Genevieve Nnaji

Genevieve Nnaji (/ˈnɑːdʒi/;[1] born 3 May 1979)[2] is a Nigerian actress, producer, and director.[3][4][5] She won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2005, making her the first actor to win the award.[6][7][8] In 2011, she was honoured as a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic by the Nigerian government for her contributions to Nollywood.[9] Her directorial debut movie, Lionheart, is the first Netflix Original from Nigeria, and first Nigerian submission for the Oscars. The movie was disqualified for having most of its dialogue in English.[10] [11]

Genevieve Nnaji MFR
Genevieve Nnaji in Weekend Getaway
Born	(1979-05-03) 3 May 1979 Mbaise, Imo, Nigeria
Alma mater	University of Lagos
Occupation	Actor, director
Years active	1987–present

Early life and education

Nnaji was born in Mbaise, Imo State, Nigeria, and grew up in Lagos. The fourth of eight children, she was raised in a middle-class family; her father worked as an engineer and her mother as a nursery school teacher. She attended Methodist Girls College (Yaba, Lagos), before transferring to the University of Lagos, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in creative arts. While at the university, she began auditioning for acting jobs in Nollywood.[8]

Career

Nnaji started her acting career as a child actor in the then-popular television soap opera Ripples at the age of 8.[12] In 1998, at the age of 19, she was introduced into the growing Nigerian film industry with the movie Most Wanted.[13] Her subsequent movies include Last Party, Mark of the Beast, and Ijele.[12] In 2010, she starred in the award-winning film Ijé: The Journey. She has starred in over 200 Nollywood movies.

In 2004, Nnaji signed a recording contract with EKB Records, a Ghanaian record label, and released her debut album One Logologo Line.[14] It is a mix of R&B, Hip-Hop, and Urban music.[15] In 2004, Genevieve Nnaji was with the most votes after contending with other celebrities for the search for the face of Lux in 2004.[16]

In 2005, she won the Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA) for Best Actress in a Leading Role, becoming the first actor to win the award.[17]

As of 2009, Nnaji was one of the best-paid female actors in Nollywood.[18][19] Due to her contributions to the Nigerian movie industry, she became the first actor to be awarded Best Actress at the 2001 City Peoples Awards, the award ceremony that previously had only recognized politicians and business conglomerates. She was also the first actor to be awarded as Best Actress by the Censors Board of Nigeria in 2003.[20] In 2009, she was referred to as the Julia Roberts of Africa by Oprah Winfrey.[21][22]

In November 2015, Nnaji produced her first movie called Road to Yesterday,[23] later winning Best Movie Overall-West Africa at the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards.

In January 2018, it was reported that Genevieve would be replacing Funke Akindele as a member of the Dora Milaje in Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War.[24] This was later debunked as an internet prank and the actor did not appear in the movie.[25]

On 7 September 2018, her directorial debut Lionheart was acquired by online streaming service Netflix, making it the first Netflix original film from Nigeria.[26] The movie had its world premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, alongside Farming, the Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje's autobiographical directorial debut where she starred in alongside Kate Beckinsale, Damson Idris, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

Genevieve Nnaji is a very strong girl and women activist. She advocates for Nigerian girls to be able to have a say in who they choose to marry. She is against early marriages for the girl child. She is strongly against abuse of women in society.[27][28] Genevieve says she is a strong advocate for social justice.[29] Further, Genevieve Nnaji is a strong feminist. She states her type of feminism is the woman who has the right to make her own choices and do whatever she feels like.[30]

Modelling

Nnaji has featured in several commercials, include for Pronto (beverage) and Omo detergent. In 2004, she became the "Face of Lux" in Nigeria[31] in a highly lucrative sponsorship deal.[8] In 2008, Nnaji launched the clothing line "St. Genevieve", which donates its proceeds to charity.[7][32] In May 2010, she was appointed to be the official "Face of MUD" in Nigeria.[33][34][35][36][37]

Awards and nominations

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Nnaji has received several awards and nominations for her work, including the Best Actress of the Year Award at the 2001 City People Awards and the Best Actress in a Leading Role Award at the 2005 Africa Movie Academy Awards.[6][8]

In 2019, her movie, Lionheart (2018 film), was selected by the Nigerian Oscars Selection Committee (NOSC), as Nigeria’s submission to the Best International Feature Film Category of the 2020 Oscars. It was the first film ever submitted to the Oscars by Nigeria.[38]

Subsequently, the oscar submission was canceled for not meeting the language criteria. The film's dialogue track is predominantly in the English language. However, the Oscar rules since 2006 dictate that eligible movies must have a “Predominantly non-English Dialogue Track.” This move was an attempt to open up more opportunities for films from diverse cultures.

