Oscars | Zikoko!

Oscars’ Class of 2023: RMD, Four Other Nigerians Are the Latest Members

On June 28, 2023, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences extended invitations to 398 movie stars and executives who’ve “distinguished themselves by their contributions to motion pictures.”

Source: Oscars.com

Thanks to this invitation, five Nigerians have now joined Nollywood’s Ramsey Nouah, Newton Aduaka, Tunde Kelani, Funke Akindele, Mo Abudu, Daniel K. Daniel, Andrew Dosunmu, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Femi Odugbemi, Akin Omotoso and Genevieve Nnaji, as members of the Academy. Meet your Oscars’ class of 2023: the Nigerian league.

Kunle Afolayan

Source: Instagram (@kunleafolayan)

The thoroughbred movie producer ranks high as one of the coolest Nollywood movie makers of our time. Afolayan, through productions like October 1, The CEO, and most recently, Anikulapo, has redefined African cinema. His flair for telling authentic African stories have earned him global acclaim, with Anikulapo stirring the conversation for Nigeria’s Oscar win in 2023. Afolayan joins the academy under the writers category.

Jade Osiberu

Source: Instagram (@jadeosiberu)

Another leading force in Nigerian cinema, Osiberu’s work has redefined the face of Nollywood and given viewers seeking action-packed blockbusters a new experience. The Trade, Gangs of Lagos and Brotherhood shattered Nigerian box office records and topped the chart on movie streaming platforms. She joins the Academy in the producer category.

Richard Mofe Damijo

Source: Instagram (@mofedamijo)

With a career spanning over four decades, RMD has cemented his place as an icon in Nigerian cinema. There’s no touching the level of depth and versatility he brings to the screen. Whether he’s the hip father-in-law in Ebonylife’s The Wedding Party or a leading political figure in 2004 action-flick, Critical Assignment, he holds ground as a master of his craft. Of course, he joins the academy in the actors category.

CJ Obasi

Source: Instagram (@fierycj)

Currently enjoying a rousing ovation from the global community for Mami Wata, Obasi is a filmmaker on a mission to reshape Nigerian cinema. The director’s daring approach to storytelling in movies like Ojuju, Juju Stories and Hello, Rain has gained him critical acclaim in Nollywood. He joins the academy in the directors category.

Shola Dada

Source: Instagram (@sholadadamusic)

Shola Dada completes the list of Nigeria’s newly inducted Oscar Academy members, as she takes her place under the screenwriters category. Dada takes writing credit for Nollywood masterpieces, Anikulapo and Man of God.

What does the membership mean for them?

As members of the Academy, all five individuals will have automatic rights to vote for which film professionals and what films get nominated for the Oscars.

How were they selected?

Members who’ve been nominated for an Academy award are automatically considered for membership. Members who’ve never been nominated — including all the current Nigerian members — have to be sponsored by existing Academy members. Every year, the academy’s board of governors reviews the names submitted by sponsors and extends invitations to prospective members.

Adeyinka Odutuyo

July 5, 2023

Pop

Nigerians, Nollywood, Nollywood movies, Oscars
Nigerian Oscars? These Are the Categories We Want to See

One thing about us, we love awards’ season. Oscar, Grammys, Emmys, yes, choke us with all of it. While Nigeria has movie awards, they’re still not giving what they’re supposed to be giving.. So we want to see these categories be added to Nigerian movie awards:

1. Most chaotic wig

In Nollywood, wigs are characters all on their own. Back in the day, we watched our faves show up in stiff-ass wigs that channelled everyone from Mufasa in Lion King to Storm in X-Men. With New Nollywood having a battle of the frontals and throwing 13-inch kinky Brazilian wigs on all their characters — even in movies set in the village — it’s only right that we have a category to recognize one of the most versatile and underrated performers in the industry, our wigs.

2. Best Ameritish Accent

Nollywood and accents you can’t trace or identify go hand-in-hand. Back then, Jim Iyke, Hanks Anuku and Regina Askia stressed us with their fake accents. But these days, almost every Nollywood actor has a VPN-acquired accent. Also, is it really a Nollywood film if the lead character didn’t just return from overseas to find love? We refuse to list out the contenders in this category, but they know themselves.

3. Best wedding/burial (or any celebration-type film that requires at least 20 popular actors)

Why did Nollywood discover ensemble comedies and decide that was “it”? Like, after The Wedding Party, it’s like they sent a WhatsApp broadcast and decided to compete to see how many stars they could fit into one film, no matter how chaotic the script or casting might look. A certain studio is known for packing actors in their films like Titus sardines and honestly, they deserve this award.

4. Best shot of the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge

Shoutout to the hardest working actor in Nollywood mehn. Since we can’t nominate individuals, we’ve decided to go with the film that best captured his beauty in glorious HD.

