Popular
Photo by Jeff Schear/Getty Images for Comedy Central

revor Noah on The Daily Show Undesked Chicago 2017: Lets Do This Before It Gets Too Damn Cold Comedy Centrals The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.

Here are the 2021 NAACP Image Awards Nominees

Trevor Noah, Yvonne Orji, Dayo Okeniyi, Issa Rae, Idris Elba, the late Chadwick Boseman and more have been nominated at the 52nd NAACP Image Awards.

The NAACP Image Awards have released the 2021 nominations list ahead of the award ceremony which will take place at the end of March. The nominations were virtually announced Tuesday on the NAACP Image Awards' Instagram. Trevor Noah, the late Chadwick Boseman, Issa Rae, Beyonce, Viola Davis, Regina King are just some of the amazing talent who have made list. Nigerian actors Yvonne Orji, Dayo Okeniyi and Folake Olowofoyeku have also bagged nominee spots.


Read: Lupita Nyong'o, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Wizkid & More Bag NAACP Image Awards

South Africa's Trevor Noah has reportedly been nominated for "Entertainer of the Year" for hosting the Daily Show. Noah is nominated alongside Regina King, Viola Davis, Tyler Perry and D-Nice. According to Variety, King, Davis and Perry have previously been nominated and neither have won the highly acclaimed award. The late Chadwick Boseman is nominated in "Outstanding Supporting Actor" for his brilliant performance in the movie "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom". American writer, director and actor, Issa Rae is nominated for her breakout original show Insecure. Beyonce, proves again why she is queen with a leading the music recording category with six nominations, this according to the Los Angeles Times. Black is King is nominated for "Outstanding Visual Album".

This years nomination list is not solely a battle of talented personalities but studios are also vying for recognition. Global streaming studio company Netflix, unsurprisingly, leads the nominations in this charge. Though there are conflicting reports on the exact numbers, Netflix reportedly leads with a grand total of 53 nominations and HBO is behind at 31.

The NAACP Image Awards will be broadcasted on the 27th of March on BET at 20:00 Eastern Time. Non-televised award categories will live stream over five nights between the 22nd to 26th of March. The highly anticipated annual award show recognises outstanding Black performers and productions across the U.S entertainment industry.

Checkout the full 52nd NAACP nominations list below.

Entertainer of the Year

D-Nice
Regina King
Viola Davis
Trevor Noah
Tyler Perry

MOTION PICTURE CATEGORIES

Outstanding Motion Picture
"Bad Boys For Life" (Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Entertainment)
"Da 5 Bloods" (Netflix)
"Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey" (Netflix)
"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" (Netflix)
"One Night In Miami…" (Amazon Studios)

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Anthony Mackie – "The Banker" (Apple TV Plus)
Chadwick Boseman – "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" (Netflix)
Delroy Lindo – "Da 5 Bloods" (Netflix)
Forest Whitaker – "Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey" (Netflix)
Will Smith – "Bad Boys For Life" (Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Issa Rae – "The Photograph" (Universal Pictures)
Janelle Monáe – "Antebellum" (Lionsgate)
Madalen Mills – "Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey" (Netflix)
Tracee Ellis Ross – "The High Note" (Focus Features)
Viola Davis – "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Aldis Hodge – "One Night In Miami…" (Amazon Studios)
Chadwick Boseman – "Da 5 Bloods" (Netflix)
Clarke Peters – "Da 5 Bloods" (Netflix)
Colman Domingo – "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" (Netflix)
Glynn Turman – "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Anika Noni Rose – "Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey" (Netflix)
Gabourey Sidibe – "Antebellum" (Lionsgate)
Nia Long – "The Banker" (Apple TV Plus)
Phylicia Rashad – "Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey" (Netflix)
Taylour Paige – "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" (Netflix)

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
"Emperor" (Universal Home Video)
"Farewell Amor" (IFC Films)
"Miss Juneteenth" (Vertical Entertainment)
"The 24th" (Vertical Entertainment)
"The Banker" (Apple TV Plus)

Outstanding International Motion Picture
"Ainu Mosir" (ARRAY)
"His House" (Netflix)
"Night of the Kings" (Neon)
"The Last Tree" (ArtMattan Productions)
"The Life Ahead" (La vita davanti a se) (Netflix)

