AMVCA 2026 Winners: Kenya Wins Best Writing TV Series for Third Year in a Row with ‘Shuga Mashariki’

For the third year in a row, Kenya has won the Best Writing TV Series award at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), with young adult drama Shuga Mashariki (formerly MTV Shuga Mashariki) taking home the prize at the 2026 edition in Lagos.

Shuga Mashariki was nominated alongside Nigeria’s The Wives, Our Husband, Baba Oh and The Party, as well as Ethiopia’s Addis Fikir and Gizat.

The win marks Kenya’s only award at AMVCA 2026 despite receiving 12 nominations overall. These included Best Supporting Actress for Shuga Mashariki star Julie Brenda Nyambura, Best Score for Shuga Mashariki, Best Scripted Series nominations for The Chocolate Empire and Kash Money, Best Documentary nomination for The People Shall, Best Indigenous Language Film (East Africa) for Sayari and Inside Job, Best Writing in a Movie for Cards on the Table, and Best Scripted M-Net Original for Adam to Eve and Bobo.

The Shuga franchise first launched in Kenya in 2009 before expanding to Nigeria, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire and India. It returned to Kenya in 2025 as MTV Shuga Mashariki before recently rebranding to Shuga Mashariki after parent brand MTV Staying Alive Foundation — now known as Shuga Global — dropped the ‘MTV’ name following the end of its partnership with Paramount.

Speaking after receiving the Best Writing award in Lagos, Shuga Mashariki producer Kevin Njue said: “Our team of writers worked hard on this show for season one and season two, so this is very validating. To come to Nigeria and receive an award for writing reflects the effort our writers put into making sure Shuga Mashariki speaks to young people while still resonating with everyone.”

In 2024, the award was won by Tosh Gitonga’s music drama Volume for writer Mona Ombogo, while in 2025 it went to Philit Productions’ Untying Kantai for writer Abel Mutua.

See the full list of the AMVCA 2026 winners below.

BEST OVERALL MOVIE

• My Father’’s Shadow

 BEST DIRECTOR

• Akinola Davies Jr — My Father’s Shadow

 BEST LEAD ACTOR

• Uzor Arukwe — Colours Of Fire

BEST LEAD ACTRESS

• Linda Ejiofor — The Serpent’s Gift

 BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

• Bucci Franklin — To Kill A Monkey

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• Linda Ejiofor — The Herd

BEST WRITING IN A MOVIE

• Wale Davies — My Father’s Shadow

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

• Kabelo Thathe — To Kill A Monkey

BEST EDITING

• Daniel Anyiam — To Kill A Monkey

 BEST SOUND DESIGN

• Pius Fatoke, CJ Mirra — My Father’s Shadow

BEST SCORE/MUSIC

• Oscar Heman-Ackah — To Kill A Monkey

BEST ART DIRECTION

• Ajamolaya Bunmi — Colours of Fire

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

• Valerie Okeke — Colours of Fire

BEST MAKEUP

• Warlord — Hakeem Effect

BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE FILM (WEST AFRICA)

• Lisabi: A Legend Is Born

BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE FILM (EAST AFRICA)

• Addis Fikir

BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE FILM (SOUTH AFRICA)

• Tlhaho Ya Mosadi

BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE FILM (NORTH AFRICA)

• Artal Alhanin: Our Memories

BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE FILM (CENTRAL AFRICA)

• Mabanda

BEST DOCUMENTARY

• Beyond Olympic Glory

BEST SHORT FILM

• Hussaini

BEST SCRIPTED M-NET ORIGINAL

• The Low Priest

BEST UNSCRIPTED M-NET ORIGINAL

• Nigerian Idol S10

BEST INDIGENOUS M-NET ORIGINAL

• Inimba

BEST SCRIPTED SERIES

• Inimba

BEST UNSCRIPTED SERIES

• Nigerian Idol S10

BEST WRITING TV SERIES

• MTV Shuga Masahariki – Annette Shadeya, Natasah Likimani, Mkamzee Mwatela, Arnold Mwanjila, Makagano Mamabolo

INDUSTRY MERIT AWARD

• Sola Sobowale & Kanayo O. Kanayo

TRAILBLAZER AWARD

• Uche Montana

BEST DIGITAL CONTENT CREATOR

• Emmanuel Kanaga, Sophia Chisom

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