2026 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards may be final edition, says Mildred Okwo

Filmmaker Mildred Okwo has suggested that the ongoing 2026 edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) could be its last, raising fresh concerns about the future of the popular awards platform.

In a post shared on X on Monday, Okwo wrote, “I will be very surprised if this AMVCA is not the farewell edition.”
Her remarks come amid growing debate over the commercial viability of the awards, particularly following recent ownership changes involving MultiChoice and its evolving content strategy.

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In a separate post, the filmmaker, who uses the handle @MealdredO, argued that the awards may struggle to justify continued investment under new ownership.

“I doubt the new owners will be interested in shows that don’t make a serious ROI in the first few years of buying the business. It costs a lot of money to produce that show,” she wrote.

The concerns come as MultiChoice intensifies its focus on its streaming platform, Showmax, positioning it as a key driver of future growth amid rising competition in the digital entertainment space.

Organisers have already confirmed that voting has closed for the 12th edition of the awards, with winners set to be announced on May 9.

In a statement, Africa Magic thanked viewers for participating in the voting process. “And that’s a wrap! Voting for #AMVCA12 is officially closed. Thank you for showing up, showing love, and backing your favourites all the way,” the organisers said, adding that attention now turns to the main event.

The ceremony will be broadcast live across Africa Magic channels, with the red carpet scheduled for 4:00 p.m. WAT and the main awards show at 7:00 p.m.
This year’s edition features 32 categories, including 18 jury-decided awards, 11 audience-voted categories, and three special honours such as Lifetime Achievement and Trailblazer awards.

Veteran actress Joke Silva is serving as Head Judge for the 2026 edition, succeeding Femi Odugbemi.
Organisers also introduced two new categories, Best Indigenous Language Film (North Africa) and Best Indigenous Language Film (Central Africa), in a bid to strengthen the awards’ pan-African representation.

Speculation about the future of the AMVCA follows developments in July 2025, when French media giant Canal+ secured regulatory approval to acquire the remaining shares in MultiChoice.

The deal is expected to reshape the company’s operations across the continent, with a stronger emphasis on digital expansion and streaming, raising further questions about the long-term sustainability of high-cost television events like the AMVCA.