To Kill A Monkey secured eight nominations ahead of the May 9 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards. The series dominated the technical and acting categories, earning the third-highest nomination total of the 12th edition. The recognition raises an interesting question about the voting mechanics. Kemi Adetiba received no nomination for Best Director. Stella Damasus received no nomination for Best Lead Actress.
A series with a distinct visual language usually relies heavily on its architect. The show features a specific aesthetic and complex performances, including Bucci Franklin’s nominated supporting role. Actors typically deliver those performances within an environment built by the director. The voting pattern rewards the isolated technical elements of the production while omitting Adetiba’s overarching control.
The exclusion of Damasus presents a similar puzzle. She anchored the emotional core of a heavily nominated series. The leading category nominations went elsewhere. This split vote invites a closer look at the AMVCA jury system. The public handles popularity contests. A closed jury decides technical and directing categories. The outcome prompts a review of how this room evaluates female directors.
The Best Director category this year features Akinola Davies Jr, Tunde Kelani, James Kalu Omokwe, Daniel Etim Effiong, Yemi Filmboy Morafa, and Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi. Six men and zero women.
Female directors in Nollywood consistently deliver major commercial hits and culturally dominant series. They help build the blockbuster infrastructure that sustains the local box office. Institutional validation during award season frequently bypasses them. The current nomination pattern treats the success of these projects as a collection of isolated technical achievements rather than the result of a singular authorial vision.
Adetiba proved her commercial and critical weight with the King of Boys franchise long ago. Her market value is established. The question concerns the historical record. The AMVCA operates as a primary record of African cinematic excellence. Watching a massive cultural property secure eight nominations without its director invites curiosity about how that excellence is defined.
The 12th AMVCA broadcast from the Eko Hotel will project a vision of African creative power. The directing category offers a specific lens on who the institution credits for that power. It leaves observers wondering how the parts can be celebrated so heavily while the sum is overlooked.
