FULL LIST: Tolu Ajayi’s mental health film scores 12 AMVCA 2024 nominations

Nigeria’s Tolu Ajayi secured 12 nominations at the 2024 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) with his film ‘Over The Bridge’.

The AMVCA announced nominations ahead of its 10th award show which will be held on May 11, 2024.

Ajayi amassed the most slots for his mental health-themed drama ‘Over The Bridge’ released in 2023.

‘Over The Bridge’ tells the story of the character Folarin Marinho who goes missing while working on a major project in Lagos.

It sheds light on mental health in corporate Lagos and one man’s response to what happens when life becomes unbearable.

Ajayi’s film was nominated across several award categories including “Best Movie”, “Best Director”, “Best Sound Design”, “Best Writing in a Movie”, and “Best Lead Actress”.

Another Nigerian filmmaker CJ Fiery Obasi’s 2023 fantasy thriller ‘Mami Wata’ followed closely, amassing at least 11 nominations.

See the full list below.

Best Digital Content

• National Treasure – Adebola Adeyela (Lizzy Jay)
• Medical Negligence and Copyright Infringement – Isaac Ayomide Olayiwola (Layi Wasabi)
• Hello Neighbour – Elozonam Ogbolu, Lina Idoko and Jemima Osunde
• The Boyfriend – Maryam Apaokagi-Greene

Best Indigenous Language Film (West Africa)

• Mami Wata (CJ Fiery Obasi)
• Jagun Jagun (Femi Adebayo)
• Ijogbon (Kunle Afolayan)
• Orisa (Odunlade Adekola)
• Nana Akoto (Kwabena Gyansah)

Best Indigenous Language (East Africa)

• Where The River Divides
• Ormoilaa Ogol (The Strong One)
• Wandongwa
• Nakupenda
• Itifaki

Best Indigenous Language (South Africa)

• Service To Heart
• Uncle Limbani
• Motshameko O Kotsi

Best Multichoice Talent Factory Movie

• Grown
• Her Dark Past
• Somewhere in Kole
• Full-Time Husband
• The 11th Commandment
• Mfumukazi

Best Scripted M-Net Original

• Slum King
• Half Open Window
• Itura
• The Passenger
• Magic Room

Best Unscripted M-Net Original

• What Will People Say
• The Irabors’ Forever After
• Nwuyee Bekee (Foreign Wives)
• Date My Family Zambia
• Royal Qlique (Season 2)

Best Indigenous M-Net Original

• The Passenger
• Nana Akoto
• Apo
• Irora Iya
• Love Transfusion (Kiapo Cha Damu)

Best Short Film

• T’egbon T’aburo
• Broken Mask
• Eighteenth Year
• Man and Masquerades
• A Place Called Forward

Best Supporting Actor

• Alexx Ekubo (Afamefuna)
• Demola Adedoyin (Breath of Life)
• Itele d Icon (Jagun Jagun: The Warrior)
• Gregory Ojefua (This is Life)
• Timini Egbuson (A Tribe Called Judah)
• Levi Chikere (Blood Vessel)
• Ropo Ewenla (Over the Bridge)

Best Supporting Actress

• Joke Silva (Over the Bridge)
• Fathia Williams (Jagun Jagun – The Warrior)
• Bimbo Akintola (The Black Book)
• Genoveva Umeh (Breath of Life)
• Eliane Umuhire (Omen)
• Tana Adelana (Ijogbon – Chaos)
• Ejiro Onojaife (The Origin: Madam Koi Koi)

Best Lead Actor

• Wale Ojo (Breath of Life)
• Stan Nze (Afamefuna)
• Marc Zinga (Omen)
• Gideon Okeke (Egun)
• David Ezekiel (Blood Vessel)
• Richard Mofe Damijo (The Black Book)
• Adedimeji Lateef (Jagun Jagun – The Warrior)
• Gabriel Afolayan (This is Lagos)