In a viral Tweet on 4 November 2019, the Award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay, had questioned the Academy's decision on nixing Lionheart Oscar race for using its official language--English. Genevieve, in response to Ava DuVernay's Tweet, took to Twitter to explain that the country Nigeria as presently constituted, does boast of over 500 languages, making it so ethnically diverse that English, as the official language, can only be the language utilized to make the movie widely acceptable to the eclectic audience across the country, and even beyond the continent of Africa.

In an article published by Culture writer and multiculturalism scholar- Kovie Biakolo titled "Nigeria's Lion Heart Disqualification is Bigger than the Oscars" on the CNN opinion website; Kovie opined that "one cannot help but feel that Nigeria is ultimately being penalized for being a former British colony in using the very language that was imposed on its people, to communicate between them, and especially for art. Former French, Spanish and Portuguese colonies certainly don't have this problem. And in truth, the Academy may be demonstrating a short-sighted or surface-level understanding of its purported inclusivity in this category".[39]

She went further to criticize the Oscar board for allowing the nominations of British movies that were not done English, which invariably is the Country's main language but did so in the case of Nigeria whose cultural diversity could be confounding yet true.

92nd Academy Awards (Oscars)[40]

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2020	Genevieve Nnaji / LionHeart	Best International Feature Film	Disqualified

The 19th Black Reel Awards (FAAAF)]

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2019	Lionheart	Outstanding Foreign Film / World Cinema Motion Picture[41]	Won

Toronto International Film Festival

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2018	Lionheart	Grolsch People’s Choice Award	Nominated

Africa Movie Academy Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2005		Best Actress in Leading Role	Won
2008	30 Days/Keep My Will		Nominated
2011	Tango with Me		Nominated

Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2013	The Mirror Boy	Best Actress Drama/TV Series	Nominated
2016	Road to Yesterday		Nominated
		Best Movie West Africa	Won

Nigeria Entertainment Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2009		Best Actress	Nominated
2010	Silent Scandals	Best Actress Film/Short Story	Nominated
	Guinness Ultimate Survivor	Best Actress TV Series	Won
2011	Tango with Me	Best Actress Film/Short Story	Nominated
2013	Doctor Bello	Best Actress in Leading Role	Nominated
2014	Half of a Yellow Sun	Best Actress in Supporting Role	Won
2016	Road to Yesterday	Lead Actress in Film	Nominated
		Best Picture	Nominated

Nollywood Movies Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2012	Tango with Me	Best Actress Leading Role	Nominated
	Herself	Viewers Choice- Female	Won

Ghana Movie Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2010	Silent Scandals	Best Actress-Africa Collaboration	Won

Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2012	Herself	Best Actress- Viewers Choice	Nominated

Nollywood and African Film Critics Awards (NAFCA)

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2013	Weekend Getaway	Best Actress Leading Role	Won

Zulu African Film Academy Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2011	The Mirror Boy	Best Actress	Won

City People Entertainment Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2001	Herself	Best Actress	Won

Best of Nollywood Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2010	Silent Scandals	Best Actress-Leading Role	Nominated
2011	The Mirror Boy		Nominated
	Bursting Out	Best Kiss with Majid Michel	Won

