Entries for Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards will open tomorrow. Courtesy Photo
In the past, the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCAs) have always been announcing open calls at the beginning of October.
Then they would welcome filmmakers with work that fell in a certain eligible period to submit movies for possible nomination.
Much as many Ugandans have been lucky to have their works showcased on the different DSTV platforms like the Africa Magic franchise or even Maisha Magic, the awards and nominations have never responded the same way.
For instance, since the inception of the awards in 2013, only Mathew Nabwiso, has been lucky enough to win an accolade for his a performance in Matt Bish’s A Good Catholic Girl.
Other Ugandans like Joseph Ssebagala, Hassan Mageye and Nana Kagga have had works nominated but lost.
This though has never dampened the mood of Ugandans being part of the show that when October passed without a call, there were worries that like Channel O and MTV’s MAMAs, the AMVCAs were gone.
However, in a communication made at the beginning of the year, Efosa Aiyevbomwan, Africa Magic’s head of publicity told media that the reason there was no call was basically because there was no broadcast date for the awards.
Talking to Channel24, Aiyevbomwan noted that since the awards always happen in March and yet they were getting ready for the return of Big Brother Naija in January and later the world cup in June, the programs “would clash with the planning, execution and broadcast of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, a decision has been taken to move the awards to the latter part of 2018.”
True to their word, last week, Africa Magic announced the prestigious awards will be held on September 1 in Nigeria.
With works like Mageye’s Devil’s Chest, about war lord Joseph Kony, Bish’s Bella staring songstress Cindy or the Nabwisos’ Rain, there’s anticipation that Uganda may at least pull off more than a nomination this time round.
To cater for the time lag, the eligibility period has been increased and thus films or TV series submitted must have been made between October 1 2016 – March 31 2018.
The entries will be open tomorrow till April 30.