Genevieve Nnaji is a Nigerian actress, producer, and director. She won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2005, making her the first actor to win the award. In 2011, she was honoured as a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic by the Nigerian government for her contributions to Nollywood. Her directorial debut movie, Lionheart, is the first Netflix film from Nigeria and the first Nigerian submission for the Oscars. The movie was disqualified for having most of its dialogue in English. After having spent decades in the movie industry, she was profiled alongside some celebrities and business executives in 2020 in two new books by publisher and Editor in Chief of Yes International! magazine, Azuh Arinze.
Joseph van Vicker, better known as Van Vicker, is a Ghanaian actor, movie director and humanitarian. He is the chief executive officer of Sky + Orange production, a film production house. Van Vicker received two nominations for "Best Actor in a Leading Role" and "Best Upcoming Actor" at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2008.
Chioma Chukwuka is a Nigerian actress, director and movie producer. In 2007, she won the Africa Movie Academy Award for "Best Actress in a leading role" for her performance in the movie "Sins of the flesh", and the Afro Hollywood award for best actress in a lead role in 2010.
Anayo Modestus Onyekwere popularly known as Kanayo O. Kanayo is a Nigerian actor and lawyer. In 2006, he won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in the movie Family Battle.
Olufunke Ayotunde Akindele-Bello popularly known as Funke Akindele or Jenifa, is a Nigerian filmmaker, actress, director, producer and politician. Akindele starred in the sitcom I Need to Know from 1998 to 2002, and in 2009, she won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. for her role in Jenifa, which brought her into fame. Akindele reprised the role in a 2015 television series adaption titled Jenifa's Diary, for which she was named the Best Actress in a Comedy at the 2016 and 2017 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards. Akindele won the same award in 2020 and 2022, making it her fifth win for the Best Actress in a Comedy category. Akindele is the most nominated actress/filmmaker at the AMVCA and currently owns six wins which makes her the actress with most wins. She is the second director to gross over a billion naira at the Nigeria box office.
The Africa Movie Academy Awards, popularly known as AMAA and The AMA Awards, is presented annually to recognize excellence among professionals working in, or non-African professionals who have contributed to, the African film industry. It was founded by Peace Anyiam-Osigwe and is run through the Africa Film Academy. The awards are aimed at honouring and promoting excellence in the African movie industry as well as uniting the African continent through arts and culture. The award presentation is attended by numerous media representatives, celebrities, politicians, journalists, actresses and actors from all across the world. The AMA Awards is widely considered to be Africa's most important film event and the most prestigious film award in Africa. A variety of international observers have fondly called the African Movie Academy Awards the "African Oscars".
The 4th Africa Movie Academy Awards ceremony was held on 26 April 2008 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria, to honor the best African films of 2007. The ceremony was broadcast live on Nigerian national television. Special guest of honor at the event was Hollywood actress Angela Bassett.
The 1st Africa Movie Academy Awards ceremony was held on May 30, 2005 at the Gloryland Cultural Center in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, to honor the best African films of 2004. The ceremony was broadcast live on Nigerian national television. Nollywood actress Stella Damasus-Aboderin and Nollywood actor Segun Arinze hosted the ceremony.
Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs,, known professionally as Olu Jacobs, is a Nigerian actor and film executive. He has starred in several British television series and international films. Olu Jacobs has been hailed by many as one of the greatest and most widely respected African actors of his generation. Together with Pete Edochie, he is considered by several media, film commentators, critics, and other actors to be one of the most influential African actors of all time, and is widely regarded as a cultural icon. He is seen as the bridge between the old Actors and the new ones.
Apaadi is a 2009 Yoruba language Nigerian film. It's the first epic film produced by Funke Akindele and she also starred as one of the main characters in the movie, playing the King's niece. The film was nominated in the 2009 Africa Movie Academy Awards for Best Film in an African Language and Achievement in Costume categories, and Femi Adebayo was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in this film.
Dickson Nnamdi Iroegbu is a Nigerian film director and producer. He has directed and produced several Nollywood hit movies. In 2005, at the maiden edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards, Iroegbu won three awards for the movie The Mayors, including the awards for Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Director.
Maami is a 2011 Nigerian drama film produced and directed by Tunde Kelani. It is based on a novel of the same name, written by Femi Osofisan, and adapted to screen by Tunde Babalola. It stars Funke Akindele as Maami, along with Wole Ojo and Olumide Bakare. Though the film was a commercial failure, it was generally met with positive critical reviews.
Married but Living Single is a 2012 Nigerian romantic drama film, directed by Tunde Olaoye and starring Funke Akindele, Joseph Benjamin, Joke Silva, Tina Mba, Kiki Omeili and Femi Brainard. The film was inspired by a book of the same name by Pastor Femi Faseru of KICC Lagos and tells the story of Kate, a career driven woman who's married to an entrepreneur, Mike. Mike is diagnosed with lung cancer; Kate has to choose to either take a break from work to be with her husband while he recuperates from his surgery, or stay dedicated to her company which now stands a big chance of winning an important contract with a big telecommunication company.
Daniel Kanayo Daniel is a Nigerian television and film actor, model, voice-over artiste and events compere. He is best known for his portrayal of Bossman in the movie A Soldier's Story, for which he won the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards (AMVCA) and the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) awards for Best Actor, as well as his roles in the period piece 76, which also starred Ramsey Nouah, Chidi Mokeme and Rita Dominic and the light-hearted Mummy Dearest alongside veteran Nigerian actress Liz Benson. He was one of two Nollywood actors inducted into the Academy of Motion Pictures and Science class of 2022.
Eniola Badmus is a Nigerian professional film actress, script writer, entertainer and a social media influencer.
Juliana Oluwatobiloba Olayode, also known as Toyo Baby, a sobriquet she got from starring as Toyosi in the series Jenifa's Diary; is a Nigerian actress and sexual purity activist. She is also known for being a public critic of sex before marriage among Nigerian youths.
Adejumoke Aderounmu is a Nigerian actress, born in Abeokuta, Ogun State Nigeria, where she had her elementary and secondary education. She is best known for playing roles like Esther And Kelechi in the popular Nollywood TV series Jenifa's DiaryAnd Industreet, Jummy Adams in Nollywood's Box Office hit Movie Alakada 2 alongside Funke Akindele, Toyin Abraham, Odunlade Adekola, Linda Ejiofor, Falz, Juliana Olayode, Omotunde Adebowale David (Lolo) and more.
Ugwu Lotachukwu Jacinta Obianuju Amelia is a Nigerian actress popularly known as Lota Chukwu. She gained popularity after starring in popular Nigerian TV series, Jenifa's Diary, alongside Funke Akindele, Juliana Olayode, and Falz where she plays the role of "Kiki", a friend of the lead character, Jenifa. She is also a yoga fitness enthusiast.
