Ghanaian actor Majid Michel has been awarded as overall best actor in Africa at the 2012 edition of the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) held in Nigeria last Sunday.
Majid
was nominated alongside Hollywood superstars Hakeem Kae Kazim and Chet Anekwe.
Other contenders were Wale Ojo from Nigeria, and top actors Karado Lance, Jafta
Mamabolo and Menzi Ngubane- all from South Africa.
Majid,
after winning the award, told African filmmakers to watch out for him as he would
be taking more awards in the movie industry.
“I
will be back,” Majid told top international filmmakers and journalists who had converged
on Nigeria for the 2012 AMAAs.
It
was an exciting moment for Ghanaians, Nollywood fans and the august international
audience that witnessed the ceremony at Eko Hotel and Suites, as Majid stormed
the AMAA stage for his first award after being nominated four times since 2009.
“Anytime
I am given a platform like this to say something sensible, I never do. But
today I’m going to try and say something worthwhile. Great thanks go to God,
the crew of the movie, ‘Somewhere in Africa’, 4reez, Louis. I want to thank
them for supporting me to bring that character out. I want to say big thanks to
you AMAA awards.”
“This
is my AMAA awards 2012. Today is a memorable day for me. I have been nominated
for the past 4 years consecutively. I didn’t see it coming. I had a bet with my
advisor- Mawuli. He told me I was going to win but I said no I don’t deserve
it. So if I win I will give him the award, (he gave the statuette to Mawuli who
was on stage with him and others), but I will take it later. I want to say big thanks
to you my wife, my sister, my mum paid my film fees and to my father, who is
late. To all single people here thank you so much for the support. I can see
some faces; Nse, Rita, Kate … I don’t want to say much. I think the time is
ticking. Thank you so much AMAA awards. Great job for me; next year I will be
back,” Majid said after receiving his award.
With
the female category, Nollywood’s Rita Dominic won Africa’s Best Actress In
Leading role, beating Yvonne Okoro, Ama K Abebrese, Nse Ikpe Etim and Millicent
Makheido.
Leila
Djansi’s ‘Ties That Bind’ won the
Achievement In Screenplay category while ‘African
Elections’, a documentary on Ghana’s election by Jarreth Merz won the Best
Documentary award.
South
African film ‘How To Steal 2 Million’
won best film of the year while AMAA Jury Special Award went to another South
African film, ‘Man On Ground’.
Other
key technical awards like AMAA 2012 Achievement
In Editing, AMAA 2012 Achievement In Visual Effect, AMAA 2012 Achievement In Cinematography, and AMAA 2012 Best Director went to ‘How To Steal 2 Million’ – South Africa,
‘Adesuwa–Nigeria’, ‘Otelo Burning’– South Africa and ‘How To Steal 2 Million’ – Charlie Vundla respectively.
The awards night attracted a
number of Nollywood stars and others from Uganda, Kenya, South Africa and
Ghana.
Hollywood actors Rockmond Dunbar,
Lynn Whitfield, Maya Gilbert, and Morris Chestnut were the guests of honour.
Hosted by Haiti born Hollywood
actor Jimmy Jean Louis and Nigeria’s celebrity O.C Ukeje, the ceremony was full
of interesting and entertaining performances by 2face Idibia, Asa, Yinka Davis,
Senegal’s Vivian and Edge.
The awards ceremony started with
a red carpet ceremony which saw a number of Nollywood old faces displaying
their fashionable garbs. Among them were Benita Nzeribe, Maureen Solomon, Tony
Umez, Chinyere Wilfred, Aki, Kate Henshaw and a lot of others.
Ghana’s Lydia Forson, Yvonne
Okoro, Ama K Abebrese, Juliet Ibrahim and Amanda Jissih did not disappoint
their fans.
Asantewa Olatunji, head of AMAA
jury, before handing over the list of award winners on stage, acknowledged that
films entered for the award this year were of higher quality.
That, she said, made it difficult
for the jury to pick winners.
Peace Anyiam Osigwe was
enthusiastic about the glamorous nature of the event and implored African
governments to support the creative industries in their various countries.
She used the opportunity to urge
African filmmakers to “tell African stories our own way”. She believed
Nollywood had changed the face of African cinema and applauded the industry for
that. She was also happy about how African stars were having successful careers
on the world stage.
credit: NEWS-ONE
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