AMVCA 2026 Snubs: Full List of the Biggest Award Shocks From the Night
By: Abudu Olalekan
The 12th Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards came with everything people expected and then some. Glamour. Big speeches. Surprise wins. Painful losses too.
Held on Saturday night at Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos, the 2026 AMVCA gave fans plenty to talk about. While My Father’s Shadow owned the night with five major wins, a number of actors, filmmakers, content creators, and fan-favourite productions walked away empty-handed. And almost immediately, social media lit up.
Reportersroom takes a look at some of the biggest snubs from the night.
Funke Akindele – Behind The Scenes
Funke Akindele ended up being one of the most talked-about names after the awards, and not because she won.
She lost the Best Supporting Actress category to Linda Ejiofor for The Herd, a result many fans clearly didn’t see coming. Her film, Behind The Scenes, which made over N2bn at the Nigerian box office and stayed in online conversations for months, also missed out on Best Movie.
For a lot of viewers, that was a hard one to ignore. Many felt her role as Adetutu Fernandez in the black tax-themed drama deserved more recognition, especially after she led several fan polls ahead of the ceremony.
Scarlet Gomez
Scarlet Gomez was another name fans kept bringing up after the show.
Her performance in Behind The Scenes got plenty of praise, but that didn’t translate into a major acting win. For many viewers, her role had real emotional weight and should have pushed her much further in the race.
Gingerrr and its nine nominations
Nine nominations. Big buzz. Strong cast. Still, no major sweep.
That was the story for Gingerrr, one of the night’s most talked-about disappointments. The film, which featured names like Kie Kie, Wunmi Toriola, Bisola Aiyeola, and Bolaji Ogunmola, came into the AMVCA with serious momentum.
It had the publicity. It had the audience support. It had the online energy. But in the end, it failed to turn that nomination strength into the kind of big wins many people expected. That stung a little.
Daniel Etim-Effiong – The Herd
Daniel Etim-Effiong also made the snub list for many viewers.
Even though The Herd got several nominations and Linda Ejiofor delivered one of the project’s wins, fans believed Daniel deserved recognition too, especially for his directorial effort on the film. His supporters felt his contribution should have landed more strongly on awards night.
Genoveva Umeh
Genoveva Umeh was another surprise omission from the winners’ circle.
She had earned praise for her role in The Herd and was nominated in the Best Actress category, but didn’t come away with the award. A lot of fans believed her emotionally intense performance had done enough to stand out.
Akwaman
In the Best Digital Content Creator category, Akwaman had strong momentum going in. Online, he was everywhere.
His nominated work, Did I Just Hear Muah, became one of those skits that escaped the internet and entered everyday conversation. It turned into a meme, spread fast, and stayed relevant long after it first went viral in 2025.
That’s why many people thought he had this one in the bag. His street-style humour, relatable delivery, and culturally rooted comedy gave him a lot of support. But the award went instead to Emmanuel Kanaga and Sophia Chisom for Leave to Live.
Taooma
Taooma’s AMVCA story remains a frustrating one for fans.
She was once again nominated in the Best Digital Content Creator category, and once again left without a win. Considering how visible and consistent she has remained across TikTok, Instagram, and X, many people expected this would finally be her moment.
It wasn’t.
Steve Chuks
Steve Chuks also had a lot of fan backing ahead of the awards, but it didn’t end in victory.
Known for his funny, cinematic-style skits and everyday storytelling, he had another strong year online and looked like a real contender in the category. Still, the win didn’t come.
Femi Adebayo
For many fans, Femi Adebayo deserved more from the night than he got.
His role in Agesinkole 2, which screened in community cinemas in December 2025, generated conversations before the awards. But despite the anticipation around the project, it failed to secure major wins.
Kemi Adetiba – To Kill A Monkey
Kemi Adetiba’s To Kill A Monkey had a mixed night. Not a complete loss, but not exactly the outcome many expected either.
The project picked up eight nominations and managed to win in some technical categories, but it still lost out in the bigger races, including Best Scripted Series. That disappointment hit even harder because the project had already suffered an earlier setback with its Best Director snub.
Oscar Heman-Ackah – To Kill A Monkey
Oscar Heman-Ackah was nominated for Best Music Score for To Kill A Monkey, but lost to Duval Timothy and CJ Mirra for My Father’s Shadow.
It was another one of those results that added to the feeling that To Kill A Monkey had a rough night in the major categories, even with its strong showing overall.
The Real Housewives of Lagos
The Real Housewives of Lagos also ended the night without a win in the Best Unscripted Series category, despite being one of the most recognisable and widely followed shows in the space.
Backed by content executives Darey Art-Alade and Deola Art-Alade, the show has stayed relevant all year and remained a constant topic in entertainment conversations. For many reality TV fans, its cultural impact alone made it look like a likely winner.
That didn’t happen.
A heartwarming break from the snubs
Still, it wasn’t all disappointment.
Veteran actress Sola Sobowale received an Industry Merit Award, a recognition many saw as long overdue. Her enduring impact on Nollywood was celebrated, and she added some warmth to the night with her playful moment during Linda Ejiofor’s acceptance speech.
Kanayo O. Kanayo was also honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Even though he lost the Best Actor category for Grandpa Must Obey, the recognition reminded everyone just how much he has given to the industry over the years.
Those moments helped soften the blow a bit. Just a bit.
As reactions continue to trail the 2026 AMVCA, one thing is clear: award nights will always come with arguments. Fan favourites don’t always win. Online buzz doesn’t always match the judges’ choices. And sometimes, the loudest conversation after the show is about who got left out.
