Joke Silva Named Head Judge For AMVCA 2026

Joke Silva

Veteran Nollywood actress Joke Silva has been appointed head judge for the 2026 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA). The announcement was recently made at a press conference in Lagos, and Nigerians have been reacting.

According to her, the 12th edition of the awards is a key moment in its history, and there are plans to broaden its representation across the continent.

Joke emphasised that the judging panel will focus on fairness, credibility and professionalism throughout the selection process.

Her words, “It is with a deep sense of responsibility that I assume the role of head judge for the 12th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards.

Over the years, the AMVCA has grown far beyond an award ceremony; it has become an important cultural institution.

This year marks a defining moment in the evolution of the awards. With the inclusion of categories representing North and Central Africa, the AMVCA expands its reach to fully reflect the depth and diversity of storytelling across our continent.

Our responsibility is to ensure that the adjudication process reflects the highest standard of fairness, credibility and professional integrity.

Our role as jurors is not simply to award visibility or popularity, but to honour the depth of craft and the mastery of storytelling that continues to elevate African cinema on the global stage.”

WOW.

Nollywood is a sobriquet that originally referred to the Nigerian film industry. The origin of the term dates back to the early 2000s, traced to an article in The New York Times. Due to the history of evolving meanings and contexts, there is no clear or agreed-upon definition for the term, which has made it a subject to several controversies.

The origin of the term “Nollywood” remains unclear; Jonathan Haynes traced the earliest usage of the word to a 2002 article by Matt Steinglass in the New York Times, where it was used to describe Nigerian cinema.

Charles Igwe noted that Norimitsu Onishi also used the name in a September 2002 article he wrote for the New York Times. The term continues to be used in the media to refer to the Nigerian film industry, with its definition later assumed to be a portmanteau of the words “Nigeria” and “Hollywood”, the American major film hub.

Film-making in Nigeria is divided largely along regional, and marginally ethnic and religious lines. Thus, there are distinct film industries – each seeking to portray the concern of the particular section and ethnicity it represents. However, there is the English-language film industry which is a melting pot for filmmaking and filmmakers from most of the regional industries.