adminMelissa Mpofu Showbiz Editor
Talented TV host, Vimbai Mutinhiri’s star will once again shine tonight when she co-hosts the African edition of the Oscars – the AfricaMagic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCAs) for the second year in a row.Launched last year, the awards which will be held in Lagos, Nigeria to celebrate and reward the bright minds in film-making on a continental level and will be beamed live at 8pm on DStv AfricaMagic Channel 151.
TV personality Denrele Edun will once again host the red carpet show where he will chat with some of Africa’s biggest stars as they walk into the awards venue.
Twenty-eight awards in 26 categories will be awarded tonight. Though no Zimbabwean production or actor was nominated for the awards, Zimbabwe will be well represented by Mutinhiri who will retain her hosting duties after a successful show last year. The StarGist host will once again be joined by the talented Big Brother Africa (BBA) host, IK Osakioduwa and actress Osas Ighodaro.
Mutinhiri’s star continues to rise following the breakthrough she experienced when she took part in BBA in 2011. Besides being the co-host of Star Gist, an entertainment magazine show aired daily on Africa Magic, Mutinhiri has hosted major African events and landed movie roles.
Speaking from her Johannesburg base, Mutinhiri who is quite passionate about the entertainment industry said she was ecstatic to be hosting the AMVCAs for the second time.
“I’m excited about hosting the awards for the second year in a row. I have grown a lot in the past and I am looking forward to using this as another platform to spread my wings even wider.”
Osakioduwa said he was looking forward to hosting the awards with Mutinhiri again and promised a more polished experience this time.
“Vimbai and I are different people and we bring that through our personalities, which makes it great for a varied viewership. That said, I love the way Vimbai does her bit, she really knows how to work the crowd and we feed well off each other.
“Osas is also a friend and that helps with our chemistry on the live stage. We plan to misbehave this year. We are not going to be afraid or excessively respectful. We are just going to have fun,” he said.
The AMVCAs are fast becoming the most prestigious movie awards and a highlight on the continent’s entertainment calendar. Faces to look out for at the awards ceremony will include popular actors and actresses Desmond Elliot, Kate Henshaw, Rita Dominic, Majid Michel, Nkiru Sylvanus, Tamara Eteimo, John Okafor, Osita Oheme, Chinedu Ikedzie, Funke Akindele, Jackie Appiah and Uche Jombo who were all shortlisted in the different categories.
AfricaMagic this year announced a new category The New Era Award, which will recognise and honour individuals who have made significant contribution to creating a new era for African film and television. Nominees in this category are: Desmond Elliot, Kate Henshaw, Rita Dominic, Rukky Sanda and Uche Jombo.
M-Net Africa Managing Director Biola Alabi urged those who were nominated to use their nominations as a source of future motivation.
“We are so impressed by these skilled persons whose value to Africa must be recognised and honoured. We send all the nominees our best wishes for the awards but want to also remind them that their nomination is an acknowledgement of the remarkable work they have done and are continuing to do in creating compelling African entertainment.”
This year, viewers had the power to select winners for nine categories by voting via SMS or online while winners in the other 18 technically focused categories were selected by an expert panel of judges.
Online Reporter