GEMA
G E M A
CELEBRATING AFRICAN CREATIVITY,
EXCELLENCE & UNITY
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GEMA
GREAT EXCELLENCE MOVIE AWARDS
GEMA ceremony stage
ENTRIES OPEN · SIXTH EDITION

Africa's stories,
on the world's stage.

Celebrating African creativity, excellence and unity — one evening, one continent, one standard.

Submit your film Attend the ceremony
CEREMONY BEGINS IN
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Saturday 14 November 2026 · 19:00 GMT
Accra International Conference Centre, Accra
Entries close 30 September 2026
THE GEMA STATUETTE · DRAG TO TURN
RECOGNITION· COLLABORATION· CULTURE· IMPACT
Honourees with their GEMA trophies
THE PLATFORM

More than
an awards night.

The Great Excellence Movie Awards is a platform dedicated to celebrating, recognising and promoting excellence across the African film and creative industries — honouring outstanding talent, inspiring emerging creatives, and strengthening the visibility of African storytelling across borders.

24
AWARD CATEGORIES
31
COUNTRIES ELIGIBLE
1,400+
ENTRIES LAST EDITION
6
GEMA INITIATIVES
Read our story →
THE AWARDS

Twenty-four categories.

Browse all categories →
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BEST PICTURE · SHORTLIST

The films in contention.

See all nominees →
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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
GHONE TVANGEL TVSHAXIPIWAK NATURAL HEALTHTRAFFIC SHAWARMA
Become a partner →
GEMA 2025 · FIFTH EDITION

Moments from the last night.

Guests in the auditorium with their trophies
Performance on the GEMA stage
Honouree accepting an award
Acceptance speech at the podium
Citation presented on stage
Award presentation
Guests arriving at the venue
Honouree with citation and trophy
Citation in honour of a distinguished guest
Photography from the Great Excellence Movie Awards ceremony.
Open the slideshow gallery →

Latest from GEMA

Press room →
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ABOUT GEMA

When creativity is recognised, talent is inspired.

Great Excellence Movie Awards was established from a belief that African creativity deserves recognition, celebration and meaningful platforms.

The African film industry is filled with extraordinary stories, remarkable talent and creative visionaries. Yet many achievements still lack the platforms that would give them visibility, connection and lasting credit. GEMA was created to answer that need.

Today the platform brings together filmmakers, actors, producers, industry professionals, partners and audiences around a single commitment: to honour creative excellence, and to build a future where African excellence is recognised not as an exception, but as a global standard.

OUR PROMISE
GEMA celebrates excellence with dignity, credibility, creativity and African pride.
Guests at the GEMA ceremony
Traditional leaders at the GEMA ceremony
VISION

To become one of Africa's most respected platforms for celebrating film excellence, connecting creative industries and promoting African stories to the world.

MISSION
Recognise outstanding achievement in film and the creative arts.
Celebrate African creativity and cultural diversity.
Create opportunities for industry collaboration and networking.
Promote African films, filmmakers, actors and creative professionals.
Inspire young and emerging talent.
Build partnerships across Africa and internationally.
VALUES
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JURY & ADVISORY BOARD

The people who decide.

Every category is judged by a rotating panel of practitioners and scholars. Jurors recuse themselves from any category in which they hold a credit or financial interest.

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2026 AWARD CATEGORIES

Twenty-four ways
to be recognised.

Each entry may be submitted to a maximum of four categories. Eligibility runs from 1 January to 31 December 2026.

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NOMINEES & PAST WINNERS

The class of 2026.

AUDIENCE CHOICE — VOTING OPEN
One free vote per person. Voting closes 7 November 2026 at 23:59 GMT.
Buy vote bundles →
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Past winners — Fifth Edition, 2025

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SUBMISSIONS · SIXTH EDITION

Enter your film.

Entries close 30 September 2026. Standard entry fee GH₵350 · student and short-film entries free.

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COUNTRY OF PRODUCTION
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SYNOPSIS · MAX 120 WORDS
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SUBMITTER NAME
ROLE
EMAIL
SCREENER LINK
Screeners must remain live until 30 November 2026. GEMA does not share submitted material outside the assigned jury panel.
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ENTRY FEE
GH₵350
Pay & submit entry
Entry received. A confirmation and reference number have been sent to your email.
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14 NOVEMBER 2026 · ACCRA

Three days.
One evening that matters.