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture
Dayo Okeniyi – "Emperor" (Universal Home Video)
Dominique Fishback – "Project Power" (Netflix)
Jahi Di'Allo Winston – "Charm City Kings" (HBO Max)
Jahzir Bruno – "The Witches" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Madalen Mills – "Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey" (Netflix)

Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture
"Da 5 Bloods" (Netflix)
"Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey" (Netflix)
"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" (Netflix)
"Soul" (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
"The Banker" (Apple TV Plus)

Outstanding Animated Motion Picture
"Onward" (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
"Over the Moon" (Netflix)
"Scoob!" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
"Soul" (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
"Trolls World Tour" (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance – Motion Picture
Ahmir-Khalib Thompson aka Questlove – "Soul" (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Angela Bassett – "Soul" (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Chris Rock – "The Witches" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Jamie Foxx – "Soul" (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Phylicia Rashad – "Soul" (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Outstanding Short Form (Live Action)
"Baldwin Beauty" (Powderkeg Media)
"Black Boy Joy" (Film Independent Project Involve )
"Gets Good Light"
"Home"
" Mr & Mrs. Ellis" (AMB Productions)

Outstanding Short Form (Animated)
"Canvas" (Netflix)
"Cops and Robbers" (Netflix)
"Loop" (Pixar Animation Studios)
"The Power of Hope" (The Power Of Hope)
"Windup" (Unity Technologies)

Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture)
Loira Limbal – "Through the Night" (Third Shift Media, Inc.)
Melissa Haizlip – "Mr. Soul!" (Shoes In The Bed Productions)
Nadia Hallgren – "Becoming" (A Higher Ground Productions and Big Mouth Productions Film for Netflix)
Radha Blank – "The Forty-Year-Old Version" (Netflix)
Remi Weekes – "His House" (Netflix)

DOCUMENTARY CATEGORIES

Outstanding Documentary (Film)
"All In: The Fight For Democracy" (Amazon Studios)
"Coded Bias" (7th Empire Media)
"John Lewis: Good Trouble" (Magnolia Pictures/Participant)
"Soul!" (Shoes in the Bed Productions)
"On the Record" (HBO Max)

Outstanding Documentary (Television)
"And She Could Be Next" (PBS)
"Black Love" (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
"Enslaved: The Lost History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade" (EPIX)
"The Last Dance" (ESPN / Netflix)
"Unsung" (TV One)

TELEVISION + STREAMING CATEGORIES

Outstanding Comedy Series
"#blackAF" (Netflix)
"Black-ish" (ABC)
"grown-ish" (Freeform)
"Insecure" (HBO)
"The Last O.G." (TBS)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson – "Black-ish" (ABC)
Cedric The Entertainer – "The Neighborhood" (CBS)
Don Cheadle – "Black Monday" (Showtime)
Idris Elba – "In the Long Run" (Starz)
Tracy Morgan – "The Last O.G." (TBS)

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Issa Rae – "Insecure" (HBO)
Folake Olowofoyeku – "Bob Hearts Abishola" (CBS)
Regina Hall – "Black Monday" (Showtime)
Tracee Ellis Ross – "Black-ish" (ABC)
Yara Shahidi – "Grown-ish" (Freeform)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher – "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" (NBC)
Deon Cole – "Black-ish" (ABC)
Jay Ellis – "Insecure" (HBO)
Kenan Thompson – "Saturday Night Live" (NBC)
Laurence Fishburne – "Black-ish" (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Jenifer Lewis – "Black-ish" (ABC)
Marsai Martin – "Black-ish" (ABC)
Natasha Rothwell – "Insecure" (HBO)
Tichina Arnold – "The Neighborhood" (CBS)
Yvonne Orji – "Insecure" (HBO)

Outstanding Drama Series
"All Rise" (CBS)
"Bridgerton" (Netflix)
"Lovecraft Country" (HBO)
"Power Book II: Ghost" (Starz)
"This Is Us" (NBC)

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
Jonathan Majors – "Lovecraft Country" (HBO)
Keith David – "Greenleaf" (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
Nicco Annan – "P-Valley" (Starz)
Regé-Jean Page – "Bridgerton" (Netflix)
Sterling K. Brown – "This Is Us" (NBC)

