The organizers of the annual Legends of Nollywood Awards (LNA) have announced that the 2015 edition will hold on December 11th and 12th in Benin City, Edo State. This will also be the first time that the three- year old awards will be held outside of Lagos.
Founder of Legends of Nollywood Awards and Managing Director of Royal Pictures Limited, actor, producer and director, Paul Obazele, disclosed that this year’s edition is enjoying the support of Zenith Bank Plc, Etisalat, Network Oil & Gas, Best Western Homeville Hotel, Silverbird, NTA, AIT, Africa Magic, Edo Broadcasting Service, Independent Television, Inspiration FM, Rhythm FM (93.7), Smile Communications, Indomie, Viju Milk, GlaxoSmithkline, Cornerstone Insurance, Kissmix, Nexim, Bisquit Cognac, Nanet Suites, Revival Assembly Church and YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine. And is in conjunction with the coalition of Nollywood Guilds and Associations. It is planned to be a three- day event. According to him, apart from rewarding practitioners for their contributions to the growth and development of the vibrant Nollywood industry, the awards, since the 2014 edition, had been refocused to reach out and celebrate the less privileged and physically challenged “some of whom do not have the opportunity to relax and watch these television and movie stars we are celebrating as much as they would like to”. Obazele, a former President of the Association of Movie Producers (AMP) and the current President of the Edo Film Makers Association (EFMA) also stated that the awards body will be extending a hand of fellowship to the International Christian Center (ICC) Home for the Needy, Uhogua, Edo State which is currently housing the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria as part of their reach out objectives.
“If you were at the awards ceremony last year; you will see how excited our physically challenged brothers and sisters were when they met face to face with legends like Patience Ozokwor (Mama Gee), Nkem Owoh and Alex Usifo. They also got branded gifts from them. It is this kind of good feeling that we want to achieve again with our proposed partnership with the ICC and other organizations in Edo State and its environs,” he explained.
On this year’s awardees, Director of Operations of Legends of Nollywood Awards, Zack Orji, disclosed that twenty eight (28) legends will receive the LNA crest. The veteran actor gave the names of the awardees to include Hajiya Latana Ahmed, Bimbo Manuel, Yinka Ogundaisi, Wale Fanu, Tunde Oloyede, Laolu Ogunniyi, John Nwaobi, Loius Adejumo, Aso Douglas, Sola Fosudo, Zulu Adigwe, Ralph Nwadike, Ramsey Nouah, Opa Williams, Sunday Omobolanle, Ayo Mogaji, Yinka Davies, Sani Muazu, Ngozi Nwosu, Bourdillon Bodio, Chris Obi Rapu, Alhaji Kasimu Yaro, Kunle Bamtefa, Dr. Ola Balogun, Danladi Bako, Soni Irabor, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce and Chief Raymond Dokpesi.
According to Orji, “the awardees emerged out of a rigorous selection process and you can agree that they are worth celebrating for their contributions to the development of Nollywood”.
In addition, ten veterans were selected by the organizing committee and some Nigerians to sign autographs and give out gift items to the less privileged, physically challenged and internally displaced persons and also have dinner with them. Namely: Kanayo O. Kanayo, Patience Ozokwor, Zack Orji, Ramsey Nouah, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Charles Inojie, Desmond Elliot, John Okafor (Mr. Ibu), Eunice Omoregie and Johnbull Eghiauriwa.
Established in 2012, the Legends of Nollywood Awards seeks to celebrate the truly memorable and greatest achievements in Nigeria’s motion pictures. Prince Jide Kosoko, Kunle Bamtefa, Kasumu Yero, Chief Wale Adenuga, Alex Usifo- Omaigbo, Bisi Olatilo, Nkem Owoh, Patience Ozokwor, Mrs. Taiwo Hassan (Mama Awero), Jimi Johnson, Justus Esiri, Femi Robinson, Madam Kofo, Franca Brown, Larry Williams, Zack Orji, Fred Amata, Keppy Ekpenyong-Bassey and Amaka Igwe are past recipients of the awards.