AMAA 2022: P-Square, KSA thrill African film practitioners as Nigeria leads with eight awards

The memories of the 18th edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards are incomplete without the scintillating performances of leading Nigerian music stars, King Sunny Ade and the P-Square duo.

The 2022 edition of the AMAAs was held on Sunday, October 30, and had five Nigerian films winning a total of 8 awards. The entire show was aired live on StarTimes channels between 6pm and 1am.

The Nigerian flag shone like a bright star with films by Nigerians and Nigerian directors winning a total of eight awards. The Nigerian films that won the eight awards are Bolanle Austen Peters’ ‘Man of God’ with two awards, Kunle Afolayan’s ‘Swallow’ with two awards, Tope Oshin’s ‘Here love lies’ with one award, Tunde Aina’s ‘Underbelly’ with one award, Ogo Okpue’s ‘A Song from the Dark’ with one award and Walter Banger’s ‘Jolly Roger.’

At the awards ceremony that had King Sunny Ade serenading nominees, African film enthusiasts, and practitioners, Tanzania’s ‘Tug of War’ and South Africa’s ‘Surviving Gaza’ came after Nigeria with four awards each while ‘Borga,’ a film shot by a German director in Ghana came next with three awards.

Other films that won different categories include Somalia and Kenya’s ‘Ayaanle,’ Senegal’s ‘Astel,’ Uganda’s ‘No way out’ and ‘Tembele,’ USA’s ‘Contraband’ and ‘Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story’ and Peru’s ‘The Rumba King.’

The 2022 edition of the film awards ceremony was held at the Jewel Aeida Hall, Lekki, Lagos, with Funnybone, Chigul, and Kachi Offia taking the host position.

With several nominees from different parts of Africa and the diaspora in attendance, the 2022 AMAA also had thrilling performances from Choc City’s Young Jon and Candy Bleakz, Zadok, and Yinka Davies.

Speaking at the event, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, the founder of AMAA and Chief Executive Officer of the African Film Academy chided African filmmakers for shunning ego and embracing more collaborations to enhance the growth of the African film industry. She stressed the need for film practitioners in Africa to unite and chart a pathway for African leaders in supporting the creative sector.

The event had in attendance Commissioner for Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Pharmacist Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf with her husband, Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Education, Tokunbo Wahab, the Jury led by Keith Shiri, Shaibu Husseini, Steve Ayorinde, and several film practitioners that include Keppy Ekpeyong Bassey, Idowu Phillips, Bimbo Manuel, David Akande, Wole Ojo, Daniel K. Daniel, Enyinna Nwigwe, Deyemi Okanlawon, Yemi Blaq, Osas Ighodaro, Denrele Edun, Tony Akposeri, Osita Iheme amongst several others.