Funke Akindele Misses Out on AMVCA 2026 Win Despite Strong Buzz for ‘Behind The Scenes’

Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele failed to secure a win at the 12th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards despite widespread anticipation surrounding her performance in Behind The Scenes.

Akindele lost the Best Supporting Actress category to Linda Ejiofor, who earned the award for her role in The Herd.

The highly contested category featured several notable nominees, including Bisola Aiyeola for Gingerrr, Sola Sobowale for The Covenant, Nadia Dutch for Aljana, Amal Umar, Juliebrenda Nyambura, and Olamide Kidbaby.

Before the awards ceremony, Akindele’s performance in Behind The Scenes had generated significant attention across social media and entertainment blogs, with many prediction polls tipping her for the award.

The film, which reportedly grossed over ₦2 billion at the box office, received nominations in four categories, including Best Movie, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Supporting Actor.

Ejiofor’s award-winning role in The Herd — a satirical drama addressing insecurity and social challenges in Nigeria — drew praise from critics and viewers alike. In the film, she portrayed the wife of a kidnapped man played by Daniel Etim-Effiong.

Although The Herd recorded a more modest cinema performance compared to Behind The Scenes, the movie gained traction on streaming platforms and secured multiple nominations at the awards.

The AMVCA jury for this year’s edition was chaired by veteran actress Joke Silva.

In the Best Supporting Actor category, Bucci Franklin emerged winner for his role as “Oboz” in To Kill A Monkey.

Other nominees included Lateef Adedimeji for Gingerrr and Red Circle, Gabriel Afolayan for Colours Of Fire, Femi Adebayo for King Of Thieves 2, Femi Branch for Owambe Thieves, Uzor Arukwe for Behind The Scenes, and Simileoluwa Hassan for The Yard.