“1st Yoruba Movie Academy Awards 2012 : Funke Akindele & other Nominees to slug it out!

Funke Akindele

The List of Nominees have been made known for new categories in the Yoruba Movie Academy Awards( YMAA’s) slated to make its debut in May 2012 ; Best Musician in an acting role, Best Cross – over actor, Best Yoruba Cultural movie, YMAA Best Marketer, and Best Comedy Actor. The new categories in trying to invoke the “spirit of change”, have probably left out certain vital categories, especially with the churning out of many low ebbed quality works.

The Award obviously focuses on rewarding individuals rather than the usual ‘movie pick’ and dwells more on DVD releases, or how do you explain the absence of Tunde Kelani’s “MAAMI”, even if you don’t want to include Tade Ogidan’s “Family on Fire” (based on the presence of white cast), but if it’s strictly the use of the Yoruba language, what about the movie “Aramotu?”

Anyway, The Yoruba Movie Academy Awards (YMAA) has joined the ‘Awards band wagon” alongside latest entrants (Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards (GIAMA) , Nollywood Movies Awards (NMA)) to square off with existing ones (AMAA, ZAFAA, Nollywood Film Critics). The Maiden edition which is powered by Laface Entertainment and Zimrage Multimedia, will be hosted by the Ogun State government at the June 12 Cultural Centre Kuto, Abeokuta. The event will coincide with the marking of His Excellency, Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s one year in office and will reward Yollywood (as some call it).

Plans are on the way by the Ogun State Government to build a world class movie village for the Yoruba movie industry, which falls within the ambit of its Tourism drive for the state. Where such feat is achieved, then Nollywood practitioners (as they are referred to) who rely on the English language as the medium of expression would be pained, as repeated calls for the government to build a movie village, somewhere in Badagry, Lagos, has continued to fall on deaf ears.

Below is the list of Nominees for the various categories in YMAA 2012:s

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
• Yomi Fash Lanso
• Odunlade Adekola
• Muyiwa Ademola
• Femi Adebayo
• Femi Branch

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
• Fathia Balogun
• Toyin Aimakhu
• Funke Akindele
• Bimbo Akintola
• Mosun Filani

BEST MUSICIAN IN AN ACTING ROLE
• Pasuma
• Idris Abdulkareem
• Saheed Osupa
• Obesere
• Sexy Steel

MOST PROMISING ACTOR
• Tinuke Ogungbe
• Damola Olatunji
• Gabriel Afolayan
• Bisi Komolafe
• Kayode Akinbayo

YMAA BEST CROSSOVER ACTOR
• Kelvin Ikeduba
• Rykardo Agbor
• Mercy Aigbe
• Doris Simeon
• Rose Odika

BEST COMEDY ACTOR
• Lanre Omiyinka (Ijesa)
• Bolaji Amusan (Mr. Latin)
• Afeez Oyetoro (Saka)
• Adekola Tijani
• Olaniyi Afonja (Sanyeri)

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
• Rachel Oniga
• Sola Sobowale
• Fausat Balogun
• Toyin Afolayan
• Peju Ogunmola

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
• Ebun Oloyede
• Antar Laniyan
• Dele Odule
• Taiwo Hassan
• Adebayo Salami

BEST YORUBA CULTURAL MOVIE
• Isese
• Kujenra
• Kolo Kolo
• Akuko Oran
• Irawo Oke

BEST DIRECTOR
• Bayo Alawiye
• Abbey Lanre
• Adebayo Tijani
• Muyideen S. Ayinde
• Lasun Ray

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND
• Imisi Esu
• Emi Abata
• Ise
• Baba Kamimo Won
• Kuta Nle

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
• Kuta Nle
• Ise
• Ransom
• Baba Kamimo Won
• Emi Abata

YMAA BEST MARKETER
• Olasco Films
• Corporate Pictures
• Toymax Film
• Almaroof
• Epsalum Productions

We only hope that YMAA is not a flash in the pan but will be around for a very long time. Hmm… we wonder which body will soon arise from the belly of imagination …let’s wait and see…. Shall we?