Omotola, Camille Take Center Stage, As AMAA Hits Port Elizabeth

For the first time in history, the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) will be staged outside Nigeria, with the city of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, ready to host the rest of Africa tonight. The night of glamour will take place inside the Boadwalk International Convention Centre at the Nelson Mandela Bay, according to Dayo Ogunyemi, Chief Executive Officer of the awards organisation.

Popularly called City of the Legends, the host city for AMAA 2015 will play host to over 1500 creative professionals within and outside Africa, who will converge this evening on the city that is the home of legends such as Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu.

Dr. Danny Jordaan, the Mayor of Port Elizabeth in a statement personally endorsed by him, said that the government and people of South Africa and the city of the legends in particular are ready to receive all delegates from around the world.
“We are fully ready to host a great event and everyone coming for AMAA in Port Elizabeth this year can only look forward a to very great and exciting experience,’’ said the Mayor.

Meanwhile, top Nollywood diva and one of the Time Magazine’s 100 most influential persons in the world, Omotola Jalade Ekehinde and US television Star, Camille Winbush known for her star performance in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Eraser, 7th Heaven and others, will co-host the show, which will honour movie practitioners from across the continent.

South African Platinum-selling singer, Miss Lira and Nigerian Kcee will headline the show, alongside talented and popular Asanda Asa Mqiki.
The choice of the two leading showbiz personalities, according to the event organisers, is to raise the bar this year and offer the audience a combination of show hosts that will give them a great experience.

For their work as the member of the jury in the last 11 years, organisers the AMAA yesterday presented a special recognition awards to her jury members at Mandela Bay, Port Elizabeth. In an evening tagged a Night of Gratitude and Tributes, the jury members received special awards, alongside Former President Goodluck Jonathan and Chairman of Heirs Holding, Mr. Tony Elumelu among others, for their support for the Awards and the creative industry generally.

The jury members are June Givanni, Asantewa Olatunji , Dorothee Wenner, Keith Shiri, Steve Ayorinde, Shaibu Husseini, Charles Burnett, Professor Hygnius Ekwuazi and Bernie Goldbatt.

However, today, which is the awards night, filmmakers of African descent will also be honoured in the Wall of Fame category and those to be celebrated are Horace Ovi, Harry Belafonte, Melvine Van Pebbles and Tony Verne while post-humors awards will be for Oronto Douglas and a Ghanaian, Cofie Ammuako-Annan.

AMAA will also give special recognition awards to MNET Africa Magic Channels for its role in showcasing and investing in Africa’s creative industry through its African content channels in the last 10 years and in the same category will be Kingsley Ogoro and his Klink Studios that has supported the creative industry with equipment for over 30 years.