# Genevieve Nnaji

Genevieve Nnaji// (/ˈnɑːdʒi/; born 3 May 1979) is a Nigerian actress, producer, and director. She won the Africa Movie Academy Award 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 by the Nigerian government for her contributions to Nollywood. Her directorial debut movie, Lionheart, is the first Netflix film from Nigeria and the first Nigerian submission for the Oscars. 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 the publisher and editor in chief of Yes International! magazine, Azuh Arinze.

## Early life

Nnaji was born in Mbaise, Imo State, located in the southeast region of Nigeria and grew up in Lagos, southwest Nigeria. 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, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in creative arts. While at the university, she began auditioning for acting jobs in Nollywood.

## 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. It was 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 Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA) for Best Actress in a Leading Role, becoming the first actress to win the award.
In 2009, Nnaji was one of the best-paid female actor in Nollywood. 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 recognised 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 of Africa by Oprah Winfrey.
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.
In January 2018, it was reported that Nnaji 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 Netflix, making it the first Netflix original film from Nigeria. The movie had its world premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, alongside Farming, the Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje's autobiographical directorial debut where she starred in alongside Kate Beckinsale, Damson Idris and Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
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 advocates against the abuse of women in society. Furthermore, Nnaji is a strong feminist. She states her type of feminism 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 Pronto (beverage) and Omo detergent. In 2004, she became the "Face of Lux" 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.

## 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 Awards and the Best Actress in a Leading Role Award at the 2005 Africa Movie Academy Awards.
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 Oscars submission was cancelled for not meeting the language criteria. The film's dialogue track was 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'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 Nigeria as presently constituted, does boast of over 500 languages, making it so ethnically diverse that English, as the official language, can only be the language utilised to make the movie widely acceptable to the eclectic audience across the country, and even beyond the continent of Africa.
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 penalised 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 criticise 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)

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2020 | Genevieve Nnaji / LionHeart | Best International Feature Film | Disqualified |

### The 19th Black Reel Awards (FAAAF)]

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2019 | Lionheart | Outstanding Foreign Film / World Cinema Motion Picture | Won |

### Toronto International Film Festival

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2018 | Lionheart | Grolsch People's Choice Award | Nominated |

### Africa Movie Academy Awards

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2005 | | Best Actress in Leading Role | Won |
| 2008 | 30 Days/Keep My Will | Best Actress in Leading Role | Nominated |
| 2011 | Tango with Me | Best Actress in Leading Role | Nominated |

### Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2013 | The Mirror Boy | Best Actress Drama/TV Series | Nominated |
| 2016 | Road to Yesterday | Best Actress Drama/TV Series | Nominated |
| 2016 | Road to Yesterday | Best Movie West Africa | Won |

### Nigeria Entertainment Awards

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2009 | | Best Actress | Nominated |
| 2010 | Silent Scandals | Best Actress Film/Short Story | Nominated |
| 2010 | Guinness Ultimate Survivor | Best Actress TV Series | Won |
| 2011 | Tango with Me | Best Actress Film/Short Story | Nominated |
| 2013 | Doctor Bello | Best Actress in Leading Role | Nominated |
| 2014 | Half of a Yellow Sun | Best Actress in Supporting Role | Won |
| 2016 | Road to Yesterday | Lead Actress in Film | Nominated |
| 2016 | Road to Yesterday | Best Picture | Nominated |

### Nollywood Movies Awards

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2012 | Tango with Me | Best Actress Leading Role | Nominated |
| 2012 | Herself | Viewers Choice- Female | Won |

### Ghana Movie Awards

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2010 | Silent Scandals | Best Actress-Africa Collaboration | Won |

### Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2012 | Herself | Best Actress- Viewers Choice | Nominated |

### Nollywood and African Film Critics Awards (NAFCA)

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2013 | Weekend Getaway | Best Actress Leading Role | Won |