5. Best Instagram/BBNaija influencer-to-actor transition

Nollywood has become the final bus stop for IG influencers and Big Brother Naija alumni. We’re not complaining o, before you drag us. Instead, we’re creating a category to honour the transitions that sort of worked.

6. Best soundtrack

We‘ve missed the days when Nollywood summarised the entire plot of a film using Stanley Okorie’s voice. It saved you the stress of deciding whether or not you actually wanted to see the film. Now, we have songs like “Nneka, obu gini?” from Nneka the Pretty Serpent as major contenders for this award. Don’t lie, that song is catchy AF!

7. Best plot-that-didn’t-even-make-sense

How did a script like Chief Daddy 2pass through a scriptwriter, producers, a director and a container of actors, and no one thought to say, “Ewww, God forbid!” We watch some films and convince ourselves that the people behind them must’ve had their loved ones kidnapped, with the film being a form of ransom payment. Because honestly, why this? That being said, everyone deserves their flowers — even films that give us headaches.

8. Best ghost

Nollywood ghosts are a case for the FBI. When they’re not crossing the street like Omotola in Blood Sisters, they’re walking around drenched in blood carrying crying babies. It’s all very stressful and they deserve a whole category award for all that hard work.

Conrad Johnson-Omodiagbe

February 11, 2022

Pop

awards, Nigerian Movies, Nollywood, Oscars
The 2016 Oscars Were Exactly Like A Nollywoood Movie And Here’s Why

The most critically-acclaimed Academy Awards happened recently and some of the things that happened made us nearly fall off our chairs in shock and laughter. Here are some of the things that made the Oscars feel like a Nollywood movie script.
The host of the awards, Chris Rock began by throwing major shade at the organisers for the lack of diversity the categories had.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsTs-xNuBms
He came mercilessly for everybody.
He then proceeded to troll Will and Jada Smith for boycotting the Oscars.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCXqkz8whrt/?tagged=chrisrock
Did anybody even invite them in the first place?
He reminded us of Patience Ozokwor, the one and only revered queen of shade in Nollywood.

Only her can begin an opening scene launching missiles of shade on everybody.
After being snubbed four times, and pulling an Nkiru Sylvanus on the world with his role in The Revenant movie…

And being extremely pitiful…

Can you spot the difference between this man and Nkiru Sylvanus?
Leonardo Dicarprio finally won the Oscar he had been crying for.

YASS!
And just like how we sometimes expect to see Ramsey Nouah slay a nice movie and the directors choose to snub him and slap Emeka Ike on our faces instead…

Because one-syllable-at-a-time-speaking Emeka does it better than everybody else.
The Academy also chose to snub awesome nominated movies like The Martian and Star Wars and awarding movies like Spotlight and The Hateful Eight.

This Ela was unnecessary sha.
And the mother of plot twists, right after making this ridiculous statement….

This happened.

When you have to do the dance of shame in the market.
Not to forget, the dramatic wardrobe assemble.

Because stylish clothes are too mainstream.
When you have to be young and be someone’s old fairy god mother at the same time.

The lack of diversity is currently being addressed by the Academy. In the light of that, we look forward to when Nigerian and in general, African movies will make a big impact in the international scene.

Maryam

February 29, 2016

Gist

academy, academy awards, Nigerian m ovie, Nigerian Movies, Nollywood, Oscars

Oscars’ Class of 2023: RMD, Four Other Nigerians Are the Latest Members

Nigerian Oscars? These Are the Categories We Want to See

The 2016 Oscars Were Exactly Like A Nollywoood Movie And Here’s Why

The host of the awards, Chris Rock began by throwing major shade at the organisers for the lack of diversity the categories had.

He then proceeded to troll Will and Jada Smith for boycotting the Oscars.

He reminded us of Patience Ozokwor, the one and only revered queen of shade in Nollywood.

After being snubbed four times, and pulling an Nkiru Sylvanus on the world with his role in The Revenant movie…

And being extremely pitiful…

Leonardo Dicarprio finally won the Oscar he had been crying for.

And just like how we sometimes expect to see Ramsey Nouah slay a nice movie and the directors choose to snub him and slap Emeka Ike on our faces instead…

The Academy also chose to snub awesome nominated movies like The Martian and Star Wars and awarding movies like Spotlight and The Hateful Eight.

And the mother of plot twists, right after making this ridiculous statement….

This happened.

Not to forget, the dramatic wardrobe assemble.

When you have to be young and be someone’s old fairy god mother at the same time.

The lack of diversity is currently being addressed by the Academy. In the light of that, we look forward to when Nigerian and in general, African movies will make a big impact in the international scene.