The biggest movie award show in Africa, Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, is in a few weeks. And every year, the organisers and sponsors of the AMVCA, throw an initial party celebrating the nominees for their good work. It’s the most exclusive gathering of all the top heads in the film industry across Africa.
This year, the glamorous event hosted by IK Osakioduwa, held at the Harbour Point, VI and saw some of the most influential people in Nollywood gather. Here are all the interesting things that happened at the event:
1. Speeches: There were a few speeches during the cocktail from the organisers and all of the sponsors of this year’s AMVCA. To keep with the theme of the night, ‘come to party’, all speeches were kept short. MultiChoice Nigeria’s CEO talked about the importance of celebrating excellence in the industry. He said, “The AMVCA started in 2013 and it really came out of the desire to elevate the standard of the industry as well as reward excellence.”
2. Interviews: Besides being a gathering of stars and the biggest celebrities in Nollywood, the cocktail is largely also a media event. Different media houses and personnel also showed up in their Sunday best and held mini-interviews during the cocktail party. The celebrities revealed their excitement about the forthcoming AMVCA ceremony and what to expect from them in the future.
3. Tobi Bakre’s unusual dance moves: As the night turned into a full-on party, the event host, IK Osakioduwa invited Tobi Bakre on stage to get people dancing. What followed was a series of unusual dance steps and a particularly spectacular body carrying move. That dance step was all the crowd needed to get them out of their post-speech daze and get the party started.
4. Incredible Performance from Femi Leye: superstar guitarist, Femi Leye was on hand through the first half of the event to keep the crowd entertained. Every song was a hit and the audience loved it. It was hands down the best part of the night.
5. All the celebs showed up: Everyone who was anyone in the industry was at the event. From Funke Akindele, Adesua Etomi, Kate Henshaw, Bimbo Ademoye to Ramsey Nouah, Efa Iwara, Mawuli Gavor, and many more. They all looked amazing in their perfectly styled outfits. Many of them came to celebrate their nominations while the others came to support the nominees.
6. Surplus Food and Drinks: A MultiChoice event is not complete if there is not a lot of food to go round. From the beginning of the cocktail until the very end of the event, there were different things to munch on. There were shrimps, small chops, corn, chips, chicken, popcorn, etc. The drinks were also overflowing thanks to sponsors, Martell, and Amstel Malta who made sure guests didn’t run out of designer cocktails all night.
7. The Turn-up: After all the speeches had been said and Femi Leye had serenaded the crowd, the actual party began. Celebrities showed off their best dance moves, media guests were not left behind either and it was one hell of a rager. The night was only just beginning and the turnup went on well into the night. It was a lit party!