Vanessa Obioha
With barely a week to the seventh edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), MultiChoice Nigeria continued its pre-awards tradition by hosting nominees and sponsors to an exclusive cocktail party recently. Graced by celebrities from the corporate and the creative fields, the venue, Harbour Point in Victoria Island, Lagos, was one of glitz filled with camaraderie.
Nollywood stars gave a foretaste of what they will wear at the main awards on the red carpet, donning pieces that matched their glow. For the nominees of the night, it was the perfect moment to bask in the limelight. For instance, Ramsey Nouah, whose directorial debut film ‘Living in Bondage: Breaking Free’ fetched 11 nods was always in the company of others for most part of the night. From clinking glasses with the executives of MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe (Managing Director) and Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu (Channel Director, Africa Magic), to chatting with friends and well-wishers at the event.
Timini Egbuson who is nominated in the Best Actor in a Drama (Movie or TV series) for the first time couldn’t hide his delight. One minute he is posing for selfies, the next he is granting interviews or taking a friendly hug and shake. Every corner of the hall was buzzing with one clique or the other. The veterans mostly isolated themselves while for the fresh faces, it was an opportunity to shine above their peers or mingle with their kind. Actress and host of Africa Magic’s new reality TV show Ultimate Love Dakore Egbuson-Akande stayed glued to her seat for most part of the night. There was also the cast of the M-Net TV drama series Tinsel stars who enjoyed one another company.
However, vibrant stars like Funke Akindele-Bello who were everybody’s friends danced to the melodious sounds of Femi Leye’s guitars and obliged quite a few the pleasure of her company. Looking angelic in her evening dress, Adesua Etomi-Wellngton stole the night away with her infectious aura. She was ready to give a hug, a handshake, pose for selfies and even boogie on the dance floor to anyone with a friendly smile.
Hosted by popular media personality IK Osakioduwa, the cocktail party served as an opportunity for MultiChoice to reiterate its commitment to telling original African stories and celebrating the individuals who bring these stories to the silver screen. In her remarks, Mba-Uzoukwu expressed her delight at the upcoming awards event especially its return to the global awards calendar. She explained that the AMVCA couldn’t hold last year because of the slew of programmes on the company’s slate, including the successful hosting of the Big Brother Naija show in Nigeria for the second time. It was the first time the company built a Big Brother house in Nigeria.
She also thanked the lead sponsor of the awards, Amstel Malta, for its commitment over the years as well as other category sponsors including Promasidor, Cadbury and Martell present at the occasion.
For the seventh edition, over 2000 entries were received. The nominees were announced in a live broadcast on February 6. Voting for the seven categories opened that same night and would close tomorrow, Saturday, March 7. The main ceremony will take place on March 14 and will be broadcast live on all Africa Magic channels on DStv and GOtv.
