“People who do these awards have targets”- Actor Jidekene Achufusi on AMVCA snub for best actor

Renowned Nigerian actor Jidekene Achufusi, often known as Swanky JKA, has lately spoken out about being overlooked for nominations in the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) 2024.

Swanky JKA, known for his portrayal as Emeka Judah in Funke Akindele’s film “A Tribe Called Judah,” was not included in the March nominations announcement, despite the actress and another co-star, Timini Egbuson, receiving nods.

During a recent interview with Arise TV, Jidekene stated that prizes should not be the main motivator for creative professionals.

When asked how he felt about being left off the list, Jidekene reacted peacefully.

“Well, experience teaches you that everytime there is always going to be a generational shift. Sometimes, the people who do these awards have targets. It could be, ‘Let’s make sure we bring on new people or let’s make sure the veterans know that we see them.’”

“It could also be, ‘Last year we went that way, this year let’s go this way.’ I don’t know what they think about when they make the selections that they make. But I do believe that collectively, there would always be news about whatever selections that they made.

“So my advice would be, it is a win-win for everybody. Whatever your motivations are, it shouldn’t be limited to awards because at the end of the day, if you made good films or you are getting better roles than you did last year, you are winning. And our real focus is to feed the Nigerian film market. Not necessarily about who is where or who is not where.”