Genevieve Nnaji (; born on 3 May 1979) is a Nigerian actress, producer, and director. She won the

Africa Movie Academy Award The Africa Movie Academy Awards, popularly known as AMAA and The AMA Awards, is presented annually to recognize excellence among professionals working in, or non-African professionals who have contributed to, the African film industry. It was fou ...

for

Best Actress in a Leading Role The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year. ...

in 2005, making her the first actor to win the award. In 2011, she was honoured as a Member of the

Order of the Federal Republic The Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) is one of two orders of merit, established by the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1963. It is senior to the Order of the Niger. The highest honours where the Grand Commander in the Order of the Federal Rep ...

by the Nigerian government for her contributions to

Nollywood Nollywood is a sobriquet that originally referred to the Nigerian film industry. The origin of the term dates back to the early 2000s, traced to an article in ''The New York Times''. Due to the history of evolving meanings and contexts, there ...

. Her directorial debut movie, ''Lionheart'', is the first

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

film from Nigeria and the first Nigerian submission for the

Oscars The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

. The movie was disqualified for having most of its dialogue in English. After having spent decades in the movie industry, she was profiled alongside some celebrities and business executives in 2020 in two new books by publisher and Editor in Chief of '' Yes International!'' magazine, Azuh Arinze.

Early life

Genevieve was born in

Mbaise Mbaise is a region in Imo State in southeastern Nigeria. In the heart of Igboland, the region includes several towns and cities. It is a group of indigenous clans, connected by intermarriage. With a population density of over 1,000 people per squ ...

Imo State Imo State ( ig, Ȯra Imo) is a States of Nigeria, state in the South East (Nigeria), South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by Anambra State, Rivers State to the west and south, and Abia State to the east. It takes its n ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

, and grew up in

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...

. The fourth of eight children, she was raised in a middle-class family; her father worked as an engineer and her mother was a nursery school teacher.

Education

She attended Methodist Girls College ( Yaba, Lagos), before proceeding to the

University of Lagos The University of Lagos, popularly known as UNILAG, is a public research university located in Lagos, Nigeria and was founded in 1962. UNILAG is one of the first generation universities in Nigeria and is ranked among the top universities in th ...

, where she graduated with a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

creative arts The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both hi ...

. While at the university, she began auditioning for acting jobs in

Career

Nnaji started her acting career as a child actor in the then-popular television soap opera ''Ripples'' at the age of 8. In 1998, at the age of 19, she was introduced into the growing Nigerian film industry with the movie ''Most Wanted''. Her subsequent movies include ''Last Party'', ''Mark of the Beast'', and ''Ijele''. In 2010, she starred in the award-winning film '' Ijé: The Journey''. She has starred in over 200 Nollywood movies. In 2004, Nnaji signed a recording contract with ''EKB Records;'' a Ghanaian record label, and released her debut album '' One Logologo Line''. It is a mix of R&B, Hip-Hop, and

Urban music Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, hip hop, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban contem ...

. In 2004, Genevieve Nnaji was with the most votes after contending with other celebrities for the search for the face of Lux in 2004. In 2005, she won the

(AMAA) for Best Actress in a Leading Role, becoming the first actor to win the award. Genevieve30

In 2009, Nnaji was one of the best-paid female actors in

. Due to her contributions to the Nigerian movie industry, she became the first actor to be awarded Best Actress at the 2001 City People's Awards, the award ceremony that previously had only recognized politicians and business conglomerates. She was also the first actor to be awarded as Best Actress by the Censors Board of Nigeria in 2003. In 2009, she was referred to as the

Julia Roberts Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is an American actress. Known for her leading roles in films encompassing a variety of genres, she has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and thr ...

of Africa by

Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...

. In November 2015, Nnaji produced her first movie called ''

Road to Yesterday ''The Road to Yesterday'' is a 1925 American silent romantic drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. The film is significant because it was Cecil B. DeMille's first release from his new production company, DeMille Pictures Corporation. It wa ...

'', later winning Best Movie Overall -West Africa at the

2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards The 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) was held on March 5, 2016 at the Eko Hotels and Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. It was hosted by Ikponmwosa Osakioduwa and Minnie Dlamini. Nominees were revealed on December 11, 201 ...

. In January 2018, it was reported that Genevieve would be replacing

Funke Akindele Olufunke Ayotunde Akindele-Bello (born 24 August 1977) popularly known as Funke Akindele or Jenifa, is a Nigerian film actress, politician and producer.Funsho AkinwaleFunke Akindele gives first glimpse of her twins ''The Guardian'' Akindele sta ...

as a member of the Dora Milaje in Marvel's '' Avengers: Infinity War''. This was later debunked as an internet prank and the actor did not appear in the movie. On 7 September 2018, her directorial debut '' Lionheart'' was acquired by online streaming service

, making it the first

original film from Nigeria. The movie had its world premiere at the 2018

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...