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1987	Ripples
1998	Most Wanted
1999	Camouflage		with Ramsey Nouah
2001	Love Boat		with Ramsey Nouah
	Death Warrant	Anita	with Emeka Ike & Eucharia-Anunobi Ekwu
2002	Valentino		with Ramsey Nouah
	Fire Dancer	Nene
	Sharon Stone	Sharon Stone
	Runs!	Adesua	with Gorgina Onuoha
	Power of Love	Juliet	with Ramsey Nouah, Grace Amah
	Formidable Force		with Gorgina Onuoha & Hanks Anuku
	Battle Line		with Ramsey Nouah & Pete Edochie
2003	Above Death: In God We Trust		with Pete Edochie, Kate Henshaw-Nuttal, Ramsey Nouah, & Zack Orji
	Blood Sister		with Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde & Tony Umez
	Break Up		with Ramsey Nouah
	Butterfly		with Ramsey Nouah
	By His Grace		with Tony Umez
	Church Business		with Ramsey Nouah & Segun Arinze
	Deadly Mistake
	Emergency Wedding		with Tony Umez
	Emotional Tears	Helen
	For Better for Worse
	Honey		with Ramsey Nouah & Pete Edochie
	Jealous Lovers	Chioma
	Keeping Faith: Is That Love?		with Richard Mofe-Damijo
	Last Weekend		with Ramsey Nouah
	Late Marriage
	Love	Anita	with Richard Mofe-Damijo & Segun Arinze
	My Only Love	Angela	with Ramsey Nouah
	Not Man Enough
	Passion & Pain		with Ramsey Nouah & Desmond Elliot
	Passions		with Stella Damasus-Aboderin & Richard Mofe-Damijo
	Player: Mr. Lover Man
	Private Sin	Faith	with Stephanie Okereke, Richard Mofe-Damijo, & Patience Ozokwor
	Sharon Stone in Abuja	Sharon Stone
	Super Love		with Ramsey Nouah & Pete Edochie
	The Chosen One
	Women Affair
2004	Bumper to Bumper		with Georgina Onuoha
	Critical Decision		with Richard Mofe-Damijo, Stephanie Okereke, & Mike Ezuruonye
	Dangerous Sister		with Tony Umez & Dakore Egbuson
	Goodbye New York		with Rita Dominic
	He Lives in Me
	Into Temptation		with Ramsey Nouah
	My First Love		with Tony Umez
	Never Die for Love
	Promise Me Forever		with Stephanie Okereke
	Stand by Me
	Treasure
	Unbreakable		with Ramsey Nouah
	We Are One		with Stella Damasus-Aboderin
2005	Darkest Night		with Richard Mofe-Damijo & Segun Arinze
	Games Women Play		with Stella Damasus-Aboderin, Desmond Elliot, & Zack Orji
	Rip-Off		with Ramsey Nouah
2006	Girls Cot		with Rita Dominic & Ini Edo
	30 Days	Chinora Onu	with Segun Arinze – this film received 10 nominations at the African Movie Academy Awards in 2008, including Best Picture, Best Art Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Edit, Best Costumes, and Best Sound[42]
2007	Letters to a Stranger	Jemima Lawal	with Yemi Blaq, Joke Silva, and Segun Arinze
	Keep My Will
	Warrior's Heart
	Unfinished Business	Nkem
	Winds of Glory	Juliana
2008	Beautiful Soul	Olivia	this film received 3 African Movie Academy Award nominations for Best Screenplay, Best Soundtrack, and Heart of Africa[43]
	Broken Tears		with Van Vicker, Kate Henshaw-Nuttal and Grace Amah
	Critical Condition	Ify
	River of Tears	Yvonne	with Kate Henshaw-Nuttal, Van Vicker, and Grace Amah
	My Idol
	Love My Way	Kayla
2009	Silent Scandals	Jessie	with Majid Michel & Uche Jombo[44]
	Felicima	Felicima	with Alex Lopez[45]
2010	Ijé: The Journey	Chioma Opara	with Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Odalys García, & Clem Ohameze[46]
	Tango with me	Lola	with Joke Silva & Joseph Benjamin
	Bursting Out	Zara Williams	with Majid Michel, Nse Ikpe-Etim, Omoni Oboli, & Desmond Elliot[47][48]
	Mirror Boy	Teema	with Osita Iheme[49]
2011	Sacred Lies	Isabella	with Olu Jacobs, Desmond Elliot, & Nadia Buari[50]
2012	Weekend Getaway		with Ramsey Noah, Ini Edo, Monalisa Chinda
2013	Half of a Yellow Sun	Ms. Adebayo	with Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Onyeka Onwenu, and OC Ukeje
	Doctor Bello		with Isaiah Washington, Vivica A. Fox, Justus Esiri, and Stephanie Okereke
2014	The Truth with Olisa	Guest	TV Series
2015	Road to Yesterday	Victoria	with Oris Erhuero and Majid Michel
2018	Lionheart Farming	Adaeze Tolu	Also the Director and Writer Supporting Actress

Discography

• One Logologo Line (2004)

