majid michel tops giama awards with "somewhere in africa"

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The list for the Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards is out. Prominent films from Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Sierra Leone and a host of others outside the Africa continent (Diaspora) have been nominated.

According to the GIAMA Awards committee, surfing through the enormous amount of movies that were submitted for screening, most especially those that were produced in the Diaspora was quite challenging to
watch. However, few of the movies stood out and are worthy to be applauded and rewarded. Some of these movies include Bianca, Secret Past, The Mechanic ‘Who is the Man?’ Paparazzi, Black Money among others making it’s a clear indication that movies produced in the Diaspora, especially in the United States, continue to improve over time.

“As stated in our 2012 motto ‘Rewarding Excellence & Creativity’, the GIAMA Awards is set to continually carry the armor and legacy of superiority in recognizing noteworthy talents in the African film making industry,” said Bode Ojo the CEO of GIAMA awards.

Being the inaugural award ceremony for GIAMA, only films that were produced and/or released between January 2011 and June 2012 were considered eligible for review and nomination. The winners will be announced at a sparkling star-studded ceremony on October 20th, 2012, in Houston, TX and will be hosted by Nollywood untamed Actor Jim Iyke. For more information, keep an eye on http://www.giamaawards.com or http://www.goldenicons.com for more updates

NOW THE NOMINATIONS ARE:

AFRICAN FILMS

1. Best Motion Picture:
• Unge’s War
• Man on Ground
• Somewhere in Africa
• Mr. & Mrs.
• Two Brides and A Baby
• I’ll take my Chances

2. Best Drama Film
• Brides Groom
• In the Cupboard
• Kokomma
• Somewhere in Africa
• Two Brides and A Baby
• Enemy of the Family

3. Best Actor 
• Majid Michel – Somewhere in Africa
• Jimmy Jean-Louis - Sinking Sands
• O.C Ukeje – Two Brides and A Baby
• George Davidson - Dangerous men
• Joseph Benjamin – Mr. & Mrs.
• Hakeem Kae Kazim – Man on Ground

4. Best Actress 
• Ini Edo – In the Cupboard
• Jackie Appiah – Deadly Affair
• Nse Ekpe Etim – Mr. & Mrs.
• Stella Damascus – Two Brides and a Baby
• Yvonne Okoro - Single 6
• Nadia Buari – Hands of Time

5. Best Comedy Act 
• Okon Lagos – Ime Bishop Umoh
• Wisdom of Thomas – Funke Akindele
• Dumebi - Mercy Johnson
• Okon Lagos – Monalisa Chinda
• Eletan – Lilian Bach

6. Best New Actor 
• Leo’ Uche – Unge’s War
• Uti Nwachukwu – In the Cupboard
• Bryan Okwara – I’ll Take my Chances
• Bobby Michaels – Facebook Lovers
• Eddie Watson - Single 6
• James Gardener – Brides Groom

7. Best New Actress 
• Keira Hewatch – Two Brides and a Baby
• Nana Akua Amoah - Single 6
• Belinda Effah – KoKomma
• Zita Galega - Single 6
• Ama K. Abebrese - Sinking Sands
• Joy Orie (JJ Bunny) - Trapped in the Game

8. Best Supporting Actor
 • Alex Ekubo – In the Cupboard
• Okey Uzoeshi – Two Brides and a Baby
• Van Vicker – Hands of Time
• Frank Attus - Trapped in the Game
• Leo U’Che – Dangerous Men
• Yemi Blaq – Sinking Sands

9. Best Original Screenplay 
• Sinking Sands - Leila Djansi
• Unge’s War - GuGu Michael
• In the Cupboard – Desmond Elliot
• My Life, My Damage – Uche Jombo
• Two Brides and a Baby – Blessing Egbe
• Single 6 - Pascal Amafo

10. Best Supporting Actress
•Chelsea Eze – Two Brides and A Baby
• Biola Segun Williams – In the Cupboard
• Yvonne Nelson - Trapped in the Game
• Martha Ankomah – Somewhere in Africa
• Lilian Ini Ikpe - Kokomma
• Chisom Oz Lee - Timeless Passion

11. Best Indigenous Film (native language) 
• Unge’s War
• Eletan
• Okon Lagos
• Idomo
• Kokomma
• Udeme Mi

12. Best Film Director 
• Two Brides and a Baby – Teco Benson
• Kokomma – Tom Robson
• Somewhere in Africa – Frank Rajah Arase
• In the Cupboard – Desmond Elliot
• Hands of Time – Van Vicker
• Deadly Affair - Phil Efe Bernard

13. Best Film Producer 
• Gugu Michaels - Unge’s War
• Kwame Boadu - Somewhere in Africa
• Emem Isong - I’ll take my Chances
• Chinwe Egwuagu - Mr and Mrs
• Abdul Salam Mumuni - Brides Groom
• Blessing Egbe - Two Brides and Baby