, alongside ''

Farming Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

'', the Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje's autobiographical directorial debut where sh
starred
in alongside

Kate Beckinsale Kathrin Romany Beckinsale (born 26 July 1973) is an English actress and model. After some minor television roles, her film debut was ''Much Ado About Nothing'' (1993) while a student at the University of Oxford. She appeared in British costume ...

Damson Idris Damson Idris (born 2 September 1991) is a British-Nigerian actor. He currently stars on John Singleton's crime drama ''Snowfall'', which debuted 5 July 2017 on FX. He played the co-lead in Netflix's sci-fi action film '' Outside the Wire'' (202 ...

, and

Gugu Mbatha-Raw Gugulethu Sophia Mbatha-Raw (; born 21 April 1983) is a British actress who is known for her performances on stage and screen. In 2017 she was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for services to drama ...

. Genevieve Nnaji is also a women's activist. She advocates for Nigerian girls to be able to have a say in who they choose to marry. She is against early marriages for the girl child. She is strongly against the

abuse Abuse is the improper usage or treatment of a thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, crimes, or other t ...

of women in society. Genevieve says she is a strong advocate for social justice. Further, Genevieve Nnaji is a strong feminist. She states her type of

feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

is the woman who has the right to make her own choices and do whatever she feels like.

Modelling

Nnaji has featured in several commercials, including for Pronto (beverage) and Omo detergent. In 2004, she became the ''"Face of Lux"'' in Nigeria in a highly lucrative sponsorship deal. In 2008, Nnaji launched the clothing line "St. Genevieve", which donates its proceeds to charity. In May 2010, she was appointed to be the official ''"Face of

MUD A MUD (; originally multi-user dungeon, with later variants multi-user dimension and multi-user domain) is a Multiplayer video game, multiplayer Time-keeping systems in games#Real-time, real-time virtual world, usually Text-based game, text-bas ...

"'' in Nigeria.
/ref>

Awards and nominations

Nnaji has received several awards and nominations for her work, including the ''Best Actress of the Year'' Award at the 2001 City People Entertainment Awards, City People Awards and the ''Best Actress in a Leading Role'' Award at the 2005

s. In 2019, her movie, '' Lionheart'', was selected by the Nigerian Oscars Selection Committee (NOSC), as Nigeria's submission to the Best International Feature Film Category of the 2020 Oscars. It was the first film ever submitted to the Oscars by Nigeria. Subsequently, the oscar submission was cancelled for not meeting the language criteria. The film's dialogue track is predominantly in the English language. However, the Oscar rules since 2006 dictate that eligible movies must have a "Predominantly non-English dialogue track." This move was an attempt to open up more opportunities for films from diverse cultures. In a viral tweet on 4 November 2019, the Award-winning filmmaker

Ava DuVernay Ava Marie DuVernay (; born August 24, 1972) is an American filmmaker, television producer and former film publicist. She is a recipient of a Primetime Emmy Award, a NAACP Image Award, a BAFTA Film Award and a BAFTA TV Award, as well as a nominee ...

, had questioned the

Academy An academy ( Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy ...

's decision on nixing '' Lionheart'' Oscar race for using its official language — English. Nnaji, in response to Ava DuVernay's Tweet, took to Twitter to explain that the country

as presently constituted, does boast of over 500 languages, making it so ethnically diverse than English, as the

official language An official language is a language given supreme status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically the term "official language" does not refer to the language used by a people or country, but by its government (e.g. judiciary, ...

, can only be the language utilized to make the movie widely acceptable to the eclectic audience across the country, and even beyond the continent of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. In an article published by Culture writer and multiculturalism scholar- Kovie Biakolo titled ''Nigeria's Lion Heart Disqualification is Bigger than the Oscars'' on the ''

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...

'' opinion website; Kovie opined that "one cannot help but feel that Nigeria is ultimately being penalized for being a former British colony in using the very language that was imposed on its people, to communicate between them, and especially for art. Former French, Spanish and Portuguese colonies certainly don't have this problem. And in truth, the Academy may be demonstrating a short-sighted or surface-level understanding of its purported inclusivity in this category". She went further to criticize the Oscar board for allowing the nominations of British movies that were not done in English, which invariably is the Country's main language but did so in the case of Nigeria whose cultural diversity could be confounding yet true.

