Nigeria’s ‘The Weekend’ Leads 20th AMAA with 16 Nominations

Iyke Bede

Nigerian thriller ‘The Weekend’ has racked up a whopping 16 nominations at the 20th edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), becoming the most nominated film in this landmark edition.

Directed by Daniel Oriahi, with a cast ensemble including rising star Uzoamaka Aniunoh, alongside veterans Gloria Anozie and Keppy Ekpenyong-Bassey, it has positioned Nigeria to claim glory in categories including the big four — Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress.

Following closely behind with nine nominations is the Igbo epic ‘Out of Breath,’ a collaborative piece between creatives in Nigeria and the UK. Another Nigerian epic, ‘Jagun Jagun,’ comes in third place with seven nominations.

Running on the theme ‘Celebrating African Creativity,’ this year’s edition received a total of 386 films, which were distilled into 26 categories using seven distinct selection steps by a team of international jurors from the screener college, headed by Dr Shaibu Husseini, CEO of the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB).

The announcement of the nominations marked the kickoff of activities planned for the 20th edition. During the announcement ceremony, AMAA CEO Raymond Anyiam-Osigwe outlined the activities planned for the 2024 edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards, noting that this year’s event is particularly significant as it marks the 20th anniversary. He highlighted key events, including the launch of the AMAA coffee table book, the AMAA Africa Night of Legends, AMAA Meets Nollywood, the AMAA Africa Fashion Show and Exhibition, and the prestigious AMAA Gala Night.

The AMAA coffee table book will launch on October 25, followed by the AMAA Africa Night of Legends on November 1. The awards ceremony and gala night will take place on Saturday, November 2 at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.