### Zulu African Film Academy Awards

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2011 | The Mirror Boy | Best Actress | Won |

### City People Entertainment Awards

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2001 | Herself | Best Actress | Won |

### Best of Nollywood Awards

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2010 | Silent Scandals | Best Actress-Leading Role | Nominated |
| 2011 | The Mirror Boy | Best Actress-Leading Role | Nominated |
| 2011 | Bursting Out | Best Kiss with Majid Michel | Won |

## Filmography

| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1987 | Ripples | | |
| 1998 | Most Wanted | Reporter | with Williams Cajethan |
| 1999 | Camouflage | | with Ramsey Nouah |
| 2001 | Love Boat | Bimbo | with Ramsey Nouah |
| 2001 | Death Warrant | Anita | with Emeka Ike & Eucharia-Anunobi Ekwu |
| 2002 | Valentino | Doris | with Ramsey Nouah |
| 2002 | Fire Dancer | Nene | with Zack Orji and Chidi Mokeme |
| 2002 | Sharon Stone | Sharon Stone | with Funke Akindele |
| 2002 | Runs! | Adesua | with Gorgina Onuoha |
| 2002 | Power of Love | Juliet | with Ramsey Nouah, Grace Amah |
| 2002 | Formidable Force | Nike | with Gorgina Onuoha & Hanks Anuku |
| 2002 | Battle Line | | with Ramsey Nouah & Pete Edochie |
| 2003 | Above Death: In God We Trust | | with Pete Edochie, Kate Henshaw-Nuttal, Ramsey Nouah, & Zack Orji |
| 2003 | Blood Sister | Esther | with Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde & Tony Umez |
| 2003 | Break Up | | with Ramsey Nouah |
| 2003 | Butterfly | | with Ramsey Nouah |
| 2003 | By His Grace | | with Tony Umez |
| 2003 | Church Business | | with Ramsey Nouah & Segun Arinze |
| 2003 | Deadly Mistake | | |
| 2003 | Emergency Wedding | Joy | with Tony Umez |
| 2003 | Emotional Tears | Helen | |
| 2003 | For Better for Worse | | |
| 2003 | Honey | | with Ramsey Nouah & Pete Edochie |
| 2003 | Jealous Lovers | Chioma | |
| 2003 | Keeping Faith: Is That Love? | | with Richard Mofe-Damijo |
| 2003 | Last Weekend | | with Ramsey Nouah |
| 2003 | Late Marriage | | |
| 2003 | Love | Anita | with Richard Mofe-Damijo & Segun Arinze |
| 2003 | My Only Love | Angela | with Ramsey Nouah |
| 2003 | Not Man Enough | | |
| 2003 | Passion & Pain | Maureen | with Ramsey Nouah & Desmond Elliot |
| 2003 | Passions | | with Stella Damasus-Aboderin & Richard Mofe-Damijo |
| 2003 | Player: Mr. Lover Man | | |
| 2003 | Private Sin | Faith | with Stephanie Okereke, Richard Mofe-Damijo, & Patience Ozokwor |
| 2003 | Sharon Stone in Abuja | Sharon Stone | |
| 2003 | Super Love | Amaka | with Ramsey Nouah & Pete Edochie |
| 2003 | The Chosen One | | |
| 2003 | Women Affair | Brenda | |
| 2004 | Bumper to Bumper | | with Georgina Onuoha |
| 2004 | Critical Decision | | with Richard Mofe-Damijo, Stephanie Okereke, & Mike Ezuruonye |
| 2004 | Dangerous Sister | Judith | with Tony Umez & Dakore Egbuson |
| 2004 | Goodbye New York | | with Rita Dominic |
| 2004 | He Lives in Me | Sheila | |
| 2004 | Into Temptation | | with Ramsey Nouah |
| 2004 | My First Love | | with Tony Umez |
| 2004 | Never Die for Love | Flora | |