Programme

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Tickets

Nominees, honourees and their listed guests are admitted without charge. All other seating is allocated in order of confirmation.

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Reserve seats
PARTNERSHIP & SPONSORSHIP

Connect your brand with excellence.

GEMA partners with organisations that believe in creativity, culture, innovation, youth development and African growth — and gives them a place inside a cultural conversation that lasts far beyond one evening.

BENEFIT
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Partner with GEMA to connect your brand with excellence, creativity, culture, and one of Africa's most exciting creative communities.
REQUEST THE PARTNERSHIP DECK
Send
Or write to partnerships@gemaawards.africa
NEWS & PRESS ROOM

Announcements.

← All releases
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The secretariat confirmed the announcement at a briefing in Accra, alongside members of the advisory board. Full details, including deadlines and application routes, are published in the accompanying information pack; the secretariat will answer accreditation queries directly.

The Great Excellence Movie Awards is staged annually in Accra and recognises achievement across film and the creative arts on the continent. Editors may reproduce this release in full or in part with attribution.

Media contact — press@gemaawards.africa · +233 (0) 30 274 1200
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Read release →
Media enquiries
Accreditation for the ceremony and red carpet closes 31 October 2026. Broadcast and photo pool requests are handled separately.
press@gemaawards.africa
+233 (0) 30 274 1200
Download press kit
GEMA press wall
CONTACT & FAQ

Talk to us.

GENERAL
hello@gemaawards.africa
SUBMISSIONS
entries@gemaawards.africa
PARTNERSHIPS
partnerships@gemaawards.africa
SECRETARIAT
Ridge Towers, Ambassadorial Enclave
Ridge, Accra, Ghana
Send message

Frequently asked

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PUBLIC VOTING · CLOSES 7 NOVEMBER 2026

Cast your vote.

Paid votes are collected through Paystack — card, MTN MoMo, Telecel Cash, AT Money, bank transfer and USSD. Net proceeds fund the GEMA Academy.

PAYMENT MODE
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CHOOSE A CATEGORY
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CHOOSE A VOTE BUNDLE
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VOTER DETAILS
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ORDER SUMMARY
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CARD·MTN MOMO·TELECEL CASH·AT MONEY·USSD
Secured by Paystack. GEMA never sees or stores your card details. Votes are credited only after the payment is verified server-side.
Awaiting Paystack confirmation
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PAYMENT CONFIRMED
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A receipt has been emailed. Votes are credited only after Paystack's webhook is verified server-side, and every transaction is written once to the audit log — reference numbers are the record in any dispute.
Vote in another category See the standings
← Back
GALLERY · FIFTH EDITION

The evening, in full.

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SLIDESHOW ADVANCES EVERY 4.5 SECONDS

Every photograph

Click any frame to open it in the slideshow. Images are shown uncropped.
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HALL OF HONOUR

Past winners.

Every honour conferred at the Fifth Edition, held in Accra. Earlier editions are listed in the printed record available from the secretariat.

FIFTH EDITION · 2025
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Honouree with the GEMA statuette
Honouree and citation
See the full gallery →
JURY & ADVISORY BOARD

The people who decide.

Panels rotate annually. Every juror files a conflict-of-interest declaration and is barred from scoring any category in which they hold a credit, a fee interest or a family relationship.

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How scoring works
Each juror scores independently on a sealed ballot. Scores are revealed only when the panel closes, and the tally is exported, signed and archived before any announcement.
Joining a panel
Nominations to the jury are made by the advisory board and by the craft guilds. Practitioners with at least five years of credited work may write to the secretariat.
GEMA INITIATIVES

The work between the ceremonies.

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Sponsoring an initiative places a brand inside the industry's development, not only its celebration.
Partnership tiers Talk to the secretariat
RULES, PRIVACY & CONDUCT

The terms we hold ourselves to.

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Last revised August 2026. The secretariat's written ruling is final in all matters of eligibility.