2013 Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards

The 1st Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards ceremony was sponsored by Amstel Malta and the awards were presented by MultiChoice. It took place on 9 March 2013 at the Exhibition Center, Eko Hotels and Suites in Lagos, Nigeria. The awards honour excellence in television, film, and digital content creation in the African entertainment industry. The awards ceremony was televised by DStv and GOtv. Vimbai Mutinhiri and IK Osakioduwa hosted the show.

1st Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards
Date	9 March 2013
Site	Exhibition Center, Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos, Nigeria
Hosted by	IK Osakioduwa Vimbai Mutinhiri
Organized by	MultiChoice Africa Magic
Highlights
Best Picture	Otelo Burning
Most awards	Man on Ground / Otelo Burning (4)
Most nominations	Otelo Burning (14)
Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards 2nd →

Otelo Burning had 14 nominations, closely followed by The Mirror Boy with 11, and Man on Ground with 10. Otelo Burning won four awards including Best Picture. Other notable winners included OC Ukeje, who won Best Actor in a Drama for his role in Two Brides and a Baby, and Jackie Appiah, who won Best Actress in a Drama for her performance in Perfect Picture. Afeez Oyetoro and Mercy Johnson were awarded Best Actor and Actress in a Comedy for House Apart and Dumebi the Dirty Girl, respectively. The awards ceremony also honoured Ivie Okujaye with the Trailblazer Award and Olu Jacobs with the Industry Merit Award.

Background

On 20 September 2012, Africa Magic and MultiChoice announced their creation of the Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards during the special episode of the Africa Magic magazine show Jara. The awards recognised African films, actors and actresses, and consisted of 26 categories and two honours for different roles in acting, directing, scriptwriting, cinematography, editing, makeup, sound, lighting and costuming.^[1]

Among the 26 categories, six depended on votes of the viewers while others were selected by the panel of judges led by Femi Odugbemi. Other members of the judging panel included Allison Triegaardt, Armand-Guy de Beer, Bongiwe Selane, Deborah Odutayo, Ebou Waggeh, Eileen Sandrock, Njoki Muhoho, Phad Mutumba and Richard West.^[2]

Ceremony

The awards ceremony was held on 9 March 2013 at the Exhibition Center, Eko Hotels and Suites located in Lagos.^[3] The awards ceremony was broadcast on television by DStv and GOtv, and was hosted by Zimbabwean media personality Vimbai Mutinhiri and Big Brother Africa's presenter IK Osakioduwa.^[4]

Films were submitted by producers without fee. The submission ended on 31 October 2012 at 9pm CAT. The nominees were announced in early December 2012 during a special edition of M-Net's lifestyle TV program, 53 Extra.^[2][1] The highest nominated works included: Otelo Burning (14), The Mirror Boy (11), and Man on Ground (10). Other multiple nominated titles included Perfect Picture (8), Two Brides and a Baby (7), Maami (5), and Skeem (5). According to Nigerian newspaper Premium Times, the 110 nominees were chosen from 43 different film producers from Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, South Africa, and Uganda.^[2]

Sara Blecher's Otelo Burning won four awards including Best Picture, Best Art Director, Best Make-up Artist and Best Lighting Designer. Akin Omotoso's Man On Ground also won four awards including Best Movie Director, Best Cinematographer (for Paul Michelson), Best Picture Editor (for Aryan Kaganof) and Best Sound Editor (for Michael Botha and Joel Assaizky); Obi Emelonye's The Mirror Boy won three awards including Best Movie Drama, Best Writer Drama and Best Costume Designer (for Ngozi Obazi); South African director Tim Greene's Skeem won two awards: Best Movie Comedy and Best Writer Comedy.^[5] The organisers didn't name nominees for two categories: Best Documentary and Best Online Video; according to the organisers, the selection team preferred to present it as certificates of encouragement to all entrants. The awards ceremony was sponsored by Amstel Malta and the awards were presented by MultiChoice.^[2][4]

Winners and nominees

Olu Jacobs, Industry Merit Award winner

Mercy Johnson, Best Actress in a Comedy winner

OC Ukeje, Best Actor in a Drama winner

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface and are indicated by ‡.^[6][7]

