Kenya’s biggest night in film and television belonged to three titles.
At the 14th Kalasha International Film and TV Awards, held on Saturday 2 May at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi, the Oscar-submitted feature Nawi and the short film Sukari each claimed five awards, while television drama Kash Money swept its category to round off a night that announced a new generation of Kenyan storytelling to the world.
The ceremony, hosted by Amina Abdi Rabar and Lotan Salaipei, drew industry players and key stakeholders from across East and Central Africa.
Nawi crowns Kenya’s awards season
Nawi arrived at the Kalasha ceremony already carrying the weight of national expectation as Kenya’s official submission to the 2025 Academy Awards. It left as the night’s most decorated film. The feature took home Best Feature Film for producers Brizan Were, Lydia Wrensch and Caroline Heim, with Michelle Lemuya Ikeny collecting Best Lead Actress. The film added Best Costume Designer and Best Production Designer for the Nawi: Dear Future Me team, credits going to Viva Njeri and Erikson Kang’ethe respectively, and closed the night with the People’s Choice Award, a victory decided by the audience rather than a jury.
Five awards across craft, performance and popular vote made Nawi the defining film of the evening.
Sukari announces a director to watch
If Nawi was the establishment favourite, Sukari was the night’s most exciting story. Omar Hamza’s short film matched the feature’s five-award haul, winning Best Director, Best Original Screenplay for Hamza and writer June Wairegi, Best Lead Actor for Juma Mdoe, Best Supporting Actor for Jave Samson, and Best Short Film, also awarded to June Wairegi as producer.
That a short film could stand alongside a nationally celebrated feature on the winner’s podium speaks to the depth of craft now emerging in Kenya’s independent film scene. Hamza, in particular, left the evening as one of the most compelling new voices in East African cinema.
Kash Money rules television
The television categories told an equally decisive story. Kash Money, produced by Grace Kahaki, claimed Best TV Drama, Best TV Director shared between Kahaki and Philippe Bresson, Best Lead Actor for John Sibi-Okumu, and supporting prizes for both Amara Tari and Lenana Kariba. Five awards in total, none of them close contests judging by the sweep.
June Njenga broke the Kash Money dominance in the acting categories, winning Best Lead Actress in a TV Drama for her performance in Big Girl Small World, whose writer Angela Ruhinda also took home Best TV Scriptwriter. The People’s Choice Award for TV Drama went to MTV Shuga Mashariki, a reminder that popular audiences sometimes chart their own course from industry juries.
Recognition across the board
Beyond the dominant three, the awards spread recognition across a wide range of work. The Dog won Best Cinematographer, credited to Andrew Mungai and Baker Karim, and Best Gaffer for Walter Odhiambo. The People Shall, directed by Mark Maina, took both Best Editor and Best Documentary. Memory of Princess Mumbi by Damien Hauser earned Best Visual Effects and the Jury Award. Sarah, produced by Sarah Tenoi, Nick Reding and Amos Leuka, won Best Kenyan Indigenous Film, with Eric Musyoka claiming Best Sound Designer for the same production.
Mary Wanjiku’s Lore won Best Animation, 2 Asunder took Best Makeup Artist for John Michuki, and Dinner for Threeand The Inkidongi won the student film categories. The international prize went to Jimbi, while Ndemwa claimed Best Children’s Production.
The Lifetime Achievement Award recognised John Karanja for his contribution to Kenyan film. Edwin Wainaina was named Digital Content Creator of the Year and Shiksha Arora took the Positive Impact Content Creator award.
Ruto’s pledges and the politics of the evening
President William Ruto attended as chief guest, becoming the first Kenyan head of state to appear at the Kalasha Awards. He announced that the government would direct 30 percent of its advertising spend to creative platforms, pledged to increase winner prize money from KSh 200,000 to KSh 500,000, and committed KSh 10 million to support individuals pursuing film and the arts. He also called on Parliament to fast-track the Creative Economy Bill 2026 and confirmed a forthcoming meeting with Panos Panay, president of the Recording Academy, the body behind the Grammy Awards.
His presence drew mixed reactions online, particularly given recent reports that rules for the 2026 Kenya National Drama and Film Festival had been revised to restrict political content in submissions, allegations denied by festival officials. The question of where government support ends and government influence begins is one Kenya’s creative sector will continue to navigate long after the cameras stopped rolling on Saturday night.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS
FILM
Best Feature Film Nawi — Brizan Were, Lydia Wrensch and Caroline Heim
Best Lead Actress in a Film Michelle Lemuya Ikeny — Nawi
Best Lead Actor in a Film Juma Mdoe — Sukari
Best Supporting Actress in a Film Ivy Collette — Owadwa
Best Supporting Actor in a Film Jave Samson — Sukari
Best Director Omar Hamza — Sukari
Best Original Screenplay Sukari — June Wairegi and Omar Hamza
Jury Award Memory of Princess Mumbi — Damien Hauser
Best Cinematographer The Dog — Andrew Mungai and Baker Karim
Best Sound Designer Sarah — Eric Musyoka
Best Editor The People Shall — Mark Maina
Best Visual Effects Memory of Princess Mumbi — Damien Hauser
Best Gaffer The Dog — Walter Odhiambo
Best Costume Designer Nawi: Dear Future Me — Viva Njeri
Best Makeup Artist 2 Asunder — John Michuki
Best Production Designer Nawi: Dear Future Me — Erikson Kang’ethe
Best Documentary The People Shall — Mark Maina
Best Animation Lore — Mary Wanjiku
Best Kenyan Indigenous Film Sarah — Sarah Tenoi, Nick Reding and Amos Leuka
Best Short Film Sukari — June Wairegi
Best Student Film Dinner for Three
Best Documentary by a Student The Inkidongi
People’s Choice Award — Feature Film Nawi
Best International Film Jimbi
Best Children’s Production Ndemwa
TELEVISION
Best TV Drama Kash Money — Grace Kahaki
Best Lead Actress in a TV Drama June Njenga — Big Girl Small World
Best Lead Actor in a TV Drama John Sibi-Okumu — Kash Money
Best Supporting Actress in a TV Drama Amara Tari — Kash Money
Best Supporting Actor in a TV Drama Lenana Kariba — Kash Money
Best TV Director Kash Money — Grace Kahaki and Philippe Bresson
Best TV Scriptwriter Big Girl Small World — Angela Ruhinda
People’s Choice Award — TV Drama MTV Shuga Mashariki
SPECIAL AWARDS
Lifetime Achievement Award John Karanja
Digital Content Creator of the Year Edwin Wainaina
Positive Impact Content Creator of the Year Shiksha Arora