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Angela Bassett – "9-1-1" (FOX)
Brandee Evans – "P-Valley" (Starz)
Jurnee Smollett – "Lovecraft Country" (HBO)
Simone Missick – "All Rise" (CBS)
Viola Davis – "How To Get Away With Murder" (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Clifford "Method Man" Smith – "Power Book II: Ghost" (Starz)
Delroy Lindo – "The Good Fight" (CBS All Access)
Alphonse Nicholson – "P-Valley" (Starz)
Jeffrey Wright – "Westworld" (HBO)
Michael Kenneth Williams – "Lovecraft Country" (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Adjoa Andoh – "Bridgerton" (Netflix)
Aunjanue Ellis – "Lovecraft Country" (HBO)
Lynn Whitfield – "Greenleaf" (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
Mary J. Blige – "Power Book II: Ghost" (Starz)
Susan Kelechi Watson – "This Is Us" (NBC)

Outstanding Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special
"Hamilton" (Disney Plus)
"Little Fires Everywhere" (Hulu)
"Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker" (Netflix)
"Sylvie's Love" (Amazon Studios)
"The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel" (Lifetime)

Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special
Blair Underwood – "Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker" (Netflix)
Chris Rock – "Fargo" (FX)
Daveed Diggs – "Hamilton" (Disney Plus)
Leslie Odom, Jr. – "Hamilton" (Disney Plus)
Nnamdi Asomugha – "Sylvie's Love" (Amazon Studios)

Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special
Aunjanue Ellis – "The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel" (Lifetime)
Kerry Washington – "Little Fires Everywhere" (Hulu)
Michaela Coel – "I May Destroy You" (HBO)
Octavia Spencer – "Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker" (Netflix)
Tessa Thompson – "Sylvie's Love" (Amazon Studios)

Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special)
"AM Joy: Remembering John Lewis Special" (MSNBC)
"Desus & Mero: The Obama Interview" (Showtime)
"The Color of Covid" (CNN)
"The New York Times Presents The Killing of Breonna Taylor" (FX)
"The Reidout" (NBC)

Outstanding Talk Series
"Red Table Talk" (Facebook Watch)
"Tamron Hall" (Syndicated )
"The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" (Comedy Central)
"The Oprah Conversation" (Apple TV Plus)
"The Shop: Uninterrupted" (HBO)

Outstanding Reality Program, Reality Competition or Game Show (Series)
"Celebrity Family Feud" (ABC)
"Iyanla: Fix My Life" (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
"Shark Tank" (ABC)
"United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell" (CNN)
"Voices of Fire" (Netflix)

Outstanding Variety Show (Series or Special)
"8:46" (Netflix)
"Black Is King" (Disney+)
"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion" (HBO Max)
"VERZUZ" (APPLE TV Plus)
"Yvonne Orji: Momma I Made It!" (HBO)

Outstanding Children's Program
"Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices" (Netflix)
"Craig of the Creek" (Cartoon Network)
"Family Reunion" (Netflix)
"Raven's Home" (Disney Channel)
"We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical" (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited–Series)
Alex R. Hibbert – "The Chi" (Showtime)
Lexi Underwood – "Little Fires Everywhere" (Hulu)
Lyric Ross – "This Is Us" (NBC)
Marsai Martin – "Black-ish" (ABC)
Miles Brown – "Black-ish" (ABC)

Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
Don Lemon – "CNN Tonight with Don Lemon" (CNN)
Jada Pinkett Smith – "Red Table Talk" (Facebook Watch)
Joy Reid – "The Reidout" (NBC)
LeBron James – "The Shop: Uninterrupted" (HBO)
Trevor Noah – "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" (Comedy Central)

Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
Alfonso Ribeiro – "America's Funniest Home Videos" (ABC)
Iyanla Vanzant – "Iyanla: Fix My Life" (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
Steve Harvey – "Celebrity Family Feud" (ABC)
Kamau Bell – "United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell" (CNN)
RuPaul – "RuPaul's Drag Race" (VH1)