14. Best Costume 
• I’ll take my Chances
• Brides Groom
• Somewhere in Africa
• Unge’s War
• Two Brides and A Baby

15. Best Sound 
• Deadly Affair
• Sinking Sands
• Somewhere in Africa
• I’ll take my Chances
• Unge’s War
• Brides Groom

16. Best Cinematography 
• Unge’s War
• Man on Ground
• Brides Groom
• Sinking Sands
• Two Brides and A Baby
• Deadly Affair

17. GIAMA Humanitarian Award 
• Omotola Jalade – Omotola Youth Empowerment (OYEP) Foundation
• Nana Ama Mcbrown – Nana Ama and The Mcbrown Family Foundation
• Van Vicker – Van Vicker Foundation
• Juliet Ibrahim – The Juliet Ibrahim Kidney Cancer Foundation (JIF)
• John Dumelo - John Dumelo foundation
• Monalisa Chinda - Monalisa Chinda Sunshine Foundation

DIASPORA FILMS

1. Best Film – Diaspora 
• Bianca
• Secret Past
• The Entrapped
• The Mechanic (Who is the Man)
• Black Money
• Paparazzi

2. Best Actress - Diaspora 
• Sanu Kalu – Scarlet
• Divine Shaw – Black Money
• Maureen Esealuka - Bianca
• Amaka Morghalu – Faithfulness
• Syr Law – The Entrapped
• Seun Maduka – The Mechanic (Who is the Man)

3. Best Supporting Actress - Diaspora 
• Susan Peters – The Entrapped
• Nancy Agyapong - DSK Unauthorized
• Charmaine Turpin – Bianca
• Summer Angel - Tears of my Joy
• Wins Tina Taylor - Scarlet
• Eefy Ify – The Mechanic (Who is the Man)

4. Best Actor - Diaspora 
• Chet Anekwe – Bianca
• Van Vicker - Black Money
• Pascal Atuma – Secret Past
• Ramsey Nouah - Exposure
• John Dumelo – Scarlet
• Tchidi Chikere – When Heaven Smiles

5. Best Supporting Actor - Diaspora 
• Olalekan Akintude – Black Money
• Oscar Atuma – The Mechanic (Who is the Man)
• Mohamed Bah – Secret Past
• Koby Maxwell - Paparazzi: Eye In The Dark
• Curtis John Miller - Grey Focus Mohamoud Arab – Grey Focus

6. Best Film Director - Diaspora 
• Robert Peters – Black Money
• Ab Sallu – Secret Past
• John Uche - Bianca
• Pascal Atuma – The Mechanic (Who is the Man)
• George Kalu – Faithfulness
• Bayo Akinfemi - Paparazzi: Eye In The Dark

7. Best Film Producer – Diaspora 
• Secret Past – Mohammed Bah
• Bianca – John Uche
• The Entrapped – Wendy Bangura
• The Mechanic (Who is the Man) – Pascal Atuma
• Paparazzi - Clarice Kulah/ Koby Maxwell
• Black Money – Chris Ikpefua

VIEWER’S CHOICE

1. Best Male Act (Viewer’s Choice) 
• John Dumelo
• Ramsey Nouah
• Majid Michel
• Desmond Elliot
• Van Vicker
• Jim Iyke
• Mike Ezuruonye
• Yemi Blaq

2. Best Female Act (Viewer’s Choice) 
• Omotola Jolade
• Mercy Johnson
• Nadia Buari
• Genevieve Nnaji
• Uche Jombo
• Jackie Appiah
• Tonto Dikeh
• Ini Edo

3. Best Film Director (Viewer’s Choice) 
• Kunle Afolayan
• Frank Rajah-Arase
• Desmond Elliot
• Pascal Amanfo
• Tunde Kelani
• Teco Benson
• Phil Efe Bernard
• Tom Robson

VIEWER’S CHOICE – DIASPORA

1. Best Male Act - DIASPORA (Viewer’s Choice) 
• Tchidi Chikere
• Pascal Atuma
• Chet Anekwe
• Hakeem Kae-Kazim
• Oliver Mbamara

2. Best Female Act - DIASPORA (Viewer’s Choice) 
• Sana Kanu
• JJ Bunny
• Veeda Darko
• Seun Maduka
• Merlisa Determined

VIEWER’S CHOICE – HOLLYWOOD

1. Best Male Act (Hollywood – Viewer’s Choice)
• Idris Elba
• Samuel L. Jackson
• Denzel Washington
• Kevin Hart
• Will Smith
• Don Cheadle
• Isaiah Washington
• Djimon Hounsou
Best Female Act (Hollywood – Viewer’s Choice) 
• Meagan good
• Kerri Washington
• Lynn Whitfield
• Queen Latifah
• Halle Berry
• Taraji Henson
• Princess Monique
• Sophie Okonedo