The Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), often compared to the Oscars, has evolved beyond a simple awards ceremony into an influential platform boosting African cinema’s global visibility. As the 11th edition approaches, the AMVCA continues to highlight African filmmakers’ work, helping to position Africa’s cinematic output as a significant force in international entertainment.

Initially established to showcase Africa’s diverse storytelling traditions, the AMVCA has grown from a regional event into one of the most anticipated events on the global film calendar. This increased prominence reflects the growing recognition of Africa’s cinematic quality and originality. The AMVCA brings together a wide range of African filmmaking talents, enhancing the event’s global recognition. As African content expands on streaming platforms like Showmax, the awards provide filmmakers with access to broader international audiences.

While the comparison to the Oscars speaks to its prestige, the AMVCA’s true value lies in showcasing authentic African stories and talent. Celebrating both established and emerging creative voices, it creates a space where African filmmakers receive recognition for their contributions to global cinema. This is particularly important as African stories gain  traction on the international stage.

Recognition from the AMVCA extends beyond trophies, opening doors to new opportunities and global collaborations. Past winners have seen their careers blossom through international film festival invitations, co-productions, and global distribution deals. The award serves as a validation that elevates African filmmakers’ work to the international stage.

A key strength of the AMVCA is its recognition of the full spectrum of industry talent. The awards highlight not only actors and directors but also the technical experts- cinematographers, editors, sound engineers, costume designers, and music composers- emphasising African cinema’s diverse talent pool. The addition of the best music score category further acknowledges how original compositions enhance storytelling and emotional impact in African films.

As African films increasingly appear on global platforms and receive critical acclaim, the AMVCA has become an industry cornerstone. With its 11th edition approaching, the awards’ role in recognising and celebrating African cinema remains vital. By recognizing excellence across all filmmaking aspects, from visual storytelling to musical composition, the AMVCA provides a comprehensive platform for honouring the complete artistic vision behind each production.

The global entertainment industry is paying attention, and the AMVCA ensures that African cinema is not just part of the conversation but actively shapes it. This evolution from a regional awards show to a globally recognized institution demonstrates the growing influence of African cinema and the diverse talent emerging from the continent. Through categories like Best Music Score, the AMVCA continues to elevate all components that make African storytelling unique and compelling on the world stage.

By Dipo Olowookere

A famous Nigerian gospel singer, Mr Bolaji Olarewaju, otherwise known as Big Bolaji or Big B, has died after a brief illness.

A statement from his family confirmed the death of the prolific musician on Saturday.

Big Bolaji, who is an ordained Pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), was a qualified surveyor while he was alive.

He was known for his energy while performing on stage.

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Bolaji Olarewaju, affectionately known as Big B, a cherished father, husband, brother, and an esteemed figure in both the church community, an ordained pastor in the RCCG and a giant in the music industry and our community.

“Bolaji left us on Easter Saturday, April 19, 2025, after a brief illness,” the statement obtained by Business Post read.

The death of Big Bolaji is coming a few weeks after four gospel artists died in a road crash in Ogun State.

By Adedapo Adesanya

Spotify users in Nigeria and around the world are currently experiencing challenges with the music streaming app.

Checks by Downdetector, which tracks platforms, showed more than 20,000 people reported Spotify was not properly functioning on Wednesday afternoon.

Users are still able to play music they had downloaded onto their device, and were also unable to view artists or use the search function on the app.

Business Post can also independently verify this issue as efforts to search for songs returned no outcome.

After trying to search for music, the app appears to time out and displays a message reading “something went wrong” with a refresh button.

This is not exclusive to Nigeria as thousands more reported issues in the US and parts of Europe, according to reports.

Spotify in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter said, “We are aware of the outage and working to resolve it as soon as possible. The reports of this being a security hack are false.”

Earlier it had said, “the issue with Search has been addressed” as it was rolling out the update to its users.

As of now, it is unclear how long it will be before the app begins working properly again.

Spotify has more than 675 million users worldwide.