Will Michael Wawuyo bring the Award home?

By Sebidde Kiryowa
 

The 2nd Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCAs) gets under way this Saturday March 8, in Lagos, Nigeria; and Ugandan stage and screen actor, Michael Wawuyo is up for the Make Up Artiste of the Year award for the movie Felista’s Fable, by Ugandan filmmaker and a social activist Dilman Dila.
 

Last year, actor Mathew Nabwiso won for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama. Will Wawuyo replicate Nabwiso’s success? Judging by his work on Felista’s Fable, we have a good reason to be optimistic.
 

Felista’s Fable rotates around Felista (Veronica Namanda), a cursed woman who stinks so much no one can come close to her. She consequently separates from her family and lives a forlorn life as an outcast in an abandoned house until Kuku (Michael Wawuyo), a witch-doctor, finds a solution.
 

She would need a man who is a cry-baby to fend off the smell from the nasty odour. Felista is hesitant to adopt the solution largely because she does not want another person to live through the pain that she has, but she so badly wants to reunite with her husband and child. So, she kidnaps Dan (Isaac Kudzu), a 35-year-old virgin who still stays with his mother (Joanita Bewulira Wandera) and is desperate to marry.
 

However, Dan recently got a job that makes him very rich. This attracts the attention of Kate (Tibba Murungi), a gold-digger he has wooed for a long time, and that of a corrupt cop, Jomba (Gerald Rutaro), who frames him for murder in an extortion scheme.
 

As Felista races against time to deliver Dan to the witch-doctor and win back her husband’s love, it turns into a high-energy chase with a voluptuous Kate and a trigger-happy Jomba hot on her tail.
 

Meanwhile, organisers announced recently that the AMVCAs will be hosted by three three prominent TV personalities – Big Brother host IK Osakioduwa (Nigeria), Osas Ighodaro (Nollywood actress) and Vimbai Mutinhiri (Former Big Brother Amplified housemate from Zimbabwe), all of whom are part of AfricaMagic’s onscreen family. Like the Oscars, Ugandans will be able to watch the awards live DStv.
 

“IK and Vimbai did a tremendous job of hosting the inaugural AMVCAs. We are confident that with the addition of Osas, this dynamic team will once more keep this exciting and fast-paced live event running smoothly. With more viewer voted categories, the launch of the New Era Award and a sensational new stage, the latest edition of these awards should be bigger and better,” M-Net Africa’s Managing Director of Special Projects Biola Alabi told the media earlier this month.
 

TV personality Denrele Edun will be working the red carpet as only he can! With a galaxy of African film and TV stars expected to attend the glittering industry showcase, the clock is ticking in the countdown to the 2014 AMVCAs.
 

“Everyone in the industry takes these awards very seriously. People see them not only as transparent, but as trustworthy. The mileage the show attracts makes it a blessing to be nominated, let alone win. Also, one of my favourite categories is the Trailblazer Award, the continent’s first simultaneous look at new and developing talents. Plus, one of the things I loved last year was seeing the really glamorous outfits,” says IK.
 

In total, 29 awards in 27 categories will be awarded with the recipients of the Industry Merit Award, the New Era Award and the TrailBlazer Award also to be announced.

This year, there are 137 nominations from across 80 productions vying for awards. Fans had until March 3 to vote for their favourites in the nine viewer-voted via the website.