I have been seeing a lot of comments about the AMVCA nominees and winners. Honestly, the only movies I watched in those categories were Behind the Scenes and The Herd, and I genuinely credit both productions for the effort they put into making those films. But I didn’t watch Colours of Fire, My Father’s Shadow, To Kill a Monkey, and some others, so how can I fully judge?

I saw people ranting online about the winners and saying that the award process may not be genuine because AMVCA means Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, and according to them, viewers should make the final decisions instead of a jury.

And honestly, I understand where they are coming from.

Last year, I worked with an organization that hosts yearly award events for upcoming gospel artists, and it was a privilege because I learned a lot from that experience. In many award events, voters are usually given the highest power to determine who wins. Sometimes it is through monetary voting, online engagement, likes, shares, or public support. We see this system almost everywhere, beauty pageants, community competitions, entertainment awards, and many other events.

And yes, that system has its place.

But watching AMVCA 12 made me appreciate something deeper, the importance of a jury.

Because if awards are judged only based on public votes, emotions, popularity, or fan love, then sometimes mediocrity may end up winning over excellence. Most viewers naturally judge based on how they feel about a movie, their favorite actors, or how entertaining the film was to them personally.

Even me, I was rooting mostly for The Herd and Behind the Scenes because those were the ones I watched and connected with emotionally.

But then I realized something.

The AMVCA jury looked beyond popularity. They looked deeper into what filmmaking truly entails. They paid attention to cinematography, casting, scriptwriting, editing, costume design, makeup, directing, sound, creativity, and overall execution.

And honestly, I respect that.

It made me understand that the Nigerian and African film industries are serious about growth. They didn’t judge only based on the movies with the highest views or the most online conversations. They looked for the extra. They looked for excellence beyond what is regular or familiar to us as viewers.

A good movie is not just about storyline or famous actors. It is beyond who is in the movie or how funny it is. It is about technicality, creativity, originality, detail, and the overall outcome of the production.

After the AMVCA, I went back to check the trailers of some of the winning films I had not watched before, like Colours of Fire and My Father’s Shadow, and I was honestly impressed. Those movies looked intentional. They looked unique. They carried something different from the regular films we see every day.

That made me reflect on life too.

Sometimes the best things are not always the most visible or the most celebrated by the crowd. We live in a generation where visibility often looks like value. Something shallow can go viral while something truly meaningful gets ignored.

But excellence still speaks.

And that is why I was genuinely happy seeing people like Linda win. Linda has been in the movie industry for years and has featured in many films. We have known her for a while, but this particular award brought her even more into the spotlight.

It reminded me that sometimes in life, God allows a certain season for people to finally see you.

You may have been doing well quietly for years, putting in effort, growing consistently, and showing up even when nobody notices. Then suddenly, one moment, one opportunity, or one recognition brings your name into every room.

Everybody has their own time.

Seeing Linda win reminded me that no matter what you are doing, you should never stop pushing. Never stop improving. Never stop growing.

And honestly, this became a personal lesson for me.

The best is not always determined by how many people support it or how popular it is. The best is often determined by the extra effort, the intentionality, the discipline, and the willingness to go beyond what is ordinary.

So I had to ask myself, What am I doing right now that can be improved? What extra value can I add? What can make my work different? What can make me stand out?

Whether it is business, academics, ministry, content creation, career, or any other field, there is always room to go beyond the ordinary. Do the work that other people avoid. Pay attention to details. Learn more. Grow your skill. Add excellence to what you do.

And if you currently feel unseen, unrecognized, or like your efforts are not being appreciated, do not give up.

Your time will come too.

PS: Every human being is subjective by nature, but personally, I still believe the AMVCA jury tried to do justice.