Table featuring winners and nominees of the 2013 AMCVA

Best Actor in a Drama OC Ukeje – Two Brides and a Baby ‡ Fabian Adeoye Lojede – Jacob's Cross Kenneth Uphopho – Down & Out Edward Kagutuzi – The Mirror Boy Jafta Mamabolo – Otelo Burning	Best Actress in a Drama Jackie Appiah – The Perfect Picture ‡ Bubu Mazibuko – Man on Ground Genevieve Nnaji – The Mirror Boy Nolwazi Shange – Otelo Burning Funke Akindele – Maami
Best Actor in a Comedy Afeez Oyetoro – House a Part ‡ Kunle Bamtefa – Glorious Journey Bovi – The Bovi Ugboma Show Francis Odega–Clinic Matters Ikhide Isaac – Wanna Be	Best Actress in a Comedy Mercy Johnson – Dumebi the Dirty Girl ‡ Funke Akindele – The Return of Jenifa Lilian Esoro – Clinic Matters
Best Supporting Actor Mathew Nabwiso – A Good Catholic Girl ‡ Fabian Adeoye Lojede – Man on Ground Osita Iheme – The Mirror Boy Thomas Gumede – Otelo Burning Kalu Ikeagwu – Two Brides and a Baby	Best Supporting Actress Maureen Koech – Lies that Bind ‡ Thishiwe Ziqubu – Man on Ground Harriet Manamela – Otelo Burning Regina Chukwu – Akun Taiwo Atigogo – Old Cargo Young Blood
Best Writer (comedy) Tim Greene – Skeem ‡ Shirley Frimpong-Manso – Perfect Picture Paul Igwe – Clinic Matters Bovi – The Bovi Ugboma Show Teru Ekuerhale – Wanna Be	Best Writer (drama) Obi Emelonye / Amaka Obi-Emelonye – The Mirror Boy ‡ James Whyle / Sara Blecher / The Cast Workshop – Otelo Burning Blessing Egbe – Two Brides and a Baby Shirley Frimpong-Manso – A Sting in a Tale Shirley Frimpong-Manso – Perfect Picture
Best Sound Editor Michael Botha / Joel Assaizky – Man on Ground ‡ Juli vanden Berg / Tiago Correia-Paulo – Otelo Burning Obi Emelonye – The Mirror Boy Elorm Adablah – Perfect Picture Elorm Adablah – A Sting in a Tale	Best Lighting Designer Dave Howe – Otelo Burning ‡ Eleazu Texas – Two Brides and a Baby Oluwole Olawoyin – Maami Terry Emmanuel – Down and Out Ken Attoh – Perfect Picture
Best Art Director Anita van Hemert / Chantel Carter – Otelo Burning ‡ Bola Belo – Maami Carol Mbugua – Lies that Bind Bernard H. Mulenga – Kawanu Blessing Effiom Egbe – Two Brides and a Baby	Best Picture Director Aryan Kaganof – Man on Ground ‡ Megan Gilli – Otelo Burning Shola Ayorinde – Two Brides and a Baby Reg Chuhi / Kevin Ireri – Lies that Bind Kayode Afolabi – Clinic Matters
Best Movie Otelo Burning ‡ Skeem Man on Ground Jozi King The Mirror Boy	Best Overall Movie Director Obi Emelonye – The Mirror Boy ‡ Tim Greene – Skeem Akin Omotoso – Man on Ground Sara Blecher – Otelo Burning Shirley Frimpong-Manso – Perfect Picture
Best Movie (comedy) Skeem ‡ Wisdom of Thomas Collins Phone Swap The Return of Jenifa Open Fire 2	Best Movie (drama) Man on Ground ‡ The Mirror Boy Otelo Burning Adams Apple A Sting in a Tale
Best Local Language Movie (Yoruba) Maami ‡ Akun Gbajumo	Best Local Language Movie (Hausa) Faida Nura ‡ Asirka Yunkuri
Best Local Language Movie (Swahili) The Ray of Hope ‡ Sakalakata Zenabu	Best Television Series The XYZ Show ‡ Peep Jozi Moving the City DemiGods Makutano Junction
Best Cinematographer Paul Michelson – Man on Ground ‡ Clive Norman – The Mirror Boy Tom Marais – Skeem Lance Gewer – Otelo Burning Sarafa Abagun – Maami	Best Make-Up Artist Jacqui Bannermen – Otelo Burning ‡ Gabriel Okorie – The Mirror Boy Biola Poopola – Tales of Eve Jayne Awoonor-Williams – Perfect Picture Christin Ngoma – Kawanu
Best Costume Designer Ngozi Obasi – The Mirror Boy ‡ Frank Awoonor-Williams – Perfect Picture Frank Osodi Richard – Two Brides and a Baby Preston Mwila – Kawanu Nkiru Nwauzor – Spider	Best Picture Editor Aryan Kaganof – Man on Ground ‡ Meghan Gilli – Otelo Burning Shola Ayorinde – Two Brides and a Baby Reg Chuhi / Kevin Ireri – Lies that Bind Kayode Afolabi – Clinic Matters
Trailblazer Award Ivie Okujaye ‡	Industry Merit Award Olu Jacobs ‡