‘3 Cold Dishes,’ a pan-African thriller co-produced by Afrofusion star Burna Boy and actress Osas Ighodaro, was crowned the ‘Best Nigerian Film’ at the 2025 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA).
In addition to the top Nigerian honour, ‘3 Cold Dishes’ also secured the ‘Achievement in Production Design’ award, while its star Ruby Akubueze was named ‘Best Young/Promising Actor’.
The 21st AMAA was held on Sunday night at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Sheraton Hotel, in Ikeja, Lagos.
The event opened with a theatrical flourish, as veteran actor Pete Edochie took to the stage in a divine role, seated between two angels.
In character, he referred to the African continent as God’s first and most favored creation.
“I created the African continent before the other continent,” he declared.
“This is why our men and women run faster than all the other people in the world. I made you people very comfortable.”
Edochie, alongside fellow actor Tony Umez, further amused the audience with a short play depicting activities in heaven.
The official proceedings were opened by Raymond Anyiam-Osigwe, who welcomed guests and received the 26 sealed envelopes containing the 2025 winners from the jury.
The ceremony was punctuated with musical performances from acclaimed Afrobeat singer Made Kuti, who serenaded the crowd, and the Godbless & Ebony Band.
The night’s biggest accolades were shared by two powerful films. The Burkinabe production ‘Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions’ emerged as a major force, winning four awards including ‘Achievement In Costume Design’, ‘Best Film in an African Language’, ‘Achievement In Screenplay’, and the coveted ‘Best Director’ prize.
It was matched by the South African film ‘The Heart is a Muscle,’ which also won four awards. Its triumphs included ‘Achievement in Cinematography’, ‘Achievement in Editing,’ and the ceremony’s top honor, the overall ‘Best Film’.
Another Nigerian film, ‘Lisabi: The Uprising’ by Lateef Adedimeji, also made a strong showing, taking home two awards for ‘Best Actor’ and ‘Achievement in Makeup’.
Efere Ozako Award for Best Short Film
- The Missing Piece – Kenya
- Vandals – Mozambique
- Echoes From The Past- Nigeria/UK
- Abu Judy -Egypt
- Chikha-Queen – Morocco
- MIA – Burkina Faso
- Stigma – Tunisia
- Lee’s Waxul – Senegal – WINNER
- The last Harvest – Cape Verde
Jibril Malafia Award for Best Animation
- Dawn – Cameroun
- My Brother, My Brother- Egypt/France/Germany – WINNER
- The Travails of Ajadi – Nigeria
- Nkizzi’s First Day – Uganda
- Amara and the Spirit of Nyamagunda – Uganda
- Monologue – Nigeria/UK
Best Documentary
- The Journey East – DRC
- Double Minority – Nigeria
- The Empty Grave – Tanzania/UK
- Khartoum – Sudan/UK – WINNER
- Ancestral Visions of the Future -Lesotho/France/Germany
Ousmane Sembene Award for Best Film in an African Language
- Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso – WINNER
- Small Gods – Uganda/UK
- Lukas – Namibia
- Lobola Man – South Africa
- Lisabi: The Uprising – Nigeria
- The Heart is a Muscle – South Africa
Michael Anyiam Odigwe Award for Best Film by an African Living Abroad
- Lemohang Jeremiah – ‘Ancestral Visions of the Future’ -Lesotho/France/Germany – WINNER
- ‘Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions’ – (B/Faso)
- Khartoum – Ibrahim Snoopy – Sudan
Best Diaspora Short
- Cartes – USA
- Superman Doesn’t steal – USA – WINNER
- Harvest – USA
Best Diaspora Documentary
- The Billy Preston Story – USA
- Carnival: ‘They Can’t Steal Our Joy – Canada
- Missing Rio Doce – Brazil/France
- Rediscovering Fenon – USA/Algeria/Martinique – WINNER
Best Diaspora Narrative Feature
- Sisters Maid – Brazil
- Romeo N Juliet 4EVA – Jamaica – WINNER
- The Model, The Mannequin and Me – USA
Award for Achievement in Production Design
- Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions
- The Heart is a Muscle
- 3 Cold Dishes – WINNER
