AMAA 2025: Burkina Faso’s Katanga leads nominees list
By Tosin Brown –
Burkina Faso’s film Katanga has topped the list of nominees at the AMAA 2025 nomination announcement.
The event was held in Lagos on Saturday evening at the BON Hotel Residence.
Burkina Faso’s Katanga: Dance of the Scorpions dominated with 10 nominations, while Nigeria’s Lisabi earned seven nominations.
The nominations were announced by African actors of Nigerian descent, including Lilian Aluko, Emeka Ossai, Charles Inojie, and Adaora Anyanwu. Other dignitaries who participated in announcing the nominees included Nigerian media personality Chris Kehinde Nwandu, Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board, Dr. Shaibu Husseini, and former Lagos Commissioner, Steve Ayorinde. Both Husseini and Ayorinde represented the AMAA jury at the event.
The nominations were streamed live worldwide on AMAA’s online platforms, as well as the film academy’s digital channels on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and X.
Also present at the nominees’ unveiling, which was anchored by veteran Nollywood actor and singer Segun Arinze, were members of the AMAA board led by Dr. Raymond Anyiam-Osigwe, Mr. George Anyiam-Osigwe, AMAA COO Tony Anih, Teco Benson, Lancelot Imasuen, and several others.
Full list below:
1. EFERE OZAKO AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM
The Missing Piece – Kenya
Vandals – Mozambique
Echoes From The Past- Nigeria/UK
Abu Judy -Egypt
Chikha-Queen – Morrocco
MIA – Burkina Faso
Stigma – Tunisia
LEES WAXUL – Senegal
The last Harvest – Cape Verde
2. JUBRIL MALAFIA AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATION
Dawn – Cameroun
My Brother, My Brother- Egypt/France/Germany
The Travails of Ajadi – Nigeria
Nkizzi’s First Day – Uganda
Amara and the Spirit of Nyamagunda – Uganda
Monologue – Nigeria/UK
3. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Journey East – DRC
Double Minority – Nigeria
The Empty Grave – Tanzania/UK
Khartoum – Sudan/UK
Ancestral Visions of the Future -Lesotho/France/Germany
4. OUSMANE SEMBENE AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST FILM IN AN AFRICAN LANGUAGE
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso
Small Gods – Uganda/UK
Lukas – Namibia
Lobola Man – South Africa
Lisabi: The Uprising
The Heart is a Muscle – South Africa
5. MICHAEL ANYIAM OSIGWE AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST FILM BY AN AFRICAN LIVING ABROAD:
Lemohang Jeremiah – Ancestral Visions of the Future –
Lesotho/France/Germany
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions – Dany Kouyate (B/Faso)
Khartoum – Ibrahim Snoopy – Sudan
6. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA SHORT
Cartes – USA
Superman Doesn’t steal – USA
Harvest – USA
7. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA
DOCUMENTARY
The Billy Preston Story – USA
Carnival: ‘They Cant Steal Our Joy – Canada*
Missing Rio Doce – Brazil/France
Rediscovering Fenon – USA/Algeria/Martinique
8. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA
NARRATIVE FEATURE
Sisters Maid – Brazil
Romeo N Juliet 4EVA – Jamaica
The Model, The Mannequin and Me – USA
9. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions
The Heart is a Muscle
3 Cold Dishes
Last Stop
Red Circle
10. AMAA 2025 ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions
The Lost Days
The Masked King
The Serpent Gift
Hunting Jessica Brok
11. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-
UP
Spelonk
Lisabi: The Uprising
Amanayanbo
The Masked King
The Heart is a Muscle
12. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN
SOUNDTRACK
Recall
Freedom Way
Old Righteous Blues
Kites
Le Point- The Bridge
13. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN
VISUAL EFFECT
For Land, For Love, For Power
Lisabi
Spelonk
Hunting Jessica Brok
Amanayanbo: The Eagle King
14. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND
Algiers
Old Righteous Blues
Le Point – The Bridge
Hunting Jessica Brok
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso
15. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN
CINEMATOGRAPHY
3 cold dishes
Old Righteous Blues
Spelonk
Small gods
For love, for land, for power
The Heart is a muscle
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso
16. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN
EDITING
For Love, For Land, For power
Spelonk
The Heart is a Muscle
3 Cold Dishes
Algiers
17. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN
SCREEN PLAY
Old Righteous Blues
Le Point – The Bridge
For Love, For Land, For Power
Small Gods
Red circle
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso
(Nigeria)
The Heart is a Muscle – Imran Hamdulay (South Africa)
Asurf Oluseyi – 3 Cold Dishes (Nigeria)
Asher Rosen- Small Gods – (Uganda)
Theodros Teshome -For Love, For Land, For Power (Ethiopia)
Dany Kouyate – Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso
Kwabena Gwansah – Last Stop (Ghana)
Chakib Taleb-Bendiab – Algiers (Algeria)
26. AMAA 2025 AWARD FOR BEST FILM
Algiers – Algeria
3 Cold Dishes – Nigeria
The Heart is a Muscle – South Africa
Small Gods – Uganda
For Love, For Land, For Power -Ethiopia
Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso
Last Stop – Ghana
Lisabi: The Uprising (Nigeria)
