AMAA 2024: Nigeria’s The Weekend & Jagun Jagun, S/Africa’s The Queenstown Kings Emerge Top Winners

• The 20th Africa Movie Academy Awards, AMAA, was held on Saturday, November 2, in Lagos
• It was a celebration of African filmmakers laced with music performances by African best
• AMAA2024 had filmmakers across the continent going home with coveted awards

The highly anticipated 20th edition of the continental film awards ceremony, the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) was held in a fully packed venue on Saturday, November 2, 2024.

The board of the Africa Film Academy (AFA), the organisers of AMAA, held the 2024 edition amidst pomp and glee at the Balmoral Convention Centre in Ikeja, GRA.

The five-hour-long film awards ceremony was co-produced by Kingsley James, and Raymond Anyiam-Osigwe in Lagos, Nigeria.

Over 700 guests from different parts of Africa converged at the venue, and 26 awards were won by African film practitioners, including actors, cinematographers, producers, costumiers, set designers, and more.

With breath-taking performances from legendary Afrobeat star Femi Kuti to Yinka Davies, the night was brightened by a long list of pan-African artists, including Narh Tettey, Bedwei Kwaku and Adina Thembi.

AMAA 2024 winners’ full list here:

Some of the biggest winners of the memorable night include Nigeria’s Daniel Oriahi for the film The Weekend, who bagged four awards; Femi Adebayo’s Jagun Jagun won three; and South Africa’s Jahmil X.T. Qubeka for The Queenstown Kings went home with four.

Uganda’s ‘The Last Shoe Maker won the Efere Ozako AMAA 2024 AWARD for Best Short Film.

Kenya’s CounterPunch won the Jubril Malafia AMAA 2024 Best Animation winner, Mozambique won the Best Documentary award with ‘The Night Still Smells of Gun Powder’, South Africa’s’ The Queenstown Kings’ won the Ousmane Sembene AMAA 2024 Award for Best Film in an African language.

Raymond Anyiam-Osigwe addresses guests

AMAA’s CEO, Raymond Anyiam-Osigwe, reiterated the need for African creatives to remain united while leveraging on platforms like AMAA as a springboard to global fame.

He also promised that the family would continue with the legacies of the late Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, who impacted the African film industry and filmmakers before her passing. He stressed that preparation for the 20th edition began before the founder’s death as he promised to continue partnerships created and made since the inception of the continental film award.

Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musawa, led dignitaries, including industry captains and film practitioners across Africa and beyond.

Femi Adebayo celebrates AMAA 2024 wins

Excited about his latest conquest, the Nollywood actor and film producer celebrated his wins with his fans.

Sharing a video of him receiving one of the plaques from his colleague Zubby Michael, Femi expressed his joy with the caption:

“Thrilled to announce JAGUN JAGUN (The WARRIOR) – a Netflix Original Movie, won three awards at the 2024 AMAA AWARDS, in the following categories: Best Male Actor in A Supporting Role, Achievement in Makeup, Achievement in Visual Effects.”

Read the full caption here:

Femi Adebayo shares what’s next after Jagun Jagun

Over the last five years, the Nollywood actor has proven to be one of Nigeria’s best producers and actors.

Over the last three years, at least one of Femi Adebayo’s movies won an award, and they are mostly indigenous movies.

He said:

“I have found my strength, and I know where to channel it into. Also, nobody can tell our stories better than ourselves, which is why I have decided to channel strength to create indigenous content.”