- Last Stop
- Red Circle
Achievement In Costume Design
- Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions – WINNER
- The Lost Days
- The Masked King
- The Serpent Gift
- Hunting Jessica Brok
Award for Achievement In Make-up
- Spelonk
- Lisabi: The Uprising – WINNER
- Amanayanbo
- The Masked King
- The Heart is a Muscle
Award for Achievement In Soundtrack
- Recall
- Freedom Way
- Old Righteous Blues – WINNER
- Kites
- Le Point- The Bridge
Award for Achievement In Visual Effects
- For Land, For Love, For Power – WINNER
- Lisabi
- Spelonk
- Hunting Jessica Brok
- Amanayanbo: The Eagle King
Award for Achievement In Sound
- Algiers – WINNER
- Old Righteous Blues
- Le Point – The Bridge
- Hunting Jessica Brok
- Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso
Award for Achievement In Cinematography
- 3 Cold Dishes
- Old Righteous Blues
- Spelonk
- Small gods
- For love, for land, for power
- The Heart is a muscle – WINNER
- Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso
Award for Achievement In Editing
- For Love, For Land, For power
- Spelonk
- The Heart is a Muscle – WINNER
- 3 Cold Dishes
- Algiers
Award for Achievement In Screenplay
- Old Righteous Blues
- Le Point – The Bridge
- For Love, For Land, For Power
- Small Gods
- Red circle
- Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso – WINNER
NFVCB Award for Best Nigerian Film
- Lisabi: The Uprising
- Recall
- Freedom Way
- The Serpent Gift
- Amanayanbo
- 3 Cold Dishes
- Red Circle
- The Masked King
Award for Best Young/ Promising Actor
- Alejandro Cooper- Lukas
- Turinayo Jatham – Small gods
- Tiwalola Adebola-Walter – Freedom Way
- Kisi Ogborueche – Kill Boro
- Ruby Akubueze – 3 Cold Dishes
Award For Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- Kojo Boakye – Two of a Kind
- Femi Jacobs – Freedom Way
- Clemento Ashietey – Last Stop – WINNER
- Abdulai Saidu Kamara – Code of Honor
Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
- Zohra Chetioui – Le Point- The Bridge
- Tina Mba – The Serpent Gift – WINNER
- Fadela Brown – Old Righteous Blues
- Bukky Wright – Red Circle
Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
- Keenan Arrison – The Heart is a Muscle
- Debebe Eshetu – For love, for land, for power
- Adjetey Anang – Last Stop- WINNER
- Lateef Adedimeji – Lisabi: The Uprising – WINNER
- Ayden Croy- Old Righteous Blues
- Bizimana Hussain – Small Gods
- Mahamadi Nana – Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso
- Nabil Asli – Algiers
Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
- Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman – The Serpent Gift
- Analisa Munyana – Mucoma: The Battle of the Couple
- Shaffy Bello – The Masked King
- Danica De La Ray Jones- Hunting Jessica Brok
- Getahun Hailu – For Love, For Land, For Power
- Florence Mariserena – Small gods – WINNER
- Meriem Medjkane – Algiers
- Osas Ighodaro, Fat Toure and Maud Guerard – 3 Cold Dishes
Award for Best Debut Feature Film by a Director
- The Lost Days – Wingonia Ikpi
- Small Gods- Asher Rosen
- Algiers- Chakib Taleb-Bendiab
- Kill Boro- Obayuwana Courage
- The Heart is a Muscle – Imran Hamdulay
- Freedom Way – Afolabi Olalekan
Award for Best Director
- Niyi Akinmolayan- Lisabi: The Uprising (Nigeria)
- The Heart is a Muscle – Imran Hamdulay (South Africa)
- Asurf Oluseyi – 3 Cold Dishes (Nigeria)
- Asher Rosen- Small Gods – (Uganda)
- Theodros Teshome -For Love, For Land, For Power (Ethiopia)
- Dany Kouyate – Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso – WINNER
- Kwabena Gwansah – Last Stop (Ghana)
- Chakib Taleb-Bendiab – Algiers (Algeria)
Award for Best Film
- Algiers – Algeria
- 3 Cold Dishes – Nigeria
- The Heart is a Muscle – South Africa
- Small Gods – Uganda
- For Love, For Land, For Power -Ethiopia
- Katanga: Dance of The Scorpions -B/Faso
- Last Stop – Ghana
- Lisabi: The Uprising (Nigeria)”
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