92nd Academy Awards (
Oscars The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
)

The 19th
Black Reel Awards The Black Reel Awards, or BRAs, is an annual American awards ceremony hosted by the Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film (FAAAF) to recognize excellence of African Americans, as well as the cinematic achievements of the Afr ...
(FAAAF)]

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...

, - , 2018 , Lionheart , Grolsch People's Choice Award , , -

Africa Movie Academy Awards The Africa Movie Academy Awards, popularly known as AMAA and The AMA Awards, is presented annually to recognize excellence among professionals working in, or non-African professionals who have contributed to, the African film industry. It was fou ...

, - ,

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

, , rowspan=3, Best Actress in Leading Role , , - ,

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, 30 Days/Keep My Will , , - ,

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

, Tango with Me , , -

Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards ''Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards'' (AMVCA) is an annual accolade presented by MultiChoice recognizing outstanding achievement in television and film. The inaugural Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards ceremony was held in Lagos, Lagos State ...

, - ,

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

, The Mirror Boy , rowspan=2, Best Actress Drama/TV Series , , - , rowspan=2,

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

, rowspan=2,

, , - , Best Movie West Africa , , -

Nigeria Entertainment Awards The Nigerian Entertainment Awards were established in New York City in January 2006. The awards recognize the contributions of African entertainers with a special focus on Nigerians. Ceremonies * 2006 Nigeria Entertainment Awards * 2007 Nigeria ...

, - ,

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

, , Best Actress , , - , rowspan=2,

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

Silent Scandals ''Silent Scandals'' is a 2009 Nigerian romantic drama film written and produced by Vivian Ejike and directed by T.K. Falope, It stars Genevieve Nnaji, Majid Michel, Chelsea Eze, Uche Jombo and Ebele Okaro-Onyiuke. Chelsea Eze won the ''Most Prom ...

, Best Actress Film/Short Story , , - , Guinness Ultimate Survivor , Best Actress TV Series , , - ,

, Tango with Me , Best Actress Film/Short Story , , - ,

, Doctor Bello , Best Actress in Leading Role , , - , 2014 ,

Half of a Yellow Sun ''Half of a Yellow Sun'' is a novel by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Published in 2006 by 4th Estate in London, the novel tells the story of the Biafran War through the perspective of the characters Olanna, Ugwu, and Richard. It rec ...

, Best Actress in Supporting Role , , - , rowspan=2,

, rowspan=2,

, Lead Actress in Film , , - , Best Picture ,

Nollywood Movies Awards The Nolly Awards, formerly the Nollywood Movies Awards, is an annual Nigerian film award presented by the Nollywood Movies TV to honour outstanding achievement in the Nigerian film industry. The inaugural edition was held at the Civic Center, La ...

, - , rowspan=2,

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

, Tango with Me , Best Actress Leading Role , , - , Herself , Viewers Choice- Female , , -

Ghana Movie Awards ''Ghana Movie Awards'' is an annual film award to recognise excellence in the Ghanaian film industry. The first edition was held on 25 December 2010 at the Accra International Conference Center. It’s only in 2017 that the ceremony wasn’t held ...

, - ,

, Best Actress-Africa Collaboration , , -

Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards ''Golden Icons Academy Awards (GIAMA)'' is an annual film award in the diaspora to reward outstanding contribution to the African film industry. The first edition was held in Houston, Texas, United States. The most recent ceremony was held in Staff ...

, - ,

, Herself , Best Actress- Viewers Choice , , -

Nollywood and African Film Critics Awards (NAFCA)

, - , 2013 ,

Weekend Getaway ''Weekend Getaway'' is a 2012 Nigerian romantic drama film directed by Desmond Elliot and starring Genevieve Nnaji, Ramsey Nouah, Monalisa Chinda, Ini Edo, Uti Nwachukwu, Alexx Ekubo, Bryan Okwara, Beverly Naya and Uru Eke. It received 11 nom ...

, Best Actress Leading Role , , -

Zulu African Film Academy Awards Zulu African Film Academy Awards, also known as ZAFAA Global Awards, is an annual ceremony that rewards African films in the diaspora. It has been held in London, United Kingdom since its inaugural edition in 2006. The 2015 and 2016 awards were ...

, - , 2011 , The Mirror Boy , Best Actress , , -

City People Entertainment Awards City People Entertainment Awards are an annual accolade presented by ''City People Magazine'' to honour Nigerian and Ghanaian entertainers. The first edition was held in Abeokuta, Ogun State on June 14, 2009. The event was hosted by Governor Gbe ...

