# 5th Africa Movie Academy Awards

The 5th Africa Movie Academy Awards ceremony was held on April 4, 2009, at the Gloryland Cultural Center in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, to honor the best African films of 2008. It was broadcast live on Nigerian national television. Africa Movie Academy Award winner Kate Henshaw-Nuttal and Nigerian stand-up comedian Julius Agwu hosted the ceremony. Numerous celebrities graced the event, including Timipre Sylva (the Governor of Bayelsa State) and Nollywood actresses and actors. Special guests were Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker and Hollywood actor Danny Glover.
The nominees were announced on March 3, 2009, during the 21st Pan African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) by AMAA CEO Peace Anyiam-Osigwe. Approximately 403 entries from 54 African countries participated in the bid for an award.
With a total of twelve nominations, the Kenyan film From a Whisper led the nomination count, while Uganda's Battle of the Souls and South Africa's Gugu and Andile followed with ten nominations each. Nigeria's Arugba received nine nominations, Egypt's Seventh Heaven received eight nominations, followed closely by Ghana's Agony of the Christ with seven nominations.
From a Whisper won five awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Wanuri Kahiu) and Best Soundtrack. Gugu and Andile landed the second spot with three awards. Battle of the Souls, Seventh Heaven, Small Boy, Arugba and Live to Remember each won two awards.

## Winners
### Major awards

The winners of the 23 Award Categories are listed first and highlighted in bold letters.
| Best Picture | Best Director |
| From a Whisper (Kenya) Arugba (Nigeria) Gugu and Andile (South Africa) Battle of the Souls (Uganda) Seventh Heaven (Egypt) | Wanuri Kahiu – From a Whisper Tunde Kelani – Arugba Minky Schlesinger – Gugu and Andile Matt Bish – Battle of the Souls Saad Hendawy – Seventh Heaven |
| Best Actress in a leading role | Best Actor in a leading role |
| Funke Akindele – Jenifa Stephanie Okereke and Nse Etim – Reloaded Stella Damasus-Aboderin – State of the Heart Corine Onyango – From a Whisper Nadia Buari – Agony of the Christ | Farouk Al-Fichawi – Seventh Heaven Godfrey Odhiamba – From a Whisper Mike Ezuruonye – The Assassin Majid Michel – Agony of the Christ Peter Badejo – Arugba |
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Best Actor in a Supporting Role |
| Mercy Johnson – Live to Remember Aggie Kebirungi – Battle of the Souls Mosunmola Filani – Jenifa Daphney Hlomoku – Gugu and Andile Chika Ike – The Assassin | Joel Okuyo Atiku – Battle of the Souls Femi Adebayo – Apaadi Abubakar Mvenda & Ken Ambani – From a Whisper Neil Mc Carthy – Gugu and Andile Yemi Blaq – Grey Focus |
| Most Promising Actress | Most Promising Actor |
| Lungelo Dhladha – Gugu and Andile Bhaira Mcwizu – Cindy’s Note Bukola Awoyemi – Arugba Lydia Farson – Scorned Béa Flore Mfouemoun – Mah Sa-Sah | Litha Booi – Gugu and Andile Mavila Anthana Keriario – Battle of the Souls Ruffy Samuel – Dead End Segun Adefila – Arugba Sherif Ramzy – Seventh Heaven |
| Best Animation | Best Film in an African Language |
| Kono (Burkina Faso) Leila (Burkina Faso) Little Learning is different (Kenya) Manani Ogre (Kenya) Cheprono (Kenya) | Gugu and Andile (South Africa) in Zulu and Xhosa - Minky Schlesinger Arugba (Nigeria) in Yoruba – Tunde Kelani Mah Sa-Sah (Cameroon) in Cameroonian languages – Daniel Kamwa Uyai (Nigeria) in Ibibio – Emem Isong Apaadi (Nigeria) in Yoruba |
| Best Child Actor | Best Screenplay |
| Richard Chukwuma – Small Boy Celia Greenwoood – The Assassin Shanlar Kirunga – Battle of the Souls Samara Milgwi – From a Whisper | From a Whisper – Wanuri Kahiu Seventh Heaven – Zainab Aziz Through the Glass – Stephanie Okereke Reloaded – Emem Isong Beautiful soul – Tchidi Chikere |

### Additional awards

| Best Documentary Feature | Best Documentary Short |
| For the Best and for the Onion (Niger) & Malcolm’s Echo Joint prize Private Files (Egypt) Shit on the Rock (Nigeria) Grandma’s not Home (South Africa) | Coming of Age (Kenya) Per Second Killer (Nigeria) Santos the survivor (Kenya) Lost in the South (Rwanda) Congo my foot (South Africa) |
| AMAA Achievement in Sound | AMAA Achievement in Editing |
| Seventh Heaven (Egypt) From a Whisper (Kenya) Battle of the Souls (Uganda) Gugu and Andile (South Africa) Grey Focus (Nigeria) | From a Whisper (Kenya) Cindy’s Note (Nigeria) Reloaded (Nigeria) Modupe Temi (Nigeria) Battle of the Souls (Uganda) |
| AMAA Achievement in Art Direction | AMAA Achievement in Cinematography |
| Small Boy – Michelle Bello Five Apostles – Ifeanyi Onyeabor Agony of the Christ – Jude Odoh From a Whisper – Kay Tuckerman Revolution – Eddybongo Uka | Cindy’s Note – Izu Ojukwu From a Whisper – Marius Van Graan Seventh Heaven – Ramses Marzouk Gugu and Andile – Greg Heimann Battle of the Souls – Stephen Njero and Tony Matomi |
| AMAA Achievement in Makeup | AMAA Achievement in Costume |
| Live to Remember Agony of the Christ From a Whisper The Assassin Ase n’tedumare | Arugba Agony of the Christ Apaadi Live to Remember Seventh Heaven |
| Best Original Soundtrack | AMAA Achievement in Visual Effect |
| From a Whisper Arugba Beautiful Soul Agony of the Christ Jenifa | Battle of the Souls Five Apostles Smoke and Mirrors Agony of the Christ Revolution |
| Heart of Africa (This award is given to the Best Film in Nigeria) |
| Arugba - Tunde Kelani Cindy’s Note - Izu Ojukwu Beautiful Soul - Tchidi Chikere State of the Heart - Kingsley Omoife and Richard Mofe-Damijo Jenifa - Funke Akindele |

## Films with multiple nominations

The following films received multiple nominations.

## Films with multiple awards

The following films received multiple awards.
* 5 awards
** From a Whisper
* 3 awards
** Gugu and Andile
* 2 awards
** Arugba
** Battle of the Soul
** Seventh Heaven
** Small Boy
** Live to Remember