Emem Isong’s Royal Arts Academy’s Apaye got 10 nominations at the 2014 Best Of Nollywood Awards scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt, Rivers State later in the year. The Nollywood flick, which stars Mbong Amata, Clarion Chukwurah and Kanayo O. Kanayo, among several other stars, is closely being followed by A Mile from home with eight nominations, The Meeting with seven nominations and Silence with six nominations.
Apaye also won big at the Africa Movie Academy Awards earlier in the year.
Organisers revealed the nominations at an event in Port Hacourt last weekend. According to Niran Adedokun, Head of the Screening Committee, “The list came out of the best of productions that have been shot or released in Nigeria within the past 12 months.
“A total of 150 entries, out of which 23 were shot films were received this year. These movies have produced nominees for 30 of the 32 categories emerged with this list.
“The two newly introduced categories are Best Television Series and Best Documentary.”
He said further that as part of the organisers’ determination to promote indigenous movie productions, a new category in consideration of movies produced in Nigerian’s three main languages will become a permanent feature of the awards from this year.
“However, only one Igbo film was entered this year, a situation which we are optimistic would be different henceforth”.
In his address, the Executive Producer, Seun Oloketuyi, said, “For the past six years, the Best of Nollywood Awards has been putting a golden seal of excellence on Nigerian movies and the brains behind them. Every year has come with its own drama and surprises but we have remained”
After the announcement of nominees, Kingsley James, Head, Organising Committee, announced plans by the organisers to honour the late filmmaker and director, Amaka Igwe, for her immense contributions to the growth of Nollywood.
“We have taken it upon ourselves to continue to remember the late Amaka Igwe; so, we have unanimously endowed the award for the Director of the Year in her name. The award category will now be known as the Amaka Igwe Director of the Year category,” he said.
At the event, the organisers further announced that Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi, an On-Air-Personality with Beat FM and Amata would be hosting the awards proper holding October 4 in Port Harcourt. Amata commended the organisers for the ingenuity of its nominees’ event unveil while equally applauding his choice as host alongside Olateru-Olagbegi.
“Hosting events of this magnitude is a natural turf for me and I promise to deliver a superb performance during the awards in October,” Amata said.
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