For fast-rising filmmakers, the Trailblazer Award from the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), presented by MultiChoice, is the ultimate recognition in Nollywood. This revered title is dedicated to remarkable, promising actors, actresses, and filmmakers with undeniable talent. The award is not merely about their current work but also their potential for future success. Trailblazer winners are stars in the making, with a trajectory that suggests long-term success and influence.
Decoding The Trailblazer Award
Following Chimezie Imo’s win this year, this category has sparked more curiosity and interest. To understand this category better, we spoke to some culture journalists who weighed on the purpose and need for the Trailblazer Award.
Samson Toromade, the Editor-in-Chief at Pulse, believes the award is reserved for the best rising filmmaker of each year. “It’s like a best newcomer award. It’s recognition for rising filmmakers starting to make waves. They may not have done enough to win in a major category like Best Actor, but it is enough of a recognition that signifies that the industry noticed them. It’s a nod that says you have arrived,” he stated.
Jerry Chiemeke, writer-journalist, critically acclaimed author, and film critic, sees the Trailblazer Award as a recognition of a wonderful blend of talent and promise. “It acknowledges filmmakers for displaying skill and also holding out hope for a stellar, successful career in the near and distant future,” he explained. “It’s saying this person is extremely good at what they do, and they will even be better in the coming years. It can be compared to the Next Rated at the Headies, which means they’re not some rising star or someone showing a bit of promise, but they clearly stand out at a very early stage and have a fledgling career in store. It kind of puts a halo on you, saying you’re doing something great. It’s like a compass that points to the winner and says, they are already shining and will shine even brighter.”
While this award is a great achievement to aspire for, Chiemeke notes that it does come with weighty expectations. “It can be a bit of a poisoned chalice because there is that unspoken pressure where this person has to ensure their career takes off. If they do not evolve or they don’t explode as expected within the years that follow, it can be quite depressing, so it’s a bit of a gift and a curse,” he added.
To gain a deeper understanding of the entire award ceremony and history, we also contacted the event organisers for additional details, but our questions remain unanswered as of this publication.
Unlike the rest of the categories, where nominees are announced in advance, the criteria for determining who qualifies for this award is solely at the jury’s discretion, adding an element of intrigue to the process. Curious about the process for an award without nominations, we spoke to some past winners. To our surprise, they revealed that they were completely unaware of their impending victory and were even lured into attending the award ceremony under false pretences.
Describing her moment, 2014 Trailblazer Michelle Bello said, “I didn’t know about the Trailblazer category at all. I was focused on my movie [Flower Girl], which was nominated for another category. I was chilling in my seat with my mom and one of my actress friends. The next thing I knew, my friend said, ‘Michelle, go up, go up, you won.’ Then I looked up on stage and saw my name. It was so surreal. It all happened so quickly. I gave a speech. I can’t even remember what I said. The whole night was just really special to me.”
Like Michelle, Kemi Lala Akindoju, producer of recent streaming hitters like Gangs of Lagos and The Black Book, was also caught off guard. In her case, she was asked to attend to present an award [Best Costume Design with Mai Atafo] but emerged as the trailblazer. She shed some light on the process leading up to the award ceremony, saying, “They had me in Eko Signature, and I remember thinking the treatment was quite nice. They also told me I was going to be one of the people to be interviewed on the red carpet, which is a live broadcast.”
On the day of the main event, Lala did her red carpet interview, sat with Yolande Okereke, her date, and waited to be called to present the Best Costume award. The moment never came; instead, she became a Trailblazer in a series of events she couldn’t have foreseen. Reminiscing her win, she said, “The Best Costume is one of the early categories, but the trailblazer and lifetime achievement awards are towards the end. So, I started to think I had been replaced as a presenter when no one came to call me. Then I saw my mentor, Akin Omotoso, onstage, about to present the Trailblazer award. They would get somebody who meant something to the award recipients at the time. They had tried to get Joke Silva, but she was out of town, so she told them to get Omotoso. Then, he started reading the winner’s profile. I didn’t clock it immediately until I heard them say the winner had been in over 70 stageplays. That’s when I started saying, ‘Yolanda, it’s me, it’s me.’ When I went on stage, I remember saying, ‘You lied to me, you were lying’. Yolanda styled me, so I was wearing this red ball gown, and it felt like I came dressed ready. I won, and I got a car. It was amazing. It was definitely an announcement to Africa and the world.”
Lala expressed the profound significance of this award, revealing that it was a turning point in her career, helping to dispel her doubts and validate her work. “I won the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in 2015 and this Trailblazer Award in 2016, the two biggest awards in Africa. To get them within the space of six months made me feel seen. It has been one of my biggest motivations across my journey, a reminder to never settle for less and never be ordinary,” she shared with pride.
2017 Trailblazer Somkele Iyamah-Idhalama, who had earned a nomination in another category, didn’t see it coming either. Like Lala, she was asked to present an award, then blindsided by the Trailblazer award. She revealed, “Shortly before the category I was nominated in, I was asked to come onstage to present an award that Funke Akindele won. While I was backstage, my category got called up, but I didn’t win it. It was a bit awkward going on stage to present the comedy award, but it was great because I felt like I could finally breathe and have fun. Then I returned to my seat; Lala came on stage and started describing the winner. I remember thinking, ‘Wow, that’s an interesting person’ before wondering why it sounded familiar. When the winner was announced, I didn’t realise my name was being called out. I was like, ‘Oh my God. Oh my God.’ Then all the nerves came. I was really shocked. If you look at my trajectory, you wouldn’t typically get that kind of accolade or recognition that early. So, like I said on stage that night, it was God.”