References

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2. "Nollywood's finest". New Vision. Kampala, Uganda: New Vision Printing & Publishing Company Limited. 1 May 2005. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
3. Orjinmo, Nduka (17 November 2019). "From Nollywood to Netflix: Genevieve Nnaji's rise" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
4. "Star Actress Genevieve Nnaji Reveals Success Secrets". Leadership. Abuja, Nigeria. 8 December 2011. Archived from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
5. "Nigeria actress Genevieve ready to visit Zambia". Zambian Watchdog. 21 November 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
6. Clayton, Jonathan (3 April 2010). "Nollywood success puts Nigeria's film industry in regional spotlight". The Times Online. London, UK: Times Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
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10. 122108447901948 (5 November 2019). "Genevieve Nnaji's Lionheart disqualified from Oscars". Graphic Online. Retrieved 11 November 2019.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
11. "Nigeria Oscar choice ruled out for English script". 5 November 2019 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
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14. "Genevieve at Blue Pie Productions". Archived from the original on 24 May 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
15. "Genevieve: One Logologo Line". Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
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18. Mignot, Elisa (25 December 2009). "Lagos, capitale de Nollywood". Le Monde (in French). Paris, France: Éric Fottorino. p. 16. Retrieved 29 August 2010. L'actrice la mieux payée du Nigeria, Genevieve Nnaji, est la vedette de Tango with me.
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20. http://roadtoyesterday.com
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24. ""Avengers: Infinity War" Role! Funke Akindele's Name Removed, Replaced With Genevieve Nnaji - OnoBello.com". onobello.com. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
25. Avengers: Infinity War (2018), retrieved 22 November 2018
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27. UNICEF Innocenti (2014). "Nollywood star Genevieve Nnaji advocates for girls rights". YouTube.
28. "NOLLYWOOD STAR GENEVIEVE NNAJI ADVOCATES FOR GIRLS RIGHTS". UNICEF.
29. "I am a strong advocate of social justice - Genevieve Nnaji". MyJoyOnline. 2015.
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31. "Genevieve Nnaji & Lux advertisement". London, UK: Unilever PLC. Archived from the original on 25 June 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
32. Wehwe, Vivien. "Charity Runway; celebrities rise up for orphans". The Vanguard. Lagos, Nigeria: Vanguard Media. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
33. "MUD, Bellezza Cosmetics and Spa, and Genevieve Nnaji=One beautiful collaboration!". Burbank, CA, USA: Make-up Designory. 22 July 2010. Archived from the original on 7 May 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
34. "Genevieve Nnaji is Face of New Make Up Line". AllAfrica.com. AllAfrica Global Media. 21 May 2010. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
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37. Onyema, Ada (5 June 2010). "Genevive becomes face of MUD". The Punch. Lagos, Nigeria. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
38. Dalton, Ben; Kiely, Emma; Epton2019-10-09T07:42:00+01:00, Nancy. "In profile: the 92 international feature Oscar 2020 contenders". Screen. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
39. Biakolo, Opinion by Kovie. "Nigeria's 'Lionheart' disqualification is bigger than the Oscars". CNN. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
40. Dalton, Ben; Kiely, Emma; Epton2019-10-03T06:59:00+01:00, Nancy. "Oscar best international film race 2020: all the titles submitted so far". Screen. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
41. "BRAs Winners". Black Reel Awards. 21 February 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
42. "List of Nominees for AMAA 2008". ScreenAfrica.com. Archived from the original on 8 February 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
43. "AMAA Nominees and Winners 2009". African Movie Academy Award. Archived from the original on 5 April 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
44. "Silent Scandals hits movie shelves soon". Vintage Press Limited. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
45. "Felicima: The cripple who loves Genevieve". Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
46. "Odalys García's first feature film: Ijé -The Journey". Retrieved 19 November 2009.
47. Olukole, Tope (7 August 2010). "Nadia Bouari Visits Nigeria". Nigerian Tribune. Ibadan, Nigeria. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
48. "Genevieve, Majid Michale sparkle in Bursting Out". Vanguard. Lagos, Nigeria: Vanguard Media. 23 April 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
49. "Richest Nollywood Actresses". AllAfrica.com. AllAfrica Global Media. 26 September 2010. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
50. Adedayo, Odulaja (11 March 2011). "Nigeria: Plate of Sacred Lies Dotted Only by Star Factor". AllAfrica.com. AllAfrica Global Media. Retrieved 23 July 2011.

External links

• Official website
• Genevieve Nnaji on IMDb