AMAA 2026 Nominations: Women Directors Lead the Spotlight With Slum Bomber and One Woman, One Bra
As African cinema continues to gain international recognition, the nominations of Slum Bomber and One Woman, One Bra raise a bigger question: how are women directors reshaping the stories African cinema tells, and whose voices get to define its future?
The nominations for the 22nd Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) have brought films from across the continent into focus, with Uganda’s Slum Bomber and Kenya’s One Woman, One Bra emerging among the leading contenders. Both productions received 14 nominations each, drawing attention to their directors and the wider creative teams behind their success.
Directed by Maureen Jolly Nankya, Slum Bomber represents Uganda in several major categories, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress in a Leading Role, and Best Debut Feature Film by a Director. The film’s nominations also extend to screenplay, cinematography, editing, sound, production design, and makeup.
Kenya’s One Woman, One Bra, directed by Vincho Nchogu, has also secured 14 nominations. Its recognition spans Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Debut Feature Film by a Director, alongside several technical categories.
Women Directors in the Spotlight
The recognition of Maureen Jolly Nankya and Vincho Nchogu in the Best Director category offers a compelling entry point for examining women’s contributions to African cinema. Both filmmakers are also nominated for Best Debut Feature Film by a Director, placing their work within a category that recognises emerging directorial voices.
Their nominations arrive within a broader awards landscape that continues to bring filmmakers from different African countries into conversation. While the number of nominations signals strong recognition from the academy, the films’ presence across directing, performance, writing, and technical categories also draws attention to the collaborative work involved in filmmaking.
The Best Director category features nine nominees from across the continent. Alongside Maureen Jolly Nankya and Vincho Nchogu are Meekaaeel Adam for South Africa’s The Trek, Nwamaka Chikezie for Nigeria’s To Adaego With Love, Azlorabe Alaoui for collaboration of Côte d'Ivoire, France, Morocco; Colours of Exile, Daniel Etim-Effiong for Nigeria’s The Herd, Pheello Makosholo for South Africa’s Ben Made It, Kang Quintus for Cameroon’s Mabanda, and Zoey Martinson for Ghana’s The Fisherman.
Nigerian Films Make a Strong Showing
Nigeria is also well represented in this year’s nominations, with To Adaego With Love receiving 11 nominations and The Herd earning 10. The two productions feature prominently across major categories, including Best Film, Best Director, acting, screenplay, and technical achievements.
Directed by Nwamaka Chikezie, To Adaego With Love has earned recognition in categories including Best Actress in a Leading Role for Chisom Agoawuike and Best Debut Feature Film by a Director. Daniel Etim-Effiong’s The Herd also features across several categories, with Etim-Effiong nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Director.
Other Nigerian productions recognised include Colours of Fire, which received nine nominations, as well as Evi, Efunroye: The Unicorn, Suky, Iwe Ala, The Creek, Cordelia, and Onobiren: A Woman’s Story.
The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) Award for Best Nigerian Film features nine productions, reflecting the range of stories represented in Nigeria’s film industry this year.
A Continental Showcase of African Cinema
Beyond Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria, the nominations include productions from South Africa, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, and other countries, highlighting the geographical breadth of the awards.
South Africa’s The Trek and Ben Made It, alongside Côte d’Ivoire’s Colours of Exile, each received 10 nominations. Ghana’s The Fisherman and Cameroon’s Mabanda are also among the contenders in major categories.
The Best Film category brings together nine productions: The Trek (South Africa), To Adaego With Love (Nigeria), The Fisherman (Ghana), Colours of Exile (Côte d’Ivoire), Slum Bomber (Uganda), One Woman, One Bra (Kenya), The Herd (Nigeria), Ben Made It (South Africa), and Mabanda (Cameroon).
The shortlist extends beyond feature films to include documentary, animation, short film, and diaspora categories, recognising the different forms and perspectives shaping African and diasporic storytelling.
Coming from Central Africa,
Cameroonian cinema secured a notable presence at the 2026 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), with Kang Quintus’s Mabanda earning six nominations, including Best Film. The country received further recognition through Lights Out, which was nominated for Achievement in Production Design.
The nominations also highlight the growing visibility of Central African cinema on the continental stage. Historically, films from the region have had a less consistent presence in major African film awards conversations. However, over the past five years, filmmakers from Central Africa, particularly Cameroon, have increasingly made their mark, bringing more of the region’s stories and creative voices into the spotlight. This year's AMAA nominations offer another opportunity to recognise that progress and the growing contribution of Central African filmmakers to African cinema.
Looking Ahead to AMAA 2026
The 22nd Africa Movie Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for 15 November 2026 at the Lagos Marriott Hotel in Lagos, Nigeria.
As the awards approach, Slum Bomber and One Woman, One Bra offer a timely focus for conversations about women directing African films and the range of creative contributions recognised by continental awards. Their nominations sit within a wider field of filmmakers whose work reflects the diversity of African cinema.
For the full list of nominees, visit AMAA Instagram page.
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