We are a week away from this year’s AMAA award ceremony slated for 20th of December 2020. The list of contenders was announced on the 30th of November 2020 with most nominations going to Jahmil X. T Quebeka’s Knuckle City, Desmond Ovbiagele’s The Milkmaid and Akin Omotoso’s The Ghost and The House of Truth.

This year’s nominee list is quite interesting with some anticipated entries clearly omitted (Here’s looking at you, My Octopus Teacher). We have gone through the list and we have come up with our predictions of who the likely winners will be.

Our predictions are based on the general quality of the movies, the general consensus out there and our own little biases on how these movies made us feel.

Having said that, let’s dive into our predictions for the 2020 African Movie Academy Awards.

AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR BEST FILM

The Ghost and the House of Truth

The Fisherman’s Diary

Knuckle City

The Milkmaid

40 Sticks

Desrances

This is Not A Burial, It’s a Resurrection

Gold Coast Lounge

AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR

Akin Omotoso – The Ghost and House of Truth

Enah Johnscott – The Fisherman’s Diary

Jahmil X.T Quebeka- Knuckle City

Desmond Ovbiagele- The Milkmaid

Victor Gatonye- 40 Sticks

Appoline Traore – Desrances

Jeremiah Lemohang Mosese – This is Not A Burial, It’s a resurrection

Pascal Aka – Gold Coast Lounge

AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Jimmy Jean-Louis – Desrances

Gabriel Afolayan – Coming From Insanity

Kang Quintus – The Fisherman’s Diary

Bongile Mantsai – Knuckle City

Alphonse Menyo – Gold Coast Lounge

Eyinna Nwigwe – Badamasi

Robert Agengo/Mwaura Bilal/Andreo Kamau/ Xavier Ywawa – 40 Sticks

Darrin Dewitt Henson – Zulu Wedding

AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Joselyn Dumas – Cold Feet

Mary Twala Mhlongo – This is Not A Burial, It’s a Resurrection

Stella Damasus – Between

Meg Otanwa – For Maria: Ebun Pataki

Zenobia Kloppers – Fiela’s Child

Elvina Ibru – The Bling Lagosian

Girley Jazama – The White Line

Kelly Khumalo – Zulu Wedding

AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Arabrun Nyyeneque – 40 Sticks

Adjatey Annang- Gold Ghost Lounge

Narcissus Afeli – Desrances

Cosson Chinepoh – The Fisherman’s Diary

Ramsey Noah Jnr – Living in Bondage: Breaking Free

AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Maryam Booth – The Milkmaid

Chairmaine Mujeri – Mirage

Linda Ejiofor – 4th Republic

Ndano Tramanse – The Fisherman’s Diary

Tina Mba – The Set Up

Faniswa Yisa – Knuckle City

Evelyne Juhen – Desrances

AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR BEST YOUNG/ PROMISING ACTOR

Faith Fidel – The Fisherman’s Diary

Naomi Nemlin – Desrances

Chimezie Imo – Nimbe

Swanky JKA – Living in Bondage: Breaking Free

Wayne Smith – Fiela’s Child

Cina Soul – Gold Coast Lounge

Anthonieta Kalunta – The Milkmaid

AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR BEST FIRST FEATURE FILM BY A DIRECTOR

Coming From Insanity – Akinyemi Sebastine Akinropo

Living in Bondage – Ramsey Noah Jnr.

