Nigerian actress Bukunmi Oluwashina provided moral support to Nollywood filmmaker and renowned actress Funke Akindele on social media following her unexpected defeat at the 2024 awards event.
The 2024 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, hosted at the esteemed Eko Hotel & Suites in Lagos on Saturday, sparkled with festivities and recognition, commending outstanding achievements in African cinema and television.
Nonetheless, Funke Akindele’s ‘A Tribe of Judah’ experienced a string of near-wins throughout the evening, falling short in all nominated categories alongside the production team.
Despite securing nods in various esteemed categories—such as Best Makeup, Best Writing in a Movie, Best Lead Actress, Best Movie, and Best Supporting Actor—’A Tribe of Judah’ departed the event without any prestigious awards in hand.
Bukunmi Oluwashina, despite not receiving recognition at the AMVCA for her exceptional portrayal in Femi Adebayo’s ‘Jagun Jagun’, which achieved victories that night, utilized her Instagram story to publicly laud Funke Akindele as her ‘Best Actress’ in light of the latter’s defeat in the competition.
Responding warmly to Bukunmi’s heartfelt message, Funke Akindele conveyed her appreciation through a series of affectionate emojis.
Funke Akindele’s impactful performance in ‘A Tribe called Judah’ was overshadowed by Kehinde Bankole’s captivating portrayal in Adire, earning her the accolade of Best Lead Actress.
Timini Egbuson’s supporting role in the film was likewise surpassed by Demola Adedoyin’s exceptional acting in Breath of Life.
The film itself, A Tribe of Judah, which achieved a milestone by becoming the first Nollywood production to gross N1bn (One Billion Naira) within 21 days of its premiere, was defeated by Breath of Life in the Best Movie category.