Best Lead Actress

• Segi Lolaogidan (Over the Bridge)
• Lucie Debay (Omen)
• Omowunmi Dada (Asiri Ade)
• Ireti Doyle (The Origin: Madam Koi Koi)
• Adaobi L. Dibor (Blood Vessel)
• Evelyne Ily (Mami Wata)
• Kehinde Bankole (Adire)
• Funke Akindele (A Tribe Called Judah)

Best Cinematography

• MAMI WATA (Lílis Soares)
• Blood Vessel (Gideon Chukwu)
• Over The Bridge (KC Obiajulu)
• Breath of Life (Ola Cardoso)
• Jagun Jagun – The Warrior (Adeoluwa Owu)
• Ijogbon – Chaos (Adekunle Nodash Adejuyigbe)
• Omen (Joachim Philippe)

Best Editing

• Chuka Ejorh And Onyekachi Banjo (Over The Bridge)
• Holmes Awa (Breath of Life)
• Alex Kamau And Victor Obok (Volume)
• Dayo Nathaniel (Ogeere – Earth)
• Antonio Ribeiro (The Black Book)
• Nathan Delannoy (Mami Wata)

Best Sound Design

• Ava Momoh (Over the Bridge)
• Daniel Pellerin and Amin Bhatia (Kipkemboi)
• Grey Jones Ossai x2 (Breathe of Life and Blood Vessel)
• Samy Bardet (Mami Wata)

Best Art Direction

• Blood Vessel (Victor Akpan)
• Over The Bridge (Abisola Omolade)
• Breath of Life (Okechukwu Frost Nwankwo, Kelechi Odu)
• The Black Book (Pat Nebo and Chima Temple)
• Jagun Jagun: The Warrior (Tunji Afolayan)
• Mami Wata (C.J Fiery Obasi)
• Omen (Eve Martin)

Best Costume Design

• Demola Adeyemi (Over The Bridge)
• Bolanle Austin Peters, Ituen Basi, Folake Coker and Clement Effanga (Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti)
• Lola Awe (Jagun Jagun: The Warrior)
• Bunmi Demilola Fashina (Mami Wata)
• Daniel Obasi (Breath of Life)

Best Makeup

• Francesca Otaigbe (Over the Bridge)
• Campbell Precious (Mami Wata)
• Hadizat Gambo (Mojisola)
• Hakeem Onilogbo (Jagun Jagun – The Warrior)
• Feyisayo Oyebisi (A Tribe Called Judah)

Best Writing TV Series

• Skinny Girl in Transit (Season 7)
• Wura (Season 2)
• Visa on Arrival
• MTV Shuga Naija
• Volume
• Masquerades of Aniedo
• Slum King

Best Writing in a Movie

• Breath of Life (BB Sasore)
• Over The Bridge (Tosin Otudeko)
• Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (Tunde Babalola)
• Jagun Jagun: The Warrior (Adebayo Tijani)
• Afamefuna (Anyanwu Sandra Adaora)
• A Tribe Called Judah (Olufunke Ayotunde Akindele, Collins Okoh and Akinlabi Ishola)
• Mami Wata (CJ Fiery Obasi)

Best Documentary

• Ormoilaa Ogol (The Strong One)
• Lobola, A Bride’s True Price?
• Empalikino (Forgiveness)
• The Water Manifesto: Osun (Water for Gold)
• Sowing Hope

Best Scripted Series

• Volume
• Wura (Season 2)
• Slum King
• Itura
• Chronicles

Best Unscripted Series

• Lol Naija (Season 1)
• Nightlife In Lasgidi
• The Real Housewives Of Lagos (Season 2)
• Gh Queens (Season 2)
• Mutale Mwanza Unscripted (Season 1)

Best Director

• Moses Inwang (Blood Vessel)
• Adebayo Tijani And Tope Adebayo (Jagun Jagun – The Warrior)
• Bb Sasore (Breath of Life)
• Johnscott Enah (Half Heaven)
• C.J Fiery Obasi (MAMI WATA)
• Kayode Kasum (Afamefuna)
• Tolu Ajayi (Over The Bridge)

Best Movie

• Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti
• Breath of Life
• Over The Bridge
• Blood Vessel
• A Tribe Called Judah
• The Black Book
• MAMI WATA