The Story ⚡
Multiple nominations across Nollywood’s big titles.
Here’s a breakdown of the titles with the highest nominations
Anikulapo
African folklore piece Anikulapo, created by Kunle Afolayan and distributed by Netflix, makes a significant entrance into the 9th edition of the AMVCA as it bags 16 nominations.
Anikulapo is an African fantasy film about Saro and his second chance at life, it follows a zealous traveller who encounters a mythical bird with the power to give him another chance.
The film which was released on the 30th of September 2022 was top of the list of the most-watched Netflix movies in 2022, and it stayed at the top for 59 days.
Shanty Town
Created by Xavier Ighorodje and Chichi Nworah, Shanty Town follows the story of a ruthless leader named Scar who handles a lot of dirty business and is popularly regarded as the King of Shanty Town. The film is centred around the lives of prostitutes seeking freedom, drug-dealing pimp, and corrupt politicians.
This crime-thriller was released on the 20th of January 2023 and featured on the Netflix Naija Top 10 Series between January 1st and March 31st.
It was also in the Top 10 category on Netflix UK for two days and Netflix UAE for 6days. The thriller bags 11 AMVCA nominations.
Brotherhood
Jade Osiberu’s Nollywood crime-thriller Brotherhood no doubt features in this list, with 11 nominations including Best Director and Best Overall Movie.
This 2022 flick centres around two brothers on different sides of the law. After making an initial ₦328,881,120 at the box office, Brotherhood witnessed a second release to the streaming platform Amazon Prime. The film hit the mark as the most watched film coming 1st on the streamer’s top 10 list between January 1st to March 31st in more than 20 African countries.
Battle on Buka Street
Big screen release, Battle on Buka Street is a story of a lifetime of rivalry when two half-sisters find themselves at loggerheads once again when they set up food businesses on the same street.
Created by Funke Akindele and Tobi Makinde, Battle on Buka Street is a drama-comedy that was released on the 16th of December 2022.
It is interesting to note that Battle on Buka Street made a box office revenue of ₦640 million, overtaking the creator’s Omo Ghetto: The Saga, making it Nollywood’s highest-grossing film.
The film bagged 10 nominations for the 9th edition of the AMVCA.
King Of Thieves (Agesinkole)
From the stables of Euphoria360 media and Anthill Studios is King of Thieves, a story of a vindictive bandit who threatens the peace of a flourishing kingdom, however, the native mystical and worldly forces must come together to save the day.
Released on the 8th of April 2022, King of Thieves made a box office revenue of ₦320,805,150 and grabbed 7 nominations for this year’s 9th AMVCA.
Snubs
This is a checklist of snubs from the above-nominated titles
- Kunle Remi – Saro – Best Actor
- Akah Nnani – Best Actor
- Ronke Oshodi – Best Supporting Actress in a Drama
- Ibrahim Chatta – Best Supporting Actor in a Drama
- Best Writer – Crime and Justice
- Best Online Creator – Layi Wassabi
Multiple Nods in the Same Category
Titles that have two actors vying for the same award may look grand but quite disastrous as it requires huge introspection. if both actors campaign vigorously, both are bound to lose. However if one steps down for the other quietly and the whole team rallies behind one candidate, only then can a win be guaranteed.
The best Actress category as seen below exhibits the dilemma perfectly in not one but two scenarios.
Ini Edo v Nse Ikpe Etim
Enado v Ini Dima
One has to step down or they both lose the risk of losing the award to another project.
In Summary
The AMVCA awards categories are divided into voting and non-voting categories. This means that the viewers will decide the winners of a total of 12 categories while the awards panel will select the winners of the other 20 categories.
This year’s AMVCA will be a three-day event from May 18th-20th, 2023.
To vote for your preferred film or creative, head over to the AMVCA website.
May the best campaign win!
