Uzoamaka Aniunoh | |
|---|---|
 Aniunoh in 2020 | |
| Born | Uzoamaka Doris Aniunoh Onitsha, Nigeria |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Known for | MTV Shuga |
| Relatives | Chidinma Maryjane Aniunoh |
Uzoamaka Aniunoh is a Nigerian actor, writer, and director.
Uzoamaka Aniunoh | |
|---|---|
| Aniunoh in 2020 | |
| Born | Uzoamaka Doris Aniunoh Onitsha, Nigeria |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Known for | MTV Shuga |
| Relatives | Chidinma Maryjane Aniunoh |
Uzoamaka Aniunoh is a Nigerian actor, writer, and director.
Aniunoh was born and raised in Onitsha. She received a degree in English and History from the University of Nigeria and an MA in creative writing from the University of Birmingham. [1]
After her move to England in 2015, she returned to Nigeria in 2017 and attended the open auditions for the popular series MTV Shuga, winning the role of Cynthia. [2] She starred in the series from 2018 to 2019. [3]
She also starred in the 2020 special edition mini-series titled MTV Shuga Alone Together bringing together cast members from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Ivory Coast highlighting the challenges people were facing across the continent during the Coronavirus pandemic. [4]
In 2019 she was a lead in the short film Stuck alongside Seun Ajayi and Lala Akindoju [3] [5] and in 2020 appeared in Africa Magic's Riona period drama, one of the top 5 Nigerian TV series of the year. 2020 also saw her take on one the main roles in Ife, an LGBT love story for which she received the Kim Renders Memorial Award for Outstanding Performance from the Reelout Film Festival in 2021. [6] [7]
In 2021 Aniunoh was listed as a Nigerian actress to watch out for over the coming year by Nigerian Entertainment Today [8] . She went on to appear in several shorts including in the title role of the female superhero "The Zipman" in the supernatural thriller, Ananze and the Zipman, [9] Sister Rose, [10] and Title Ije. [11] She was also named by Filmone Nigeria as one of its Box Office Breakthrough actresses for her lead role in the comedy hit Ponzi. [12]
In 2022, she starred in the Nigerian thriller Diiche, Showmax' s first Nigerian original limited series. The series received seven nominations at the 2023 Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards [13] including for Best Series.
Aniunoh appeared in one of Africa's most lauded films of 2023, the award-winning fantasy thriller Mami Wata written and directed by C.J. "Fiery" Obasi. In addition to being the Nigerian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards, it received a multitude of awards and a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Aniunoh at the 2023 Africa Movie Academy Awards. In 2023 she also made her directorial debut with Love Language, a short film about an intertribal love affair, which she also wrote and starred in. [14]
2024 was a standout year for Aniunoh. She appeared in over a half a dozen films including the thriller The Weekend, a commercial and critical success that garnered her a Best Actress nomination at the 20th edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards. [15] In With Difficulty Comes Ease, an Amazon Prime Video feature directed by Korede Azezez, Aniunoh plays a young Igbo-Hausa widow who has to navigate both her grief and cultural expectations after losing her husband. [16] She also appeared in Ifeoma Nkiruka Chukwuogo's Phoenix Fury, which won the Best Film and Best Director awards at the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) in November 2024.
Aniunoh is a published fiction writer. An excerpt from her work Balcony was edited and published by the Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. [1] and her short story The Child That I was Not was Adichie's selection for Story of the Week for the literary journal The Missing Slate in January 2017. [17] The literary platform Brittle Paper also published works by Aniunoh: Tea Glass: An African Story in 2015 [18] and Mama Juror and Rush Green in 2017 [19] .
Shuga, also known as MTV Shuga, is a television drama that first aired in November 2009 on MTV Base as part of an initiative dubbed "MTV Staying Alive Ignite!". Its first two seasons were commissioned by MTV Networks Africa in association with The MTV Staying Alive Foundation, PEPFAR, the Partnership for an HIV-Free Generation (HFG) and the Government of Kenya, as part of a multimedia campaign to spread the message about responsible sexual behaviour and tolerance. The term Shuga is derived from the pronunciation of "Sugar" in Kenyan English.
The third season of the television drama series Shuga, dubbed Shuga Naija, was first broadcast on MTV Base from December 2013 to January 2014. The season was written by Kemi Adesoye and directed by Biyi Bandele. It starred Tiwa Savage, Chris Attoh, Maria Okanrende, Emmanuel Ikubese, Sharon Ezeamaka, Efa Iwara, Dorcas Shola Fapson, Okezie Morro, Timini Egbuson, Kachi Nnochiri, Sanni Mu'azu and Leonora Okine. Shuga Naija is a multimedia campaign which educates youths on HIV, safe sex and teen pregnancy. It also touches on maternal and child health, family planning, gender-based violence, and women empowerment. The television series, which consists of eight episodes, was shot and set in Lagos State, produced in partnership with the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA).
Tolulope Adesua Etomi-Wellington commonly known as Adesua Etomi is a Nigerian actress and entrepreneur. She debuted her film career with Knocking On Heaven's Door (2014). Since then she has starred in several films and many awards. Amongst them is the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards.
Rahama Ibrahim Sadau is a Nigerian actress, filmmaker, and singer. Born and raised in Kaduna, she performed in dancing competitions as a child and during her school years. She rose to fame in late 2013 after joining the Kannywood movie industry with her first movie Gani ga Wane.
