On March 4, 2021, The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) announced nominations for the 2021 edition of the BAFTA Awards.
This year’s list has been praised for “being culturally diverse”, and the best part is that a number of Nigerians made the list of nominees for the biggest prizes in the UK film and TV industry. Here is a list of this year’s BAFTA nominees whose origins can be traced to Nigeria:
1. Ashley Madekwe (Best Supporting Actress)
Ashley Madekwe, born on December 6, 1983, is the daughter of a Nigerian man and a British woman. She has appeared in a number of movies, including the 2007 film Cassandra’s Dream (starring Colin Farrell) and the 2008 comedy film How To Lose Friends And Alienate People. She has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Toni in County Lines, a feature film that focuses on drug trafficking in Britain.
2. Bukky Bakray (Best Actress, Rising Star Award)
Bukky Bakray is an 18-year-old Nigerian-British actress. In 2019, she was selected for the lead role in the coming-of-age drama Rocks after British director Sarah Gavron discovered her as she scouted for acting talent across secondary schools in East London. For her role in the film as Shola (a Nigerian-British schoolgirl), Bakray was nominated for both the Best Actress and Rising Star Awards.
”All praise is due to God, I feel very blessed because all the nominees are nuts”, she tweeted, reacting to the nominations.
3. Remi Weekes (Best Outstanding Debut)
Remi Weekes is a Nigerian-British director, film editor, and screenwriter. He is a graduate of the London College of Communication. In October 2020, his directorial debut feature, His House, premiered on Netflix. The 33-year-old’s work on this horror film was well received by critics and has earned him a nomination for the Best Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director, or Producer.
4. Sope Dirisu (Rising Star Award)
Sope Dirisu, born on January 9, 1991, is a Nigerian-British actor. Born in London to Nigerian parents, he is a graduate of Economics from the University of Birmingham. He appeared in the 2016 fantasy film The Huntsman: Winter’s War and the 2017 war drama Sand Castle. For the lead role as Bol in the 2020 horror film His House, he has been nominated for the Rising Star Award.
“I am so honoured and totally overwhelmed and filled with gratitude. To be recognised like this and to be part of the history of this award is such an incredible moment, and I’m sharing it with some incredible people”, Dirisu wrote on his Instagram page, reacting to the nomination.
5. Theresa Ikoko (Best Original Screenplay, Best Outstanding Debut)
Theresa Ikoko is a Nigerian playwright and screenwriter. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Royal Holloway, University of London, as well as a master’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Psychology from the University of Oxford. Her play, Girls, based on the story of three kidnapped Nigerian girls, won the Alfred Fagon Award for Best New Play in 2015. For her work on the movie Rocks, she has been nominated for Best Original Screenplay and Best Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director, or Producer.
“God is good. ALL the time”, Ikoko tweeted, expressing gratitude for the nominations.
6. Wunmi Mosaku (Best Actress)
Wunmi Mosaku was born in Nigeria but moved with her family to England when she was a child. She is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and in 2017 she won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress, for her role as Gloria Taylor in the film Damilola, Our Loved Boy. She appears in the HBO TV series Lovecraft County, and for her role as Rial in the movie His House, she has been nominated for Best Actress at the BAFTAs.
This year’s BAFTA winners will be announced at a live ceremony, without an audience, at the Royal Albert Hall on April 11, 2021.