Outstanding Guest Performance – Comedy or Drama Series
Chris Rock – "Saturday Night Live" (NBC)
Courtney B. Vance – "Lovecraft Country" (HBO)
Dave Chappelle – "Saturday Night Live" (NBC)
Issa Rae – "Saturday Night Live" (NBC)
Loretta Devine – "P-Valley" (Starz)

Outstanding Animated Series
"Big Mouth" (Netflix)
"Central Park" (Apple TV Plus)
"Doc McStuffins" (Disney Junior)
"She-Ra and the Princesses of Power" (Netflix)
"Star Trek: Lower Decks" (CBS All Access)

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television)
Aisha Tyler – "Archer" (FX)
Courtney B. Vance – "Hollywood's Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story" (PBS)
Dawnn Lewis – "Star Trek: Lower Decks" (CBS All Access)
Deon Cole – "Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts" (Netflix)
Laya DeLeon Hayes – "Doc McStuffins" (Disney Junior)

Outstanding Short Form Series – Comedy or Drama
"#FreeRayshawn" (Quibi)
"CripTales" (BBC America)
"Lazor Wulf" (Adult Swim)
"Mapleworth Murders" (Quibi)
"Sincerely, Camille" (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)

Outstanding Performance in a Short Form Series
Giancarlo Esposito – "The Broken and the Bad" (AMC.com )
B. Smoove – "Mapleworth Murders" (Quibi)
Jasmine Cephas Jones – "#FreeRayshawn" (Quibi)
Laurence Fishburne – "#FreeRayshawn" (Quibi)
Stephan James – "#FreeRayshawn" (Quibi)

Outstanding Short Form Series – Reality/Nonfiction
"American Masters" – Unladylike2020 (PBS)
"Benedict Men" (Quibi)
"Between The Scenes – The Daily Show" (Comedy Central)
"In The Making" (PBS)
"Inspire Change Series" (NFL Network)

Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television)
Katori Hall – P-Valley (Starz)
Keith Knight – Woke (Hulu)
Ramy Youssef – Ramy (Hulu)
Raynelle Swilling – Cherish the Day (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
Teri Schaffer – Cherish the Day (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)

RECORDING CATEGORIES

Outstanding New Artist
Chika – High Rises (Warner Records)
Doja Cat – Say So (RCA Records/Kemosabe )
D Smoke – Black Habits (WoodWorks Records / EMPIRE)
Giveon – When It's All Said And Done (Epic Records)
Skip Marley – Higher Place (Island Records/ Tuff Gong Records)

Outstanding Male Artist
Big Sean – Detroit 2 (Def Jam Recordings/G.O.O.D Music)
Black Thought – Streams of Thought, Vol. 3: Cane & Able (Republic Records)
Charlie Wilson – All of My Love (P Music Group/BMG)
Drake – Laugh Now, Cry Later (Republic Records)
John Legend – Bigger Love (Columbia Records)

Outstanding Female Artist
Beyoncé – Black Parade (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)
H.E.R. – I Can't Breathe (RCA Records/MBK Entertainment)
Jazmine Sullivan – Lost One (RCA Records)
Ledisi – Anything For You (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)
Alicia Keys – Alicia (RCA Records)

Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album
"I Can't Breathe" – H.E.R. (RCA Records/MBK Entertainment)
"Anything For You" – Ledisi (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)
"Black is King" – Beyonce´ (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)
"Brown Skin Girl" – Beyonce' feat WizKid, SAINt JHN, Blu Ivy Carter (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)
"Do It" – Chloe x Halle (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)

Outstanding Album
Alicia – Alicia Keys (RCA Records)
b7 – Brandy (Brand Nu/eOne)
Bigger Love – John Legend (Columbia Records)
Chilombo– Jhené Aiko (Def Jam Recordings)
The Wild Card– LEDISI (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)

Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom(Music from the Netflix Film) – Branford Marsalis (Milan)
Insecure: Music from the HBO Original Series– Various Artists (Atlantic Records)
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey – Various Artists (Atlantic Records )
Soul Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste and Tom MacDougall (Walt Disney Records)
The First Ladies of Gospel: The Clark Sisters Biopic Soundtrack – Donald Lawrence (Relevé Entertainment)