, - , 2001 , Herself , Best Actress , , -

Best of Nollywood Awards Best of Nollywood Awards (stylised as BON Awards) is an annual film event presented by ''Best of Nollywood Magazine,'' honouring outstanding achievement in the Nigerian Movie Industry. The first edition was held on 6 December 2009, in Ikeja, Lag ...

, - ,

, rowspan=2, Best Actress-Leading Role , , - , rowspan=2,

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Bursting Out ''Bursting Out'' is a 1978 live double album by the rock band Jethro Tull. The concert was recorded at the Festhalle in Bern, Switzerland, on 28 May 1978 during the band's European Heavy Horses Tour in May/June of that year. A spelling err ...

, Best Kiss with

Majid Michel Majid Michel (born 22 September 1980) is a Ghanaian actor, model, television personality, evangelist and a humanitarian. He received nominations for '' Best Actor in a Leading Role'' at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2009, 2010, 2011, 201 ...

, , -

Filmography

Discography

* '' One Logologo Line'' (2004)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nnaji, Genevieve 1979 births Living people University of Lagos alumni Best Actress Africa Movie Academy Award winners Igbo actresses 20th-century Nigerian actresses 21st-century Nigerian actresses 21st-century Nigerian women singers Nigerian rhythm and blues musicians Actresses from Imo State Members of the Order of the Federal Republic People from Mbaise Methodist Girls' High School alumni Actresses from Lagos Nigerian women's rights activists Nigerian film directors Nigerian film producers Nigerian film actresses Nigerian media personalities Nigerian television personalities Nigerian television actresses Nigerian film award winners

Early life

Education

Career

Modelling

Awards and nominations

92nd Academy Awards (Oscars The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...)

The 19th Black Reel Awards The Black Reel Awards, or BRAs, is an annual American awards ceremony hosted by the Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film (FAAAF) to recognize excellence of African Americans, as well as the cinematic achievements of the Afr ... (FAAAF)]

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...

Africa Movie Academy Awards The Africa Movie Academy Awards, popularly known as AMAA and The AMA Awards, is presented annually to recognize excellence among professionals working in, or non-African professionals who have contributed to, the African film industry. It was fou ...

Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards ''Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards'' (AMVCA) is an annual accolade presented by MultiChoice recognizing outstanding achievement in television and film. The inaugural Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards ceremony was held in Lagos, Lagos State ...

Nigeria Entertainment Awards The Nigerian Entertainment Awards were established in New York City in January 2006. The awards recognize the contributions of African entertainers with a special focus on Nigerians. Ceremonies * 2006 Nigeria Entertainment Awards * 2007 Nigeria ...

Nollywood Movies Awards The Nolly Awards, formerly the Nollywood Movies Awards, is an annual Nigerian film award presented by the Nollywood Movies TV to honour outstanding achievement in the Nigerian film industry. The inaugural edition was held at the Civic Center, La ...

Ghana Movie Awards ''Ghana Movie Awards'' is an annual film award to recognise excellence in the Ghanaian film industry. The first edition was held on 25 December 2010 at the Accra International Conference Center. It’s only in 2017 that the ceremony wasn’t held ...

Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards ''Golden Icons Academy Awards (GIAMA)'' is an annual film award in the diaspora to reward outstanding contribution to the African film industry. The first edition was held in Houston, Texas, United States. The most recent ceremony was held in Staff ...

Nollywood and African Film Critics Awards (NAFCA)

Zulu African Film Academy Awards Zulu African Film Academy Awards, also known as ZAFAA Global Awards, is an annual ceremony that rewards African films in the diaspora. It has been held in London, United Kingdom since its inaugural edition in 2006. The 2015 and 2016 awards were ...

City People Entertainment Awards City People Entertainment Awards are an annual accolade presented by ''City People Magazine'' to honour Nigerian and Ghanaian entertainers. The first edition was held in Abeokuta, Ogun State on June 14, 2009. The event was hosted by Governor Gbe ...

Best of Nollywood Awards Best of Nollywood Awards (stylised as BON Awards) is an annual film event presented by ''Best of Nollywood Magazine,'' honouring outstanding achievement in the Nigerian Movie Industry. The first edition was held on 6 December 2009, in Ikeja, Lag ...

Filmography

Discography

See also

References

External links

92nd Academy Awards (
Oscars The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
)

The 19th
Black Reel Awards The Black Reel Awards, or BRAs, is an annual American awards ceremony hosted by the Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film (FAAAF) to recognize excellence of African Americans, as well as the cinematic achievements of the Afr ...
(FAAAF)]