The 2026 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards nominations are out, and two titles are clearly setting the pace - Gingerrr and The Herd. Both films lead the pack with nine nominations each, cutting across major categories and signaling strong industry recognition in both technical and performance departments.
It’s not just about the numbers. It’s about where those nominations sit and what they say about the films’ impact.
Gingerrr shows impressive range, landing nominations in acting categories, technical crafts, writing, directing, and even Best Overall Movie. From Best Supporting Actor and Actress to Cinematography, Sound Design, and Music Score, the film has managed to tick nearly every major box. That kind of spread usually points to a well-rounded production that got a lot of things right at once.
The Herd matches that momentum with its own nine nominations, also stretching across acting, technical, and top-tier categories. With nods in Best Lead Actress, Supporting Actress, Cinematography, Art Direction, and Best Overall Movie, it’s clear the film resonated both in front of and behind the camera. Its presence in writing and directing categories further shows that it’s not just a performance-driven project, but one backed by solid storytelling and execution.
Right behind the leaders is To Kill A Monkey with eight nominations. The film shows strength in acting categories and technical departments, alongside a nomination for Best Scripted Series and Best Overall Movie. It’s one of the few titles balancing both film and series recognition, which makes its position even more interesting.
My Father’s Shadow follows with seven nominations, leaning heavily into the technical side of filmmaking. With mentions in Cinematography, Editing, Sound Design, and Music Score, alongside Best Director and Best Overall Movie, it stands out as a strong craft-driven contender.
A tier below, 3 Cold Dishes and The Serpent’s Gift each secured six nominations. 3 Cold Dishes spreads across acting, editing, writing, directing, and Best Overall Movie, while The Serpent’s Gift combines its Best Indigenous Language Film (West Africa) nod with acting and technical recognition, showing its dual appeal as both a cultural and cinematic piece.
Then there’s Behind The Scenes with five nominations, holding its ground with strong acting representation and a Best Overall Movie nod, while Colours Of Fire pulls in four nominations, largely across performance and design categories.
The mid-tier category is where things get even more interesting. Films and series like Osamede, Inimba, The Yard, Suky, The Party, MTV Shuga Mashariki, Lisabi: A Legend Is Born, and Aljana all secured three nominations each. These are the projects that may not be leading the count but are still firmly in the conversation and could pull off surprises on the night.
Further down, a wide range of titles picked up two nominations each, including Cordelia, Undugu, The Chocolate Empire, Out N’ About (Harar), Addis Fikir, Something About The Briggs, Labake Olododo, The Real Housewives Of Lagos, Sebata: The Beast, Ben Made It, Mother Of The Brides, Red Circle, Bet I Love You, and Oversabi Aunty. This spread highlights just how diverse this year’s nominations are, with representation across regions, genres, and formats.
What stands out overall is the balance. While Gingerrr and The Herd clearly dominate, the nominations list (SEE FULL LIST HERE) reflects a wide ecosystem of storytelling from indigenous language films across different African regions to M-Net originals, documentaries, and reality TV.
Still, all eyes will be on the two frontrunners. Leading with nine nominations each, Gingerrr and The Herd have done more than just show up, they’ve set the tone for the 2026 AMVCAs. Now, it’s a waiting game to see if nomination dominance will translate into wins.