When Lagos steps into the spotlight, the world pays attention. On May 9, 2026, the Eko Hotel and Suites became the stage for the 12th edition of the Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards, and this year’s ceremony arrived with something extra.
For the first time in the event’s history, Diageo brought out the full portfolio of its most iconic premium spirit brands, including Don Julio as the headline sponsor of the 12th edition of AMVCA.
It was a landmark moment, not just for the AMVCA, but for the relationship between global brand investment and African creative excellence.
The message was unmistakable: Africa’s entertainment industry has arrived, and the world’s leading spirits company intends to celebrate that journey with it.
A union of craft and creativity
Diageo’s presence at the 12th AMVCA was not a single-brand appearance. It was a full portfolio statement.
Don Julio, Johnnie Walker, Singleton, Guinness, Malta Guinness, Orijin, and Smirnoff each carried a piece of the Diageo identity into one of Africa’s most watched cultural events, collectively representing a breadth of occasions, audiences, and experiences that mirrors the diversity of the continent itself.
Together, these brands did not simply sponsor a ceremony; they showed up for African creativity in its entirety. And within that portfolio, each brand brought its own distinct legacy to the table. Don Julio is not simply a tequila.
It is an institution, built on the conviction that quality should never be compromised, and that belief lives in every bottle that bears the name.
Johnnie Walker has, for over two centuries, stood as a symbol of progress and ambition, a brand that has always believed the road ahead is worth walking. Guinness, long associated with craftsmanship and cultural expression, found in the AMVCA a natural extension of its legacy of championing conversations around African culture and storytelling.
Malta Guinness and Orijin brought their deep roots in everyday African celebration, while Smirnoff added its signature spirit of inclusivity and fun to the mix. Placing both brands at the heart of the AMVCA was a deliberate and inspired choice.
MultiChoice Executive Head of Content and Channels, Atinuke Babatunde, spoke to the depth of this alignment, describing the partnership as one rooted in shared principles of dedication and craftsmanship.
The care that African filmmakers invest in their productions, the precision, the storytelling, the desire to create something lasting, reflects the same values that Diageo has built its legacy on. That connection gave the 2026 AMVCA a significance that went beyond the ceremony itself.
Setting standards
The awards ceremony was only the beginning. Don Julio took the celebration further by hosting an exclusive after-party that brought together actors, filmmakers, and cultural tastemakers for an evening that matched the premium standard of the brand itself.
Signature cocktails, curated music, and refined dining created an atmosphere where Africa’s most accomplished creatives could unwind and connect in a setting worthy of the occasion.
It was the kind of event that reminds you why premium experiences matter, and why Don Julio belongs in that conversation.
Fashion that broke the internet
The 2026 AMVCA red carpet delivered fashion moments that will be talked about for years. Actress Osas Ighodaro arrived in breathtaking pieces by designer Veekee James, a pairing that consistently produces some of the most elegant looks on any Nigerian red carpet.
Ghanaian style icon Nana Akua Addo made a commanding entrance in a cathedral-themed gown by Mohamed Abbas Ossu of Abbas Woman, a design that drew on architectural drama to stunning effect.
The evening’s most talked-about moment, however, belonged to Toyin Lawani. The CEO of Tiannah’s Place Empire, a designer who has built her reputation on defying the expected, created a gown for former Big Brother Naija star Queen Mercy Atang, constructed entirely from 500 loaves of bread.
The piece generated international headlines, with the BBC among the outlets that covered it.
It sparked conversation across social media platforms worldwide and introduced the AMVCA to audiences who had never previously encountered it. That is the reach African creativity commands when the brands supporting it are strong enough.
Investment that speaks louder than applause
The glamour of the AMVCA is well documented, but the industry behind it has not always had the resources to match its ambitions.
Funding constraints have historically limited the scope of African film and television production, shaping which stories get told and which remain untold.
Diageo’s role as headline sponsor marks a meaningful shift in that narrative. When brands such as Don Julio and Johnnie Walker, with their global standing, commit to a platform like the AMVCA, it sends a powerful message to every creative on the continent: the work you are doing is valued, and the world is prepared to invest in it.
MultiChoice has spent 12 years building the AMVCA into Africa’s most prestigious film and television awards. Diageo’s partnership further elevates that platform, introducing it to new audiences and signalling to the international creative and commercial community that African entertainment is a serious, thriving, and globally relevant industry.
Africa’s moment on global stage
The 2026 AMVCA was a night that demonstrated, with full confidence, that African entertainment no longer needs to seek validation from the rest of the world.
With the historic joint Diageo sponsorship, a fashion showcase that rivalled anything the international circuit has
produced, and viral moments that crossed continents, this was a ceremony that set its own terms and exceeded them.
For Nigerian and West African designers, the AMVCA now offers a genuine international platform to present their craft to audiences in Hollywood, Bollywood, and beyond.
For Diageo, standing alongside that moment with Don Julio, Singleton, Johnnie Walker, Guinness and Smirnoff was more than a business decision.
It was an acknowledgement that African culture is one of the most exciting and dynamic forces in global entertainment today, and that being part of its story is something worth raising a glass to.
The curtain has come down on the 12th AMVCA. The gowns have been preserved, the trophies collected, and the after-party memories filed away. But what this edition sets in motion is a deeper, more globally connected future for African entertainment. It’s only just beginning.
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