17th Africa Movie Academy Awards

17th Africa Movie Academy Awards
17th Africa Movie Academy Awards
Date	28 November 2021
Site	Mariott Hotel, Lagos
Highlights
Best Film	The Gravedigger's Wife (Somalia)
Most awards	The Gravedigger's Wife (Somalia) - 4 Awards
Most nominations	The Gravedigger's Wife (Somalia)
	← 16th ; Africa Movie Academy Awards ; 18th →;

Last updated September 02, 2025

The 2021 African Movie Academy Award ceremony was held on Sunday 28 November 2021 at the Marriott Hotel in Lagos Nigeria.^[1]

Submissions for consideration for the awards were held between 31 May and 31 July 2021.^[2] Over 500 films were submitted for consideration.^[3]

The nominees in 26 categories were announced in a ceremony held at Ebony Life Place, Victoria Island Lagos, on Friday 29 October 2021 by the head of the jury, Steve Oluseyi Ayorinde.^[4] The Somalian movie, Gravedigger’s Wife received the highest number of nominations including Best Film in African Language, Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Best Director.^[5] Other nominated films include Omo Ghetto: The Saga, Ayinla and Eyimofe. Oluwabamike Olawunmi-Adenibuyan, a former housemate in Big Brother Naija was nominated in the Best Young/Promising Actor category for her role in the movie Collision Course.^[1]

Awards

Best Film	Best Director
The Gravedigger's Wife (Somalia) - Winner Mission to Rescue (Kenya) Fried Barry (South Africa) Stain (Uganda) Eyimofe (Nigeria) Hairareb (Namibia) Nyara: The Kidnapping (Tanzania) Black Medusa (Tunisia)	Chuko&Ayie Esiri, Eyimofe - Winner Gilbert Lukalia, Mission to Rescue Ryan Kruger, Fried Barry Khadar Ahmed, The Gravedigger's Wife Morris Mugisha, Stain Oshoveli Shipoh, Hairareb Ram Ally Kasongo, Nyara/The Kidnapping Youssef Chebbi& Ismael, Black Medusa
Best Actor in a Leading Role	Best Actress in a Leading Role
Omar Abdi, The Gravedigger's Wife - Winner Gary Green – Fried Barry Lateef Adedimeji, Ayinla Melvin Alusa, Mission to Rescue Jude Akuwudike, Eyimofe David Njavera, Hairareb Nonso Bassey, La Femme Anjola	Joan Agaba, Stain - Winner Lucie Memba Bois, Buried Funke Akindele, Omo Ghetto: The Saga Sarah Alina Grosz, Black Medusa Phumi Mthembu, African America Rita Dominic, La Femme Anjola Claudine de Groot, Hairareb
Best Actor in a Supporting Role	Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Kelechi Udegbe, Collision Course - Winner Mulshid Mugabire, Monica Mehdi Hajri, Black Medusa Cameron Scott, Hotel on the Koppies Bimbo Manuel, Gone	Hazel Hinda, Hairareb - Winner Gloria Anozie-Young, Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story Naana Hayford, Chasing Lullaby Tumi Morake, Seriously Single Ini Edo, The Citation
Achievement in Costume Design	Achievement in Makeup
African America - Winner Buried Oba Bi Olorun Tecora Eagle Wings	The Gravedigger's Wife - Winner Fried Barry Tecora The Takers Mission to Rescue
Achievement in Cinematography	Achievement in Production Design
Ayinla - Winner Black Medusa Stain Nyara (The Kidnapping) The Gravedigger's Wife	The Gravedigger's Wife - Winner Tecora The Takers Nyara (The Kidnapping) Shadow Parties
Achievement in Editing	Achievement in Screenplay
Eyimofe - Winner Mission to Rescue Omo Ghetto: The Saga Nyala (The Kidnapping) Fried Barry	Collision Course - Winner Chasing Lullaby Where I Come From Stain Hairareb
Best Film in An African Language	Best Nigerian Film
The Gravedigger's Wife – Khadar Ahmed (Somalia) - Winner Bangarang – Robin Odongo (Kenya) Ayinla – Tunde Kelani (Nigeria) Hotel on the Koppies – Charlie Vundler (South Africa) Nyara – Ram Ally Kasongo (Tanzania) Stain – Morris Mugisha (Uganda)	Eyimofe - Winner Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story Ayinla The Citation Omo Ghetto: The Saga La Femme Anjola Collision Course Shadow Parties
Best Short Film	Best Animation
Meat – Uganda - Winner Enroute – Bourkina Fasso A Better Friend – Ghana Find Me By The River – South Africa In Extremis – DRC Portrait of Princess Tutu – Côte d'Ivoire The Long Night in Abuja – Nigeria	Lady Buckit and the Motley Mopsters – Nigeria - Winner Room 5 – Ghana Shaka-Inklosi Yamakhosi – South Africa The Pyramid – Egypt Mofiala – Togo A Thousand Fate – Uganda White Nights – Algeria
Best Documentary	Best Film by an African Living Abroad
Softie - Kenya - Winner The Sacred Woods - Tunisia Postcard - Morocco Unmasked: Leadership, Trust & the Pandemic - Nigeria Linda Under Lockdown - South Africa Bulembu: History of a Culture - DRC Noboth - Uganda Zindet - Niger	Blackmail – Obi Emelonye (Nigeria/UK) - Winner First Call – Angela Onuora (Nigeria/Canada) K.I.A.B – Eric Zoa and Oleksii Osyka (Cameroon/USA) Gone – Daniel Ademinokan (Nigeria/US)
Best Diaspora Short Film	Best Diaspora Documentary
Three Leaves (Haiti) - Winner In Other News (Canada) Blue (US) The Berne Identity (Switzerland) No Comprendo (UK)	African Redemption: the Life of Marcus Garvey (US) - Winner Akwaaba – The Awakening (US) Race Today Documentary (UK)
Best Diaspora Feature	Best Soundtrack
Residue (US) - Winner Ride Share (US) Hal King (US)	The Citation - Winner Nyara (The Kidnapper) The Gravedigger's Wife This Lady Called Life Hotel on the Koppies
Best Visual Effects	Best Sound
Fried Barry - Winner Nneka the Pretty Serpent Stain The Takers Mission to Rescue	Eyimofe - Winner Hairareb African America The Gravedigger's Wife La Femme Anjola
Most Promising Actor	Best First Feature Film by a Director
Wilmah Muremera – Shaina - Winner Oluwabamike Olawunmi-Adenibuyan – Collision Course Faith Fidel – Where I Come From David Weda – Bangarang Bertha Abdallah – Nyara (The Kidnapping) Hannah Sukali – Fatsani: A Tale Of Survival	Eyimofe – Chuko&AyieEsiri (Nigeria) - Winner Shaina – Beatrice Masvaure Alf (Zimbabwe) African America – MuziMthembu (South Africa) The Gravedigger's Wife – Khadar Ahmed (Somalia) Black Medusa – Youssef Chebbi& Ismael (Tunisia) Fried Barry – Ryan Kruger (South Africa)

