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Genoveva Umeh, Joke Silva, Eliane Umuhire… These Are The Best Supporting Actress Nominees | #AMVCA10
Credit: Genoveva Umeh/Instagram
The Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, presented by Multichoice Nigeria and Africa Magic, is gearing up for its tenth edition scheduled to be held on the 11th of May. The award this year comes with a few sweeping changes. The award categories have been streamlined from 33 to 27, and the performance awards were revised and are now under the categories of Best Actor or Best Actress in Leading or Supporting roles. Unlike previous years, the winners of these categories will be determined by the jury, not the public.
This change does not eliminate the significance of supporting roles. The Best Supporting Actress category remains an important platform to celebrate outstanding performances in secondary roles in films and reminds us that impactful performances can come in any size.
This year’s Best Supporting Actress features a mix of veterans, seasoned actresses, and rising stars, some of whom are nominated for the first time in the award.
See the AMVCA Best Supporting Actress nominees:
Joke Silva
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A household name in Nigerian cinema, Joke Silva began her acting career in theatre and screen in the late 1980s at the age of 19. In 2006, She was awarded the Best Actress in a Leading Role award at the 2nd Africa Movie Academy Awards for her role in “Women’s Cot.” In 2008, she won a Best Supporting Actress award for her “methodical portrayal of a grandmother” in “White Waters” at the 4th Africa Movie Academy Awards.
A member of the Order of the Federal Republic, Joke was featured in “Over The Bridge” which earned her a nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category. “Over The Bridge” is also the highest nominated film in this year’s AMVCAs with twelve nominations.
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Fathia Williams
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Taking a chance on acting in the early 1990s, Fathia Williams found her calling when her uncle asked her to fill in for a missing actress. This turn of events led to her first role in the film “Ta lo pa chief.” Since then, Fathia has become a multi-faceted talent, starring in, producing, and directing numerous Nigerian films.
In 2008, she won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Most Outstanding Actress Indigenous, and her movie “Iranse Aje” earned the award for Best Indigenous Film of the Year. Fathia’s talent has continued to shine, as she shared the 2014 Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress and secured the 2015 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards’ Best Indigenous Language award for her performance in “Iya Alalake.” Her role as Erinfunto, the wife of the warrior Ogundiji in “Jagun Jagun,” earned her a nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category.
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Bimbo Akintola
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Bimbo Akintola’s Nollywood debut in “Owo Blow” in 1995 launched her stardom, followed by “Out of Bounds” in 1997. She earned a Best Actress nomination at the 2013 Nollywood Movies Awards. In 1997, she received the “Best Actress in Nigeria” award and the Best Actress award at the Eko International Film Festival for her role in “Heaven’s Hell” in 2015. In Editi Effiong’s “The Black Book,” she played the role of Professor Craig, a bereaved minister, for which she received a Best Supporting Actress nomination.”
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Genoveva Umeh
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Launching her career at the Ebonylife Creative Academy, Genoveva Umeh quickly impressed with her talent. A BAFTA-nominated short film “Lizard” and a Best Supporting Actress win for “Monitoring Spirits” showcased her early promise. Her breakout role came as Timeyin Ademola in Netflix’s “Blood Sisters,” followed by “Far From Home.” Critical acclaim and a Best Actress nomination (AMVCAs 2022) for “A Tune Away” solidified her rising star status. Most recently, she earned a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her captivating performance in “Breath of Life.”
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Eliane Umuhire
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A Rwandan-born, award-winning actress based in France, Eliane Umuhire explores themes of identity, memory, and resilience through her work in films presented at prestigious international festivals. Notably acclaimed for her role in the Polish movie “Birds Are Singing in Kigali” by Krzystof Krauze and Joanna Kos, Eliane has been honoured with Best Actress awards at festivals such as the Chicago International Film Festival, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the Gdynia Polish Fiction Festival, the Polish Festival in New York, the Let’s CEE Festival in Vienna, as well as the Mastercard Rising Star award at the Netia Off Camera independent film festival.
In “Omen,” a film that uses magical realism to examine identity, culture, and belief systems, she plays Tshala, the independent-spirited sister, for which she was nominated Best Supporting Actress in the AMVCAs.
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Tana Adelana
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Tana Adelana, the first Nigerian presenter on Channel O (an accomplishment that earned her an On-Air Personality of the Year (TV) award at the Future Awards Africa), made her acting debut in the TV series “Disclosure.” In 2017, she was recognised with a City People’s Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress (2017) and a Best Actress in a Lead Role win at the Best of Nollywood Awards (2018). Most recently, her portrayal of Oby’s mother in “Ijogbon (The Chaos)” earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the AMVCAs.
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Ejiro Onojaife
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Ejiro is making a name for herself in the movie industry. Her performance as Ibukun in the horror series, “The Origin: Madam Koi-Koi,” where she portrays a secondary school student suffering sexual violence at the hands of “popular boys,” earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the AMVCAs.She has already impressed audiences in acclaimed films like Jadesola Osiberu’s “Brotherhood,” “Domitilla,” “Blind Date,” and the short film “When the Living Is Dead.”
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