Funke Akindele’s ‘Behind the Scenes’ Leaves AMVCA 2026 Without Award Despite ₦2bn Box Office Run
Funke Akindele’s ‘Behind the Scenes’ Leaves AMVCA 2026 Without Award Despite ₦2bn Box Office Run
Funke Akindele’s blockbuster film Behind the Scenes has become one of the biggest talking points following the 12th Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) after the movie failed to secure a single award despite multiple nominations and record-breaking commercial success.
The film, which dominated Nollywood conversations for months, went into the AMVCA with nominations in several major categories, including Best Movie, Best Director, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Supporting Actor.
Funke Akindele’s Behind The Scenes becomes West Africa’s highest-grossing film of all time 2026
Major Nominations, No Win
Behind the Scenes starred Scarlet Gomez as a wealthy real estate mogul dealing with family pressure and financial responsibility often described as “black tax.”
The movie also featured Funke Akindele, Uzor Arukwe, Tobi Bakre, Iyabo Ojo, and several other top actors.
Despite its strong nomination run, the awards went to other productions during the ceremony held in Lagos on Saturday night.
Linda Ejiofor emerged as one of the biggest acting winners after clinching Best Lead Actress for The Serpent’s Gift and Best Supporting Actress for The Herd.
Meanwhile, My Father’s Shadow dominated the night with wins for Best Movie, Best Director, and several technical categories.
Film Breaks Nollywood Records
Although the film left the AMVCA empty-handed, Behind the Scenes had already secured its place in Nollywood history through its box office performance.
Distributed by FilmOne Entertainment, the movie became the first Nollywood production to cross the ₦2 billion mark at the box office.
Reports also showed that the film generated between ₦2.1 billion and ₦2.7 billion domestically while setting multiple records across Nigeria and diaspora markets.
The movie reportedly became the fastest West African film to hit ₦1 billion and also emerged as the highest-grossing Nigerian film in Africa, the UK, and Ireland.
It further recorded the biggest single-day gross in Nollywood history on Boxing Day.
Debate Over Awards and Commercial Success
The outcome has since reignited conversations about the gap between commercial success and award recognition in Nollywood.
While films like My Father’s Shadow gained critical acclaim and dominated jury votes, blockbuster productions such as Behind the Scenes continue driving the industry’s financial growth and cinema culture.
Funke Akindele, already regarded as one of Nollywood’s biggest commercial filmmakers, has consistently dominated the box office in recent years with projects like A Tribe Called Judah and Everybody Loves Jenifa.
The film was also recently released on Netflix, further expanding its global reach.
Mixed Reactions Trail AMVCA Outcome
Reactions online have remained divided since the awards night, with many fans expressing disappointment over the movie’s shutout despite its cultural impact and commercial dominance.
Others, however, argued that awards are often based on artistic and technical considerations rather than box office numbers alone.
As conversations continue after AMVCA 2026, Behind the Scenes remains one of Nollywood’s most commercially successful productions, proving once again that audience acceptance and award recognition do not always go hand in hand.
Akindele announced the film during her 48th birthday celebration, describing it as “intriguing, captivating, and deeply personal”.[1] Behind the Scenes premiered in cinemas nationwide on 12 December 2025. It received generally positive reviews and grossed over ₦500 million within its first week of release, becoming the fastest Nollywood film to achieve the feat.