Jemima Osunde is a Nigerian actress, model, and presenter. She gained exposure after playing Leila in the television series Shuga. Osunde was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 15th Africa Movie Academy Awards for her performance in The Delivery Boy (2018).
Dorcas Shola Fapson aka Ms DSF is a Nigerian actress, DJ and presenter, known for her role as Sophie in MTV's Shuga. In 2020, she returned to the Shuga series as it dealt with coronavirus issues, with the actors doing the filming over several African countries.
Ada Afoluwake Ogunkeye known professionally as Folu Storms, is a Nigerian radio host and presenter, actress, voice-over artist, and television host.
Samkelisiwe "Samke" Makhoba is a South African actress who has a leading role in two series of MTV Shuga when it was set in South Africa.
Seun Ajayi is a Nigerian actor. He is a native of Ijebu Ibefun, Ogun State, Nigeria. He is known for his role in the television series Hustle. Ajayi was born on 31 March in Kaduna, the Northern part of Nigeria and is the last child among five children. His family moved to Lagos when he was nine years old. His father is a retired civil servant, and his mother is a business woman. He had his primary and secondary education in Lagos and his tertiary education in the University of Lagos where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts.
Adebukola Oladipupo or Bukola Oladipupo is a Nigerian actress who debuted on MTV Shuga.
Mohau Mokoatle is a South African actress and singer. She played Bongi in MTV Shuga including the 2020 mini-series titled MTV Shuga Alone Together.
Efa Iwara, also known as Efa, is a Nigerian actor and rapper.
Ponzi is a 2021 Nigerian comedy film based on the victims of the 2016 MMM Ponzi scheme. It was written by Toluwani Obayan, produced by Vincent Okonkwo and directed by Kayode Kasum. It stars Jide Kosoko, Chinyere Wilfred, Timini Egbuson, Tope Tedela, Broda Shaggi and Mr Macaroni. It was released theatrically on 12 March 2021.
Juju Stories is a three-part anthology film exploring juju (magical) stories rooted in Nigerian folklore and urban legend, written and directed by C.J. Obasi, Abba Makama and Michael Omonua. The film features three stories: "Love Potion" by Omonua, "YAM" by Makama, and "Suffer The Witch" by Obasi. It is scheduled for theatrical release in Nigeria on 21 January 2022.
Shuga Naija is an MTV series that highlights the lifestyle of youths from different backgrounds and education on Sex and Sexual Transmitted Disease, Health among others. The sixth season of the MTV Shuga Naija is set in metropolitan area of Lagos where people from different part of the area living as residents and some for business and employment purposes. This interesting new season comes with a lot of complications, friendship ties about to broken, families about to tier down due to secrets. The season primarily focus on educating especially young people on Sex Education, Family Planning, Contraception, HIV prevention among others. MTV Shuga is produced by produced by award-winning writer/filmmaker Chris Ihidero, and Emma Uduma of SMAT Media.
Chinyere Wilfred is a Nigerian actress and film producer.
Diiche is a 2022 Nigerian Showmax Original thriller television series directed by James Omokwe, and co-directed by Tolu Ajayi, Fiyin Gambo, and Ifeoma Chukwuogo. The series is best known to be Nigerian first Showmax Original television series, starring Daniel K Daniel, Efa Iwara, Uzoamaka Onuoha, Frank Konwea, Uzoamaka Aniunoh, Kalu Ikeagwu, Chinyere Wilfred, and Gloria Anozie-Young.
Genoveva Kenechukwu Umeh is a British–Nigerian actress. She won the Best Supporting Actress award at The AMVCA in 2024 for her role in the Prime Video Original, Breath of Life. She was nominated for the Best Actress in a drama at the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards 2022 for her role in A Tune Away. She also received critical acclaim for her roles in Nigerian's first Netflix original crime thriller series Blood Sisters and young adult series Far From Home. One of her major film roles include One Lagos Night (2019). She also leads as Shindara in Episode 4 of Showmax's Original drama series Crime and Justice Lagos (2022). In 2024, she won the best supporting actress at the 2024 AMVCA for her role in Breath of Life (2023).
Our Best Friend's Wedding is a 2017 RedTV, and TCN Africa original Nigerian Drama web series, created by Olawale Adetula, and executively produced by Olawale Adetula, and Bola Atta, for the first season, with Obinna Okerekeocha joining the second season as an executive producer, starring Gbemi Olateru Olagbegi, Adebola Olowu, Oreka Godis, Chris Attoh, Timi Charles-Fadipe, Marycolette Unamka, Wendy Lawal, Sarah Boulos, and Theo Lawson in the first season, with Maurice Sam, Martha Ehinome, Oshuwa Imoyo Tunde, Marycolette Unamka, Eso Dike, and Adekanla Desalu, joining the main cast for the second season.
The Weekend is a 2024 Nigerian film written by Egbemawei Sammy, Vanessa Kanu, and Frederick O. Anyaegbunam. Produced by Uche Okocha and directed by Daniel Oriahi, the cast includes Uzoamaka Aniunoh, Bucci Franklin, Ekpenyong Bassey Inyang, Meg Otanwa, Gloria Anozie–Young, Damilola Ogunsi, James Gardiner and Bryan Okoye. Following its premiere at the Tribeca Festival in June 2024, the film was released to Nigerian cinemas on August 30th, 2024. The film is the first and only Nigerian film to have a premiere at the Tribeca Festival.
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