Victor Okhai amongst other figures who have helped shape Nollywood as we know it. Their contributions are undeniable. But their long-standing involvement begs a difficult question: has the jury become too insular?

Moreover, this year’s edition saw a jury member’s film nominated across several categories and won one. While there’s no proof of bias, the optics are troubling. Prestigious global awards like the Oscars or BAFTAs have strict conflict-of-interest policies that prohibit jurors from participating in votes involving their own work. The AMVCA must adopt similar standards if it hopes to maintain legitimacy.

It may also be time to expand the jury. Include not only industry veterans, but critics, academics, emerging filmmakers, and international voices. A diverse jury would ensure a more balanced, less insular selection process, and restore public confidence.

How Are Winners Chosen? A Call for Transparency

Even beyond eligibility and jury composition, there remains a broader issue: opacity. The selection criteria are unclear. How are winners decided in technical categories like Best Editing or Best Cinematography? Are there rubrics or scoring systems? Or is it a purely subjective vote?

These are not just academic questions. Transparency is critical to public trust. When some films dominate both technical and performance categories, while others barely register despite strong work, suspicion naturally arises. A simplified, public-facing explanation of the judging process would go a long way toward restoring credibility.

Audience Votes: The Paradox of Believability

Ironically, some of the most credible outcomes in the 2025 edition came from the audience-voted categories. Best Digital Content Creator and Best Short Film saw fans passionately back their favorites, from online comedians to new storytellers, and the results, while influenced by social media, felt earned.

This irony cuts deep: the audience categories were more believable than the jury ones in a show still branded as a viewers’ choice award. This inconsistency points to an identity crisis. If the AMVCA is evolving into a jury award, then let it own that identity. If it wants to remain audience-focused, then its processes must reflect that too. You cannot be both the Oscars and the People’s Choice Awards and expect to maintain the integrity of either.

Lessons from the AMAA: Focus Over Flash

The Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), founded by the late Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, has long been considered a standard-bearer for African cinema. It doesn’t have the glitz or television reach of the AMVCA, but it has always prioritized substance over spectacle.

Since Anyiam-Osigwe’s passing, the AMAA has struggled for relevance. But its emphasis on artistic merit, clear eligibility rules, and a diverse, international jury still offers lessons. The AMVCA, with its reach, funding, and platform,has the potential to surpass the AMAA’s legacy, but only if it commits to the same rigor.

A Critics’ Choice for Africa? A Future Worth Considering

One bold solution may lie in the creation of a new African film award, modeled after the U.S. Critics Choice Awards, where professional critics, not industry insiders, evaluate work based on artistic merit and storytelling power. Such an award would complement both the AMVCA and AMAA, offering a third, balanced voice in the conversation.

But even without creating something new, the AMVCA can take actionable steps to regain its footing. These include:

• Clarifying the definition of “public exhibition.”

• Ensuring that all nominated films are widely accessible.

• Expanding the jury and enforcing strict conflict-of-interest policies.

• Publishing a simplified version of the judging criteria.

• Choosing and clearly communicating what kind of award the AMVCA wants to be.

Dear African Cinema

I write this not to tear down, but to build up. The AMVCA matters because African cinema matters. MultiChoice has created a platform that amplifies African voices and nurtures storytelling across the continent. For that, they deserve immense credit.

But with influence comes responsibility. The AMVCA must reflect the sacrifice and brilliance of the filmmakers it celebrates. It must ensure that when someone wins an award, the industry and the audience can say, without doubt, “Yes, that was deserved.”

As the lights dim on the 11th edition of the AMVCA, I am filled with both admiration and unease. Admiration for the extraordinary films and talents we’ve seen, and unease about the gaps in the system that threaten to overshadow them.

We are in a transformative moment for African cinema. From Lagos to Nairobi, Kigali to Johannesburg, stories are being told with newfound daring and depth. If the AMVCA wants to remain relevant in this golden age, it must evolve with clarity, courage, and integrity.

This is not a rebuke, it’s a call for help. A call to rise to the moment. Because no matter how bright the spotlight shines on awards night, the shadows will linger.