Come Saturday, May 11, 2024, the 10th Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) holds at the iconic Eko Expo Hall, Victoria Island in Lagos State.
The AMVCA is an annual award presented by MultiChoice recognising outstanding achievements in television and film. The razzmatazz, glamour and emotions that accompanies the most viewed movie awards in Africa, has added to its value as new kings and queens of the tubes are crowned.
In the ‘Best Movie’ category, the blockbuster movie, ‘A tribe O Judah’ which hit N1.3billion across the cinemas in Africa and Europe, holds the ace and could just win the award category.
But the movie produced by Funke Akindele will have to slug it out with movies like ‘Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti’, ‘Breath of Life’, ‘Over The Bridge’. ‘Blood Vessel’, ‘The Black Book’ and the fantasy movie, ‘Mami Wata’.
The movie that covets this category could also determine that of the ‘Best Director’ category which has Moses Inwang (Blood Vessel), Adebayo Tijani & Tope Adebayo (Jagun Jagun), BB Sasore (Breath of Life), Johnscott Enah (Half Heaven), C. J. Fiery Obasi ( Mami Wata), Kayode Kasum (Afamefuna) and Tolu Ajayi (Over The Bridge).
Interestingly, A Tribe of Judah whose director cum producer is the trailblazer, Funke Akindele herself was not nominated in the Best Director category.
For the ‘Best Lead Actress’ category, it gets more interesting and competitive as nominees are Segilola Ogidan (Over The Bridge), Lucie Debay (Omen), Omowunmi Dada (Asiri Ade), the ageless Ireti Doyle in ‘The Origin:
Madam Koi Koi, Adaobi Dibor (Blood Vessel), Evelyne Ily (Mami Wata), Kehinde Bankole in the Netflix movie, ‘Adire’ and Funke Akindele in ‘A Tribe Called Judah’. Whoever wins this most anticipated category will definitely get rave reviews from the followers of Nollywood.
In the ‘Best Lead Actor’ category, veteran actor, Wale Ojo leads the pack for his role in ‘Breath of Life’. Other nominees are Stan Nze (Afamefuna), Marc Zinga (Omen), Gideon Okeke (Egun), David Ezekiel (Blood Vessel), Richard Mofe Damijo (The Black Book) and Adedimeji Lateef in Jagun Jagun – The Warrior epic movie.
Others to watch out for are veteran and celebrate actress, Joke Silva (Over the Bridge), Fathia Williams (Jagun Jagun – The Warrior), Bimbo Akintola (The Black Book), Genoveva Umeh (Breath of Life), Eliane Umuhire (Omen), Tana Adelana (Ijogbon – Chaos) and Ejiro Onojaife (The Origin: Madam Koi Koi) in the Best Supporting Actress category.
Other categories worthy of mention are Best Supporting Actor: Alexx Ekubo (Afamefuna), Demola Adedoyin (Breath of Life), Ibrahim Yekini (Jagun Jagun: The Warrior), Gregory Ojefua (This is Life),
Timini Egbuson (A Tribe Called Judah), Levi Chikere (Blood Vessel) and Ropo Ewenla (Over the Bridge).
The Best Indigenous Language Film in all the regional blocs across Africa will also have their day.
One of the suprises and highlights which the organisers do not disclose to the public is the Trailblazer Award category which normally comes with a brand new SUV and also the Life Achievement Award for veterans in the industry. The trailblazer award is for young thespians that have carves a niche for themselves and shown brilliance in his or her craft.
Who takes these awards? The jury will decide that on the day of glory.
According to the organisers, some categories are to be decided by the jury and not by the viewer’s again even as filmmaker, director and pioneer academy director of the MultiChoice Talent Factory, Femi Odugbemi heads the jury to shortlist thousands of entries received for nominations.
The executive head of Content and Channels, West Africa, MultiChoice, Busola Tejumola, had described the 10th AMVCA as a celebration to mark a decade of brilliance, innovation, and the sheer magic of African storytelling on screen.