Bling Lagosian – Bolanle Austen- Peters

For Maria: Ebun Pataki – Damilola E. Orimogunje

The Zulu Wedding – Lineo Sekeleoana

A Taste of Our Land -–Yuhi Amuli –

Mirage – Malaika Mushandu

The White Line – Desire Kahikapo

AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY

January 15, 1970: Untold memoir of the Biafran war- Nigeria

Journey to Kenya – Sudan

No Gold for Kalsaka – B/Faso

Days of Cannibalism – South Africa

Finding Sally – Ethiopia/Canada

The letter – Kenya

Becoming Black- Togo/Germany

Influence – South Africa

EFERE OZAKO AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM

Baxu & the Giant –Namibia

Songs About My Mother – South Africa

Idi Amin’s Boat – Uganda

Yahoo – Nigeria

SEMA (Speak Out) – DRC

The letter reader – South Africa

A Canvas for a Visa – Senegal

After the War – Egypt

JUBRIL MALAFIA AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATION

From Here To Timbuktu – Kenya

Malaika (The Warrior Queen) – Nigeria/USA

A Special Gift – Mozambique

The legend of Lwanda Magere – Kenya

FTFO – Nigeria

Sankofa – Cote D’Voire

I am leaving In Ghana Get Me Out of Here – Ghana

A Gugie Day – Nigeria

AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA SHORT

Boxed – USA

June 14 – USA

Egun – Brazil

Brick By Brick – USA

AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA DOCUMENTARY

Once In Hundred Years – USA

Revolution From Afar – USA

Meeting My Father – France

Becoming Black – Germany

If Objects Could Speak – Germany

AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA NARRATIVE FEATURE

Aiyai: Wrathful Soul – Australia

Lola – USA

A day With Jerusa – Brazil

Black and Blue – USA

Joseph – Barbados

MICHAEL ANYIAM OSIGWE AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR BEST FILM BY AN AFRICAN LIVING ABROAD

The Eagle’s Nest – Olivier Assoua

Two Weeks in Lagos – Kathryn Fasegha

Idemuza – Olaoye Amoke

Between – Daniel Adenimokan

No Shades – Claire Ayiam Osigwe

OUSMANE SEMBENE AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR BEST FILM IN AN AFRICAN LANGUAGE

The Milkmaid – Nigeria

Knuckle City – South Africa

This is Not A Burial…it’s a Resurrection – Lesotho

Fiela’s Child – South Africa

The White Line – Namibia

AMAA 2020 ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN

This is Not A Burial, It’s a Resurrection

Heroes of Africa; Tette Quarshie

The White Line

Ibi (The Birth)

Foreigner’s God

AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP

Knuckle City

Ratnik

The Milkmaid

1929

Heroes of Africa; Tette Quarshie

AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUNDTRACK

The Fisherman’s Diary

Coming from Insanity

Zulu Wedding

Gold Coast Lounge

For Maria: Ebun Pataki

Walking with Shadows

Living in Bondage

Mirage

AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECT

Heroes of Africa; Tette Quarshie

Desrances

Knuckle City

Living in Bondage: Breaking Free

Badamasi

Ratnik

Foreigner’s God

A Taste of Our Land

AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND

Fiela’s Child

Knuckle City

Children of The Storm

The Ghost and House of Truth

For Maria: Ebun Pataki

40 Sticks

Desrances

Gold Coast Lounge

AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN

Ratnik

Knuckle City

Zulu Wedding

Perfect Picture: 10 Years Later

This is Not A Burial, It’s a resurrection

Foreigner’s God

Gold Coast Lounge

The Ghost and the House of Truth

AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY

The Ghost and House of Truth

The Fisherman’s Diary

Knuckle City

The Milkmaid

40 Sticks

Desrances

This is Not A Burial, It’s a resurrection

Gold Coast Lounge

AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING

Perfect Picture: 10 Years Later

The Ghost and House of Truth

Knuckle City

40 Sticks

Desrances

AMAA 2020 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SCREENPLAY

For Maria: Ebun Pataki

The White line

4th Republic

The Fisherman’s Diary

Knuckle City

40 Sticks

Perfect Picture: 10 Years Later

3 Days To Go

AMAA 2020- NATIONAL FILM AND VIDEO CENSORS BOARD (NFVCB) AWARD FOR BEST NIGERIAN FILM

Cold Feet

Living in Bondage: Breaking Free

4th Republic

For Maria: Ebun Pataki

The Bling Lagosian

Coming From Insanity

The Ghost and The House of Truth

The Milkmaid