The 12th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards held Saturday night at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, brought glamour, emotional speeches and surprise victories — but also a wave of controversial losses that immediately ignited debate across social media.
While “My Father’s Shadow” dominated the ceremony with five major awards, several high-profile actors, filmmakers, content creators and widely celebrated productions walked away empty-handed, leaving fans frustrated.
Here is a full breakdown of the night’s biggest snubs:Funke Akindele – ‘Behind The Scenes’Perhaps the most discussed snub of the night. Akindele lost the Best Supporting Actress category to Linda Ejiofor for “The Herd,” a result many fans considered a major upset. Her film “Behind The Scenes” — which grossed over N2bn at the Nigerian box office and dominated online conversations all year — also failed to claim Best Movie. Her portrayal of Adetutu Fernandez in the black tax-themed drama had topped several pre-awards fan polls, making the loss all the more stinging.
Scarlet Gomez – ‘Behind The Scenes’Gomez drew strong sympathy online after failing to secure a major acting win despite widespread praise for her emotionally layered performance in “Behind The Scenes.” Fans argued her role deserved stronger recognition from the jury.’Gingerrr’ – Nine nominations, no major winOne of the night’s most striking statistics: “Gingerrr” secured nine nominations but failed to convert them into major victories. The film, featuring Kie Kie, Wunmi Toriola, Bisola Aiyeola and Bolaji Ogunmola — who also co-produced the project — had enjoyed months of strong publicity, box office success and audience support ahead of the ceremony. It is currently streaming on Kava and Netflix.Daniel Etim-Effiong – ‘The Herd’Despite “The Herd” picking up a win through Linda Ejiofor’s performance, fans felt Daniel Etim-Effiong deserved individual recognition for his directorial work on the project. The nomination snub remained a talking point well into the night.Genoveva Umeh – ‘The Herd’Umeh was nominated in the Best Actress category for her performance in “The Herd” but left without a win. Many fans had expected her emotionally charged portrayal to stand out with the jury after strong critical reviews. Akwaman – ‘Did I just hear Muah’Content creator Akwaman dominated pre-awards online polls in the Best Digital Content Creator category, but did not emerge victorious. His nominated entry — a skit that went viral in 2025 and spawned countless memes — had generated enormous social media backing thanks to his street-style comedy, relatable storytelling and culturally resonant content. The award went to Emmanuel Kanaga and Sophia Chisom for “Leave to Live.”TaoomaTaooma once again left the ceremony without a win, despite being among the most recognisable and consistent nominees in the Best Digital Content Creator category. Her comedy content trended heavily across TikTok, Instagram and X throughout the eligibility year.
Steve ChuksSteve Chuks, known for his cinematic-style skits and relatable storytelling, also failed to win despite generating strong fan support. Many viewers had expected him to make a strong challenge in the digital content category after another successful year online.Femi Adebayo – ‘Agesinkole 2’Adebayo was among the actors many fans expected to challenge for Best Lead Actor. His role in “Agesinkole 2” — which screened in community cinemas in December 2025 — generated considerable conversation ahead of the awards, but the project failed to secure major wins on the night.
Kemi Adetiba – ‘To Kill A Monkey’Adetiba’s “To Kill A Monkey” secured eight nominations and won in technical categories, but lost the major prizes. The project had already attracted controversy after Adetiba herself was not nominated in the Best Director category — a snub that many in the industry had criticised before the ceremony even began. The project lost Best Scripted Series on the night.Oscar Heman-Ackah – ‘To Kill A Monkey’Nominated for Best Music Score for “To Kill A Monkey,” Heman-Ackah lost out to Duval Timothy and CJ Mirra, whose work on “My Father’s Shadow” contributed to that film’s dominant sweep of the night.
‘The Real Housewives of Lagos’The reality series produced by Darey Art-Alade and Deola Art-Alade failed to win Best Unscripted Series despite its cultural impact and strong online following. Many reality television fans had expected the show to claim the category based on its dominance in entertainment conversations throughout the year.
A night of emotion despite the disappointmentsAmid the controversy, veteran actress Sola Sobowale received the Industry Merit Award (Lifetime Achievement) for her outstanding contributions to Nollywood, delighting the audience and playfully teasing Linda Ejiofor during her acceptance speech. Fellow legend Kanayo O. Kanayo was also honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award, even as he lost Best Actor for “Grandpa Must Obey.”Their recognition provided heartfelt moments that softened some of the night’s tensions — a reminder that award shows remain as unpredictable as ever, where jury decisions, online popularity and fan expectations rarely move in the same direction.
