BY Nadia Ntiamoah
The Ghanaian film industry celebrated another milestone on June 8, 2026, as filmmakers, actors, producers and industry stakeholders gathered at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in Accra for the 15th edition of the Ghana Movie Awards.
Held under the theme, “Rewarding African Excellence,” the prestigious ceremony honoured outstanding achievements in filmmaking while highlighting the growing influence of African cinema on the global stage.
The event attracted some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, with celebrities, filmmakers, content creators and media personalities gracing the red carpet in a spectacular display of fashion, culture and creativity. Guests showcased elegant designs featuring traditional Ghanaian fabrics, intricate beadwork and contemporary styles that reflected the richness of African fashion.
Among the standout personalities on the red carpet was actress Priscilla Opoku Agyeman, whose metallic gold strapless gown drew admiration from fashion enthusiasts, while style icon Nana Akua Addo once again became one of the evening’s most talked-about figures with her eye-catching appearance.
However, beyond the glamour and fashion, the night belonged to the producers and cast of SUKURA, which emerged as the biggest winner of the evening after securing multiple awards, including the coveted Best Picture award.
Produced by Janet Ayesu, SUKURA dominated the awards ceremony and further cemented its place among the most celebrated Ghanaian films of the year.
Janet Ayesu’s successful night continued when she won the Discovery of the Year award for her role in the production, while the film also claimed several technical honours.
The movie won the Achievement in Cinematography award through Kofi Asante, while Godwin Mensah, popularly known as Vegas, received the award for Achievement in Production Design.
The production’s excellence in costume and character presentation was further recognised when Lydia Ashitey won the Achievement in Make-up and Hairstyling category.
Another major winner on the night was Virgin of the Throne, which enjoyed success across multiple categories.
Veteran filmmaker Frank Rajah Arase was honoured with the Achievement in Directing award and also secured the Achievement in Writing (Adapted or Original Screenplay) award for the same production.
The movie further excelled in technical categories, winning Achievement in Music (Original Score) and Achievement in Sound Mixing and Editing through Berni Anti.
Its continental appeal was also recognised as it won the Best Movie African Collaboration category.
In the acting categories, Amanda Jissih delivered one of the night’s biggest surprises by winning Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in Kone.
Meanwhile, popular actor and comedian Kwadwo Nkansah secured the Best Actor in a Leading Role award for his portrayal in Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
The supporting acting categories also produced notable winners.
Salma Mumin and Martha Ankomah shared the award for Best Supporting Actress for their performances in SUKURA and Virgin of the Throne respectively.
Similarly, Adjetey Anang and Majid Michel jointly won Best Supporting Actor honours for their outstanding performances in Virgin of the Throne.
The awards also recognised excellence in African collaborations.
Syndy Emade was named Best Actress in an African Collaboration, while Nigerian actor Deyemi Okanlawon won Best Actor in an African Collaboration for his role in SUKURA.
The short film category produced a tie, with Behind A Lie, produced by Juliet Ibrahim, sharing the award with Baby Something, produced and directed by Nicole Amarteifio and Jai Gulabrai.
Elsewhere, Mawuko Kuadzi won the Casting Director award for The Fishermen, while George Tamakloe received the Achievement in Costume and Wardrobe award for Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
The Achievement in Visual Effects category was won by Daria Amari Shelton and Nurudeen Tahiru for their work on The Fisherman.
The musical categories also highlighted excellence in film soundtracks.
Pascal Aka’s King of Tema won Achievement in Music (Original Song), while the same production earned Kobina De-Graft-Johnson the Achievement in Editing award.
Beyond the traditional film awards, several audience-voted categories were also presented.
Onua TV’s Aben Wo Ha was named Outstanding Reality Cooking Show of the Year after securing 49 percent of votes cast.
Onua Showtime won Outstanding Variety Talk Show of the Year with 58 percent of the votes.
Popular entertainment blogger Zionfelix was crowned Blogger of the Year after polling 24 percent of votes.
In the television acting categories, Prince Amoabeng, popularly known as General Nta Tia, won Best Supporting Actor (Drama or Comedy) for Makola vs Kejetia, while Louis Lamis claimed the Lead Actor award in the same category.
Actress Fella Makafui continued her successful run by winning Lead Actress (Drama or Comedy) for her role in Netflix’s Anikulapo Series after securing an impressive 62 percent of the votes.
Veteran actress Nana Ama McBrown was voted Favourite Movie Actress of the Year with 54 percent of votes, while comedian and actor Clemento Suarez emerged Favourite Movie Actor of the Year after polling 38 percent.
Social media personality Chef Abbys also added another accolade to her growing collection after winning TikTok Influencer and Entertainer of the Year with 33 percent of votes.
The 15th Ghana Movie Awards ultimately served as a celebration of African creativity, innovation and storytelling, highlighting the continued growth of the film industry and its increasing relevance on the continental and global entertainment landscape.