2023 Trailblazer Angel Unigwe, the youngest ever, was told she would present an award but almost didn’t make it because she was late. Encouraged by her mother, she made it just in time to win her award. “They were already done with the red carpet and about two or three minutes into the main show. I got there, and I received the greatest shock of my life. That was the highlight of my year. I couldn’t believe it. It was such an intense moment. It meant everything to me, my family and my craft,” she remarked.
So far, the award has gone to Ivie Okujaye (2013), Michelle Bello (2014), C.J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi (2015), Kemi Lala Akindoju (2016), Somkele Iyamah-Idhalama (2017), Bisola Aiyeola (2018), Jide Kene Achufusi aka Swanky JKA (2020), Teniola Aladese (2022), Angel Unigwe (2023) and this year, Chimezie Imo (2024).
Trailblazer or Consolation Prize?
The Trailblazer Award has come under fire in recent years, with critics arguing that it functions as a participation trophy for those who fall short of the top acting award. As a culture journalist, who prefers to remain anonymous, puts it, “The trailblazer award is the AMVCA’s way of rewarding someone doing something great but may not be the best actor, actress, or director in that particular year. It’s a wild card, a category for people who may not be as popular. This way, they will still be awarded for having an amazing year.”
This perception is further fueled by the fact that the criteria for the Trailblazer Award are shrouded in mystery, left solely to the jury’s discretion. This lack of transparency is evident in the absence of nominee announcements for this category, with the winner revealed at the ceremony.
This controversy has resurfaced with this year’s recipient, Chimezie, who was nominated for the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Choke in 2023 but lost to Tobi Bakre. This year, many felt his compelling performance in Prime Video’s original Breath of Life should have earned him recognition in the same category. This raises the question: why can’t an actor win an award in another category alongside the trailblazer? What happens when excellence takes multiple forms?
Transparency could be key to dispelling the criticism surrounding the Trailblazer Award. By making the selection rules clear, specific, and available to the public, similar to the other categories, the AMVCAs can ensure the award is seen as a true mark of distinction. From screenwriters/directors like C.J. to actors/producers like Lala, trailblazers often demonstrate a remarkable breadth of talent. This versatility makes them deserving of recognition in established categories as well as the Trailblazer award. By embracing the multifaceted nature of trailblazers, the AMVCAs will have a necessary, more nuanced picture of talent and excellence.
What Comes After Winning The Trailblazer Award?
Our conversations with the winners reveal a spectrum of post-Trailblazer Award experiences, ranging from those basking in the glow of the spotlight to others navigating a different path filled with unspoken expectations.
For Michelle, it has been a positive and thrilling journey. She said, “A year or two after I won, Africa Magic reached out to me for a movie project. I have put it on my profile, alongside the projects I’ve done. It’s really nice for Africa Magic to recognise people in the industry who are doing great work. It means a lot.”
Angel echoes a similar sentiment, emphasising that the award does come with visibility and credibility. “Winning this award has highlighted my journey of 14–15 years as an actor in the industry. Winning this award has been a blessing. People got to know who I am. I got a lot of calls from producers,” she commented.
However, she noted that the award does come with some pressure. Revealing how she deals with this pressure, she stated, “When you’re in this position, everybody wants to know what you will do next. There’s the pressure of living up to that title. Right now, I’m on the path to finding my balance as an actor and producer. I produced two films on YouTube this year. I’m basically exploring.”
In Lala’s case, the award did not immediately open doors. In fact, she has not had a leading role since that year. “I think many people think it’s automatic, that once you win the award, everything is upwards and onwards. Nine out of 10 times, there’s a huge period of silence after in terms of actual work; there’s all the noise, the pressure, all of that, but honestly, it’s not like directors started calling me left, right, and centre. It didn’t come like that. After I did Dazzling Mirage in terms of being the lead, I haven’t been in a leading role till date,” she admitted.
However, she revealed that winning the award set the tone for her and lit a fire in her. She stated emphatically, “The good thing is that my outlook on everything is different. So, winning the award just told me I had work to do. I wasn’t waiting for anybody to hand me anything. I had registered my company at the time. I had produced The V-Monologues. I was already thinking about creating work and making things happen; my company is even called The Make It Happen Productions Company. So, I just focused on honing my skills, learning, and consuming the work of people I was modeling my career after.”
Years later, she has lived up to the promise of her Trailblazer award, standing out as a thespian, drama instructor, casting director, and producer of several movies.
Despite the potential pressure it may bring, the uncertainty about its requirements and the backlash, the Trailblazer Award remains a significant milestone for Nollywood creatives. It is not just about the immediate recognition but the transformative impact on the recipients. The true legacy of the Trailblazer Award lies in empowering a new wave of filmmakers and actors to embrace their individuality, emboldening them to experiment and live up to all they can be.
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