Nollywood heartthrob Lateef Adedimeji and a Burna Boy-produced thriller led a stellar parade of continental talent at the 21st Africa Movie Academy Awards on Sunday, where South African drama The Heart Is a Muscle clinched top honours in a vibrant celebration of Africa’s silver screen at the Balmoral Convention Centre in Ikeja.
The glitzy affair, drawing filmmakers from across the continent, spotlighted tales of resilience and cultural depth, with 3 Cold Dishes — a multilingual suspense yarn co-produced by global Afrobeat sensation Burna Boy and actress Osas Ighodaro — emerging as Nigeria’s pride by snagging Best Nigerian Film and nurturing a breakout star in young Ruby Akubueze.
Adedimeji, revered for his commanding portrayal in the historical epic Lisabi: The Uprising, scooped Best Actor in a Leading Role, embodying the warrior king’s defiance in a performance that fused raw emotion with historical gravitas. His win underscored Nollywood’s enduring grip on the awards, even as pan-African voices rose.
Burkina Faso’s Katanga: Dance of the Scorpions, a gripping narrative woven in local tongues, dazzled with a trio of accolades including Best Director for Dany Kouyaté, Best Film in an African Language, and Achievement in Screenplay, hailing the West African nation’s storytelling prowess amid regional turbulence.
Florence Mariserena’s poignant turn in Small Gods earned her Best Actress laurels, while supporting nods went to Clemento Ashietey in Last Stop and veteran Tina Mba in The Serpent Gift, blending Ghanaian grit with Nigerian finesse.
The Heart Is a Muscle, directed by debutant Imran Hamdulay, swept four prizes — Best Film, Best Debut Feature, Achievement in Cinematography, and Achievement in Editing — painting a raw portrait of township survival that resonated deeply with voters.
The evening’s eclectic haul extended to shorts like Kenya’s The Missing Piece for Best Short Film, Cameroon’s animated Dawn, and the Democratic Republic of Congo’s documentary The Journey East, alongside diaspora gems such as Jamaica’s Romeo N Juliet 4EVA and the US-Algeria co-production Rediscovering Fenon.
Tributes flowed for luminaries lost between January and November, from pioneering directors to unsung crew, as live musical interludes infused the hall with rhythmic homage to cinema’s sonic backbone — spotlighting Old Righteous Blues for Achievement in Soundtrack.
Organisers hailed the night’s diversity as a milestone, with technical feats like Lisabi: The Uprising’s makeup wizardry and For Land, For Love, For Power’s visual effects rounding out a tapestry that bridged borders and genres.
As AMAA cements its role in nurturing Africa’s narrative pulse, the 2025 edition signals a renaissance, where Burna Boy’s sonic fingerprints and Adedimeji’s thespian fire propel the industry toward broader global stages.
