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 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, the ...

. 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 ...

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! ''Yes International!'' is a Nigerian daily soft sell magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories published by Azuh Arinze. History ''Yes International!'' was founded by Azuh Arinze in 2011 after he exited as the ed ...

'' 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 state in the 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 name from the Imo River which flows al ...

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 second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 fo ...

. 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 si ...

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 ...

. 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 ''One Logologo Line'' is the debut album by Nollywood actress Genevieve Nnaji. It was released on December 11, 2004, by EKB Records. Track listing # "Ma Bre'Wo" (featuring Obour) # "Thinking of You" (featuring Kojo Antwi Kojo Antwi, also known ...

''. It is a mix of R&B, Hip-Hop, and Urban music. 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 th ...

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'', b ...

. In November 2015, Nnaji produced her first movie called '' Road to Yesterday'', 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, 20 ...

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

, 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 peopl ...

'', 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 The lux (symbol: lx) is the unit of illuminance, or luminous flux per unit area, in the International System of Units (SI). It is equal to one lumen per square metre. In photometry, this is used as a measure of the intensity, as perceived by ...

"'' 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"'' in Nigeria.
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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, 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 philosop ...

'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'' 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 (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 perman ...

, - , 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 discover ...

, , 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 celebrates ...

, Tango with Me , , -

Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards ''Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards'' (AMVCA) is an annual accolade presented by MultiChoice MultiChoice is a South African company that operates DStv, a major satellite television service in Sub-Saharan Africa and GOtv, a minor service op ...

, - ,

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 fa ...

The Mirror Boy ''The Mirror Boy'' is a 2011 Nigerian fantasy adventure drama film written and directed by Obi Emelonye, produced by Patrick Campbell and starring Genevieve Nnaji, Osita Iheme and Edward Kagutuzi. The film which was shot in England and the Ga ...

, 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 of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

, rowspan=2, Road to Yesterday , , - , 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; Protests ...

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

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

Doctor Bello ''Doctor Bello'' is a 2013 Nigerian adventure drama film directed by Tony Abulu starring Isaiah Washington, Vivica A. Fox, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Genevieve Nnaji, Stephanie Okereke, Justus Esiri, Ebbe Bassey and Jon Freda. Cast *Isaiah Washington *V ...

, Best Actress in Leading Role , , - ,

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...

, Half of a Yellow Sun , Best Actress in Supporting Role , , - , rowspan=2,

, rowspan=2, Road to Yesterday , 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 gat ...

, 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 ...

, - ,

, Silent Scandals , 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 , 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 A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic pl ...

, - , 2011 ,

, 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 ...

, - ,

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

, , - , Bursting Out , Best Kiss with Majid Michel , , -

Filmography

Discography

* ''

'' (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 (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 perman ...

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 MultiChoice is a South African company that operates DStv, a major satellite television service in Sub-Saharan Africa and GOtv, a minor service op ...

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 A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic pl ...

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 ...
)