AMVCA: Why Genevieve lost to Jackie Appiah

Result of the recently decided AfricanMagic Viewers’ Choice Awards unsettles a tradition, ANN OKON  reports

 Genevieve Nnaji is, no doubt, the darling of many movie fans in Nigeria and other parts of the world. The multiple award-winning actress, model and brand ambassador has managed to attract the admiration and following of millions people globally.

That is why it came as a shock to many of Nnaji’s fans when, Ghanaian actress, Jackie Appiah, emerged winner of the 2013 African Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards for Best Actress in a Drama Category, beating Nnaji and others.   This is despite the fact that Nnaji’s red carpet look took centre stage at the event, where she wore a white buttoned down dress with a deep plunging neckline that afforded a generous view of her breasts.  Indicating the good and the bad, several media outfits could not resist flaunting her on their cover pages many days after.

As to why Genevieve did not win the awards, she, like some of her contemporaries that lost the game, seem to have failed to mobilise voters while the competition lasted.  MNET Managing Director, Mrs. Abiola Alabi, explained that the voting system decided the fate of the nominees at the awards, adding that in addition to being great actors with huge fan base, it was important for the nominees to reach out to their fans and make sure they voted for them.

Speaking during a party organised by MNET to celebrate the  winners, Alabi said, “We have received many calls from people asking why the nominees they expected to win the awards lost out. The awards event is a viewers’ choice oriented and winners are not chosen by the judges. They are voted for by the viewers. It is the trend in such programmes and I think this is a lesson for all our performers that they should always remind their fans to go out and vote for them at such occasions.”

The winner of the best actor in a drama series, O.C Ukeje,  who won the awards for his role in the movie, Two Brides and a Baby,  said he sent out some BlackBerry messages to his fans, reminding them of the awards and asking them to vote for him.

“Apart from that, I also have plenty of friends who are constantly on Facebook, Twitter and BlackBerry, sending messages on my behalf,” He recalled.

Speaking on the phone from her base in Ghana to our correspondent, Appiah said her fans from all over the world contributed to her victory by voting tirelessly for her.

When our correspondent contacted Genevieve’s friend and representative, Cosmetic company owner,  Chinny Onwugbenu, for comment, she declined to speak , saying she was mourning someone and that she is out of the country.