| 2004 | Promise Me Forever | Sylvia | with Stephanie Okereke |
| 2004 | Stand by Me | Franca | with Nkechi Abuah Stella Chikereuba, and Dozie Eboh |
| 2004 | Treasure | | with Chide Ihesie, David Ihesie, and Ofia Afuluagu Mbaka |
| 2004 | Unbreakable | Nkechi | with Ramsey Nouah |
| 2004 | We Are One | Nora | with Stella Damasus-Aboderin |
| 2005 | Darkest Night | | with Richard Mofe-Damijo & Segun Arinze |
| 2005 | Games Women Play | Candace | with Stella Damasus-Aboderin, Desmond Elliot, & Zack Orji |
| 2005 | Rip-Off | Hellen | with Ramsey Nouah |
| 2006 | Girls Cot | Queen | with Rita Dominic & Ini Edo |
| 2006 | 30 Days | Chinora Onu | with Segun Arinze – this film received 10 nominations at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2008, including Best Picture, Best Art Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Edit, Best Costumes, and Best Sound |
| 2007 | Letters to a Stranger | Jemima Lawal | with Yemi Blaq, Joke Silva, and Segun Arinze |
| 2007 | Keep My Will | Vivian | with Bukky Ajayi, Eric Erico, Chioma Anidiobi |
| 2007 | Warrior's Heart | Ihuoma | with Ozo Akubueze, Chikamso Chiawa, and Nick Eleh |
| 2007 | Unfinished Business | Nkem | with Patience Ozokwor, Desmond Elliot |
| 2007 | Winds of Glory | Juliana | with Desmond Elliot, Ofia Afuluagu Mbaka |
| 2008 | Beautiful Soul | Olivia | this film received 3 Africa Movie Academy Award nominations for Best Screenplay, Best Soundtrack, and Heart of Africa |
| 2008 | Broken Tears | Yvonne | with Van Vicker, Kate Henshaw-Nuttal and Grace Amah |
| 2008 | Critical Condition | Ify | with Chidi Mokeme, Priscilla Williamson |
| 2008 | River of Tears | Yvonne | with Kate Henshaw-Nuttal, Van Vicker, and Grace Amah |
| 2008 | My Idol | | with Stan K. Amandi, Yemi Blaq |
| 2008 | Love My Way | Kayla | with Jim Iyke, Kalu Ikeagwu |
| 2009 | Silent Scandals | Jessie | with Majid Michel & Uche Jombo |
| 2009 | Felicima | Felicima | with Alex Lopez |
| 2010 | Ijé: The Journey | Chioma Opara | with Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Odalys García, & Clem Ohameze |
| 2010 | Tango with me | Lola | with Joke Silva & Joseph Benjamin |
| 2010 | Bursting Out | Zara Williams | with Majid Michel, Nse Ikpe-Etim, Omoni Oboli, & Desmond Elliot |
| 2010 | Mirror Boy | Teema | with Osita Iheme |
| 2011 | Sacred Lies | Isabella | with Olu Jacobs, Desmond Elliot, & Nadia Buari |
| 2012 | Weekend Getaway | | with Ramsey Nouah, Ini Edo, Monalisa Chinda |
| 2013 | Half of a Yellow Sun | Ms. Adebayo | with Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Onyeka Onwenu, and OC Ukeje |
| 2013 | Doctor Bello | Doctor Eniola | with Isaiah Washington, Vivica A. Fox, Justus Esiri, and Stephanie Okereke |
| 2014 | The Truth with Olisa | Guest | TV series |
| 2015 | Road to Yesterday | Victoria | with Oris Erhuero and Majid Michel |
| 2018 | Lionheart | Adaeze | Also the Director and Writer |
| 2018 | Farming | Tolu | Supporting Actress |
| 2021 | FELA! Ten-Twenty | Sewaa-Kuti Kalakuta Queen | With Ajala Aliu, Comfort Dangana, Adeola Adebari |

## Discography

* One Logologo Line (2004)