Funke Akindele walked away empty-handed at the 12th Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards despite her film Behind the Scenes earning four major nominations. The movie, which raked in over ₦2 billion at the Nigerian box office, was up for Best Movie, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Supporting Actor. The awards ceremony, held on Saturday at Eko Hotel and Suites, saw other projects take home the top honors. Linda Ejiofor emerged as one of the night's biggest winners, claiming both Best Lead Actress for The Serpent's Gift and Best Supporting Actress for The Herd. Uzor Arukwe won Best Lead Actor for Colors of Fire, his first AMVCA win, while Bucci Franklin took Best Supporting Actor for To Kill a Monkey, beating Uzor Arukwe, who was also nominated in the same category for Behind the Scenes. The Best Movie award went to My Father's Shadow, directed by Akinola Davies Jr., a film that had previously made history as the first Nigerian production selected for the official competition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Veteran actors Kanayo O. Kanayo and Sola Sobowale received the Industry Merit Award for their decades-long contributions to Nollywood. Uche Montana was honored with the Trailblazer Award, and makeup artiste Hakeem Onilogbo won Best Makeup. Lisabi: A Legend Is Born, produced by Lateef Adedimeji, won Best Indigenous Language Film (West Africa), while Leave To Live by Emmanuel Kanaga and Sophia Chisom earned Best Digital Content Creator. Comedians Bovi Ugboma and South African actress Nomzamo Mbatha co-hosted the event. Despite the lack of wins, Behind the Scenes remained a cultural talking point, with fans online praising its commercial success and audience reach.
Funke Akindele's shutout at the AMVCAs despite a ₦2 billion box office run exposes the gap between audience impact and industry recognition. A film can dominate cinemas and spark national conversation but still fail to translate that success into awards. The ceremony honored legacy and individual performances, but overlooked a project that redefined commercial viability in Nollywood this year. This disconnect raises questions about what the awards truly measure.
Editorial note: AI-assisted opinion, not established fact. Full disclaimer →
