Actress Osas Ighodaro was crowned Best Actress at the 8th edition of the AMVCAs (Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards) which took place on Sunday, May 15, 2022. Osas’ win is for her role as Amara in Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story, a 2020 film directed by Ramsey Nouah. Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story is a remake of the 1995 Rattlesnake directed by Amaka Igwe. Back to Osas Ighodaro and her Best Actress award, I wish I could say I was surprised. Like this article, this win has been a long time coming.
I am not quite sure exactly when Osas came into the limelight in Nigeria, but I remember noticing her when she hosted Maltina Dance All, the reality TV dance show designed for families, friends, and their usually more talented children. She’d taken over from Kemi Adetiba in 2013 and hosted the show for two editions. Actually, I think before the Maltina Dance All gig, Osas had already started in Tinsel where she played the role of Adanna. And from Tinsel, she found love in one of her co-stars Gbenro Ajibade who plays Soji. Osas and Gbenro weren’t the only Tinsel stars bitten by the love bug: a handful of other actors got married including Linda Ihuoma Ejiofor & Ibrahim Suleiman (Bimpe and Damini in Tinsel), Florence & Iyke Okechukwu (Ene and Chuks), Damilola Adegbite & Chris Attoh (Telema and Kwame) …and possibly a few newer couples since I last checked.
The complete Tinsel love boat story can be told another day, but I bring it up only because events from Osas and Gbenro’s failed marriage thrust Osas into a harsh public glare. Without going into the back and forth of it, anyway, we only know what’s reported in the news anyhow and our society journalists are sometimes the last to know which of course means the readers also don’t get it. Well, Osas’ ex-husband had accused her of being a bad mother to their now almost 6-year-old daughter and lots of immature ranting. For what it’s worth, I think many Nigerians have already let Mr. Ajibade know that he goofed so I can leave adding how stupid trash-talking the mother of your child is. Now, the part that concerns me is how Osas has bounced back from that unpleasant public humiliation and what must have been very depressing.
In 2019, around about the time she was in the news for all the wrong reasons, Osas appeared to have decided to use all that negative energy to propel her career forward and these are just some of the works she’s done from 2019. She featured as Candy in Your Excellency (directed by Funke Akindele), Demidun in Bling Lagosians (directed by Bolanle Austen-Peters), Amara in Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story, Mena in Mama Drama (directed by Seyi Babatope), Sarah Bello in Ratnik (directed by Dimeji Ajibola), Preemo in Namaste Wahala (directed by Hamisha Daryani Ahuja), Eloho in Mamba’s Diamond (directed by Seyi Babatope), Hilda in Bad Comments (directed by Moses Inwang), Teju in Man of God (directed by Bolanle Austen-Peters), to name a few of her film projects. Added to these are her roles as Sergeant Alice Iyanu in MTV Shuga, Zuri in The Smart Money Woman (directed by Bunmi Ajakaiye), Chioma in Assistant Madams, Sade Bello in King of Boys: The Return of the King (directed by Kemi Adetiba).
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From the foregoing, everyone can see that Osas is obviously a hard worker. Not just that, outside of acting, she has a cheerful and winsome attitude. On the night of the AMVCAs, she also emerged as the Best Dressed woman. And Rattlesnake also won big on the night: Stan Nze emerged Best Actor for his role as Ahanna, Ramsey Nouah won Best Director (for Rattlesnake) while Muhammed Atata Ahmed won for Best Cinematography.
All that’s left to say until the next award is: All hail Queen Osas!
Full List of AMVCA 2022 Winners
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- Best Lighting Designer – Matthew Yusuf (Nneka the pretty serpent)
- Best Art Director- Tunji Afolayan (Amina)
- Best Writer in a movie or TV series – Manie Oiseomaye, Donald Tombia, Biodun Stephen (Introducing the Kujus)
- Best Cinematographer – Muhammed Atata Ahmed (Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story)
- Best Makeup- Balogun Abiodun (Omo Ghetto: The Saga)
- Best costume designer- Millicent T. Jack (Amina)
- Best Africa Magic Original Comedy Series- The Johnsons (Roger Ofime)
- Best TV Series (Drama or Comedy)- The Mystic River (Rogers Ofime)
- Best Movie W/Africa- Bolanle Austen-Peters, Joseph Umoibom, James Amuta (Collision Course)
- Best Movie (East Africa)– Morocco Omari (The Girl in The Yellow Jumper)
- Best Movie (Southern Africa)- Dantagos Jimmy-Melani (Hairareb)
- Best Documentary- Saitabao Kaiyare, Mumo Liku Elena Schilling, Daniela Fritz, Ann Katrina Boberg (If Objects Could Speak)
- Best Actress in a Drama- Osas Ighodaro (Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story)
- Best Actor in a Drama- Stan Nze (Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story)
- Best Actress in a Comedy- Funke Akindele Bello (Omo Ghetto: The Saga)
- Best Actor in a Comedy- Samuel Perry ‘Broda Shaggi’ (Dwindle)
- Best Supporting Actress- Omowunmi Dada (Country Hard)
- Best Supporting Actor (Movie or TV Series)- Odunlade Adekola (Jankariwo)
- Best Short Film or Online Video- Taiwo Ogunnimo (I am the prostitute mama described)
- Best Online Content Creator- Oga Sabinus
- Best Overall Movie- Amina (Izu Ojukwu, Okey Ogunjiofor)
- Best Director (Movie)- Ramsey Nouah (Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story)
- Best Sound editor- Jim Lively, James Nelson (Amina)
- Best Online Content Creator- Mr. Sabnius
- Best Indigenous Language (Swahili) – Freddy Feruzi
- Best Indigenous Language (Yoruba) – David Akande, Demola Yusuf, Edgard Leroy (Alaise)
- Best Indigenous Language (Hausa)- Rogers Ofime (Voiceless)
- Best Indigenous Language (Igbo) – Uche Nnanna Maduka (Nne-Ka)
- Best Multichoice Talent Factory – Daisy Masembe (Engaito)
- Best Soundtrack- Pascal Aka and Raquel (Gold Coast Lounge)
- Best Picture Editor-Tunde Apalowo (For Maria Ebun Pataki)
- Special recognition award – Tinsel
- Trail blazer award- Teniola Aladese
- Industry merit award- Taiwo Ajayi Lycett
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