The Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCAs) is gearing up for its highly anticipated tenth edition in May 2024, dedicated to honoring the exceptional talents within the African film industry.
Back in 2013, the AMVCAs started and it was a big deal because, at that time, there weren’t many awards for African movies and TV shows. The AMVCAs not only brought a lot of excitement but also let fans vote for their favorite actors, making it more fun and engaging for everyone who loved African films.
The AMVCAs organizers have officially declared that nominations are now being accepted for this prestigious event and the chance to submit nominations is now available through the entry portal, which is open from January 15th to February 14th, 2024.
To be eligible for consideration, movies and films must have been publicly exhibited or broadcasted between December 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023. The award season is always a golden opportunity for indigenous talents to shine, as the AMVCA continues to celebrate and recognize their contributions to the vibrant world of African cinema.
Significantly, the AMVCAs have undergone certain changes that mark a noteworthy moment in their history. One key change is the reduction of award categories from 33 to 27. This means that the organizers will now recognize and honor winners in 27 categories.
Photo: Instagram / Africanmagic These categories are further divided into 16 non-voting and nine audience-voting categories. More so, two Recognition Awards; Lifetime Achievement and Trailblazer, will also be presented as part of the revamped structure.
The awards for performances have undergone a revision too, now being categorized as Best Actor or Best Actress in a Leading or Supporting Role. This change marks a departure from the previous method of audience voting to a new approach involving a jury for these specific categories. The jury, consisting of experienced filmmakers from different parts of Africa, will play a vital role in selecting the winners for 16 categories.
Conversely, the public will still be able to participate in the selection process by voting for their preferred choices in the remaining 8 categories. To maintain transparency and accuracy in judging, Deloitte will audit the results. This shift in the award process not only recognizes the industry’s growth but also underscores the significance of expert evaluation and public involvement in acknowledging excellence.
Apart from the 16 non-voting and 2 Recognition Awards (Lifetime Achievement and Trailblazer Awards), the non-voting categories recognize excellence in various aspects of filmmaking. These include Best Lead Actor and Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, Best Director, Art Direction, Cinematography, and Costume Design.
There are also categories acknowledging outstanding achievements in Best Writing in a Movie and TV Series, Best Movie and TV Series, Best Short Film, Best Documentary, and Best Sound Design, Editing, and Makeup.
For public participation, voting categories include choosing the Best Scripted and Unscripted Africa Magic Original, recognizing the Best Digital Content Creator, celebrating excellence in Indigenous Language (West, East, and Southern Africa), honoring the Best Multichoice Talent Factory Film, and acknowledging exceptional work in the category of Best Indigenous Africa Magic Original.
“Over the past decade, Africa Magic has steadfastly upheld its commitment to spotlighting authentic African stories, especially those that mirror our diverse and rich cultures,” Dr. Busola Tejumola, the Head of Content and Channels West Africa at MultiChoice said while highlighting the AMVCAs’ dedication to celebrating talent in the African film and television industry.
“As we mark the 10th anniversary of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, we embark on a bold initiative to reevaluate our award categories to further align with global trends and benchmarks. It would involve retiring specific categories, streamlining others, and revisiting the voting and non-voting classifications.”
The previous edition, to some extent, was viewed as a popularity competition, especially in performance categories, where votes seemed to favor nominees with greater fame. The recent changes have received positive feedback from some viewers and have even been applauded on Instagram. Visit here for additional information on the submission.
Photo Credit: X / Africanmagic
