By Gbenga Bada

The announcement of the inaugural edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards at Wheatbaker in 2012 clearly stated the essence, motive, and focus of the movie awards ceremony.

Under the supervision of John Ugbe, the Chief Executive Officer of Multichoice Nigeria, and Biola Alabi, who was the senior executive for M-Net Africa, the first edition of the award was held in Lagos, Nigeria on March 9, 2013.

The organisers clearly stated that the ceremony was mainly to celebrate film and TV talent behind and in front of the camera – and give the viewers the power to determine their winners.

Like the last six editions, the 2020 AMVCAs registered itself as the 7th edition held by Multichoice after a hiatus in 2019.

As always, Lagos, Nigeria was jam-packed with beehives of activities between Wednesday, March 11 and Saturday, March 14, 2020. Eko Hotel and Suites, Eko signatures as well as other hospitality outfits on Victoria Island were filled with guests and dignitaries – some who came from other African countries.

Stepping into the premises of the hospitality outfit, you can’t miss the buzz the rented the air on Saturday morning as the organisers put finishing touches to the red carpet and venue.

The ambiance of the red carpet down to the waiting hall and the main Eko Expo Hall leaves one with the experience of attending a world-class event. Movie stars, musicians, comedians, directors, scriptwriters, and movie personalities littered the expansive red carpet area waiting to be interviewed or pictured before going into the waiting hall. It looked like an unending cycle with TV show producers and hosts struggling to get one celebrity or the other to their stationed cameras.

In all these, even the feared COVID-19 failed to stop individuals from basking in the euphoria of the night, which kicked off at exactly 4 PM.

Interestingly, the organisers are aware and conscious of the need to take health seriously. Hence, on getting to the red carpet, every guest is presented with a sanitizer and tissue to remain safe all through the ceremony. Even the ex-Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and ex-Senator Dino Melaye weren’t exempted in the protocol.

The night was devoid of dull moments as the programmes flowed sequentially leaving guests to enjoy the night with brilliant performances from 2baba Innocent Idibia and others.

As expected, and after the last award was given, Saturday night kicked off another round of talks of how the organisers should have held the award ceremony, who should have won what and what is the essence of the award ceremony.

Organisers of the award have clearly and repeatedly noted that for every edition, the viewers will have the opportunity to choose, who wins seven different categories. The categories include Best Actor in a Comedy (Movie/TV Series);

Best Actor in a Drama (Movie/TV Series); Best Actress in a Comedy (Movie/TV Series); Best Actress in a Drama (Movie/TV Series); Best Supporting Actor (Movie/TV Series); Best Supporting Actress (Movie/TV Series); and Best Short Film or Online Video.

The award ceremony kicked off with 26 categories but increased it to 28 categories in the 7th edition. Out of the 28 categories, viewers were allowed to choose winners in seven categories while a panel of judges decided on who wins the other 21 categories. For the 20202 edition, Femi Odugbemi, a respectable filmmaker and art connoisseur was the head of the judges. Before now, Debbie Odutayo, a veteran consummate Television Producer held the position.

The injection of the best-dressed category into the award ceremony has become another reason for discourse since Saturday but the critics failed to note that the organisers have repeatedly said the AMVCA is Africa’s most prestigious celebration of film and TV talent behind and in front of the cameras. Hence, the need for glamour and fashion to accompany showbusiness for viewers to appreciate, consume and enjoy.

As its name implies, the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards is Multichoice’s way of giving the power to decide to the multitude of viewers and subscribers even while rewarding practitioners, who are behind the camera.

It’s no surprise that Funke Akindele-Bello won the category for Best Actress in a Comedy with the fanbase she has created across Africa with her Jenifa character. The same way no one should raise an eyebrow over Funnybone winning Best Actor in a Comedy or Toyin Abraham and Timini Egbuson for winning Best Actress and Best Actor in a drama. Toyin and Timini have been able to amass a dedicated fanbase across several social media platforms through their roles and interactions with fans.

It’s easy to take to social media to drag the organisers of AMVCA for not rewarding the actor or actress you feel deserving – even when you or other fans refused or failed to vote. But remember this is an award ceremony that – like Africa Movie Awards Academy – united the African movie practitioners by giving them an opportunity and platform to exchange ideas without fear or favour.

Whatever your choice, try and encourage other fans to vote for their favourite movie stars in the seven categories and hopefully, you will celebrate the AMVCAs again.