AMVCA 2023: A Night of Shame, Controversies, False Winners, Power Outage and IK Trolls Toke & Deyemi
- The Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards. (AMVCA) is regarded by many as the biggest and most recognised award show for filmmakers in Nigeria and even across West Africa
- Over the years, many within the movie industry and Nollywood have looked forward to who annually as the pinnacle of reward and recognition of talent, hard work, and creativity
- But in truth, the last few editions of the show have left many questions unanswered, with the controversies of 2023 topping that list
- From forced jokes to controversial wins to power outages to mocking actors who are yet to win a gong and finally stealing people's shine, Elozonam and Enioluwa are victims
To many, the 2023 Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards (AMVCA) may be considered an enormous success, but to some, it was a culmination of a disaster.
The 2023 AMVCA seemed to have read the room by adding new themes to the award show, with Content Creator's Day and Cultural Day being very good innovations and welcomed development.
Source: Instagram
However, does that abdicate them from their other show of shame? As veteran actor Charles Inojie said;
"It is a great show, no doubt, but I think we can do better. Things can be a lot better. I wouldn't want to say more than that."
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Where do we start? Oh, I remember; it was Saturday, May 20, at Eko Hotel & Suites. That was the grand finale, but it all started way before that.
The first point of interest is how Kunle Remi wasn't nominated for any award. He starred in Anikulapo, Ijakumo, Warmth in Despair, Deserted, and Treasury in 2022. In 2021 he starred in Prophetess, A Naija Christmas.
If he wasn't a great actor? How come the movie he played a lead role in gets the best indigenous language movie (Yoruba), best writer, best soundtrack, best sound editor and the overall best movie of the year? Yet the lead character isn't worthy of any award or nomination.
What was the fashion theme for this year's show, bareness?
It was nearly eye-gawking to see the different shows of shame called fashion. I don't know If Efe Irele had forgotten that under-12 seat around the TV when the show was aired.
Ivie Okujaye trended for bringing the Naked Truth to the red carpet. Like literally, she did.
Controversial wins
Tobi Bakre won the year's best actor ahead of Chidi Mokeme (Shanty Town), RMD, Blossom Chukwujekwu, and Femi Adebayo were maybe contested. But it was nothing compared to the scandal that came after.
Elozonam and Kie Kie won the best online, hmmm! That gives a tinge, but hey, it was public voting.
But the night's biggest shock was Osas Ighodaro going home with the gong for best actress. The hall witnessed a pin-drop-dead silence when the Man of God actress was announced the best in Africa for 2023. She picked up the award ahead of Funke Akindele, Bimbo Ademoye's role in Anikulapo, Ini Edo and Nse Ikpe Etim's role from Shanty Town.
The win struck a chord in Nse Ikpe Etim's system that she went online and reacted with a sarcastic smiley. That says a lot.
Forced jokes, body Shaming, and trolling
Another low point of the night was seeing IK Osakioduwa's different failed jokes, repeatedly award-shaming his colleague Deyemi Okanlawon.
Ik trolled Toke Makinwa and many of the fake bodies in Nollywood. He even called for a category for artists who have undergone cosmetological body augmentation to decide the best and for the surgeon who performs the surgeries.
Loss of Power and restricting awardees' reactions
As Charles Inojie said, a lot can still be improved. For those at home, you might not have noticed; maybe adverts were aired during the period of power loss. Still, it was quite a show of shame as Elozonam didn't get the opportunity to express his undiluted emotions.
By the time power was restored, he had lost it, and that moment was lost forever. We can do better, as Charles said.
Nkem Owoh called on stage and wasn't available; the veteran, however, returned and delivered one hell of a speech. Meanwhile, Enioluwa Adeoluwa took a walk at the least expected moment.
Feedback
There is a severe need to bring transparency to the public voting process for specific categories if not all. It has now become a recurring incidence where the winner of certain categories is always contested, leading to controversies and the show's integrity.
Source: Legit.ng
