17th Africa Movie Academy Awards
# 17th Africa Movie Academy Awards

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

Submissions for consideration for the awards were held between 31 May and 31 July 2021. Over 500 films were submitted for consideration.

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. 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. 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.

## 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) |