References

1 2 Banjo, Noah (2021-10-29). "FULL LIST: Ayinla, Omo Ghetto: The Saga bag multiple nominations at AMAA 2021". Punch Newspapers. Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
↑ Matheka, Grace (2021-05-06). "Africa Movie Academy Awards 2021 are now open for submissions". HapaKenya. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
↑ Orodare, Michael (2021-10-03). "Africa Film Academy announces AMAA 2021 date as Steve Ayorinde heads jury". Nigerian Entertainment Today. Archived from the original on 2021-10-03. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
↑ "AMAA 2021 to hold Nov 28". TheCable Lifestyle. 2021-09-30. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
↑ Olowoporoku, Muhamin. "AMAA 2021 awards: Gravedigger's wife leads nominations". Archived from the original on 2021-10-30. Retrieved 2021-10-30.

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[:0-1] 1 2 Banjo, Noah (2021-10-29). "FULL LIST: Ayinla, Omo Ghetto: The Saga bag multiple nominations at AMAA 2021". Punch Newspapers. Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2021-10-30.

[2] Matheka, Grace (2021-05-06). "Africa Movie Academy Awards 2021 are now open for submissions". HapaKenya. Retrieved 2021-10-30.

[3] Orodare, Michael (2021-10-03). "Africa Film Academy announces AMAA 2021 date as Steve Ayorinde heads jury". Nigerian Entertainment Today. Archived from the original on 2021-10-03. Retrieved 2021-10-30.

[4] "AMAA 2021 to hold Nov 28". TheCable Lifestyle. 2021-09-30. Retrieved 2021-10-30.

[5] Olowoporoku, Muhamin. "AMAA 2021 awards: Gravedigger's wife leads nominations". Archived from the original on 2021-10-30. Retrieved 2021-10-30.

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17th Africa Movie Academy Awards
Date	28 November 2021 (2021-11-28)
Site	Mariott Hotel, Lagos
Highlights
Best Film	The Gravedigger's Wife (Somalia)
Most awards	The Gravedigger's Wife (Somalia) - 4 Awards
Most nominations	The Gravedigger's Wife (Somalia)
← 16th Africa Movie Academy Awards 18th →