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album
Chosen Vessel – Marvin Sapp (RCA Inspiration)
Gospel According to PJ – PJ Morton (Morton Inspiration / Tyscot Records)
I Am – Koryn Hawthorne (RCA Inspiration)
Kierra – Kierra Sheard (Karew/RCA Inspiration)
The Return – The Clark Sisters (Karew/Motown)

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song
"All in His Plan" – PJ Morton (Morton Inspiration / Tyscot Records)
"Never Lost" – CeCe Winans (Pure Springs Gospel)
"Something Has To Break" – Kierra Sheard feat. Tasha Cobbs-Leonard (Karew/RCA Inspiration)
"Strong God" – Kirk Franklin (Fo Yo Soul/RCA Records)
"Touch from You" – Tamela Mann (TillyMann Inc.)

Outstanding Jazz Album – Instrumental

Be Water – Christian Sands (Mack Avenue Music Group)
Music From and Inspired By Soul – Jon Batiste (Walt Disney Records)
Omega – Immanuel Wilkins (Blue Note Records)
Reciprocity – George Burton (Inner Circle Music)
The Iconoclast – Barry Stephenson (Independent)

Outstanding International Song

Blessed – Buju Banton (Roc Nation Records)
Lockdown – Original Koffee (Promise Land Recordings)
Pressure (Remix) – Original Koffee feat. Buju Banton (Promise Land Recordings)
Tanana – Davido feat. Tiwa Savage (RCA Records/Sony Music U.K./Davido Worldwide Entertainment)
Temptation – Tiwa Savage (Motown Records)

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series

Issa Rae – Insecure – "Lowkey Feelin' Myself" (HBO)
Lee Eisenberg, Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon – Little America – "The Rock" (Apple TV+)
Michaela Coel – I May Destroy You – "Ego Death" (HBO)
Mindy Kaling, Lang Fisher – Never Have I Ever "Pilot" (Netflix)
Rajiv Joseph – Little America – "The Manager" (Apple TV+)

Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie or Special
Beyoncé Knowles Carter, Emmanuel Adeji, Blitz Bazawule, Kwasi Fordjour – "Black Is King" (Disney+)
Christine Swanson – "The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel" (Lifetime)
Chuck Vinson, Alan Muraoka – "The Power of We: A Sesame Street Special" (HBO Max)
Eugene Ashe – "Sylvie's Love" (Amazon Studios)
Kamilah Forbes – "Between The World And Me" (HBO)

SPECIAL AWARD CATEGORIES

Social Justice Impact

April Ryan
Debbie Allen
Lebron James
Stacey Abrams
Tamika Mallory

Events
Photo by Ransford Quaye.

Fun Places in Accra, Ghana to Visit This Weekend

From Winged Wednesdays at Cachie & Cachie to Open Field Day at Bambo’s Adventure Park, Accra is packed with places to have fun.

This weekend is packed with places to have fun at! Enjoy unlimited wings, sides, and free drinks at a cool new restaurant, or sign up for a “Capture the Flag” paintball tournament with your entire squad. Whatever your choice of fun is, here is a list of places to visit this weekend in Accra, Ghana.

Right from the midweek all through to the weekend, here is a list of fun places to visit in Accra, Ghana.

Winged Wednesdays at Cachie & Cachie

Cachie & Cachie is a budding restaurant and bar located at East Legon, Accra that offers a diverse culinary experience. However, despite their distinct menu we’re here to highlight their signature weekly attraction - unlimited wings! Yes, you heard right, unlimited. Cachie & Cachie offers unlimited wings and sides every Wednesday evening for a flat rate that’s easy on the pockets. Also, show up early for a free mocktail from 6 - 6:30 p.m. only.

Date: Wednesday, 24th May, 6 - 10 p.m.

Venue: Cachie & Cachie, West Legon

Cost: From GHC85

Happy Hour at The Honeysuckle

The Honeysuckle is a popular sports bar themed after the famous British sports bars across the United Kingdom. Well known for its great food and ambiance, The Honeysuckle is regarded as one of the best spots in Accra for after-work leisure. On Thursdays, you can pass by to enjoy discounted food and drinks during Happy Hour. Also, there are multiple Honeysuckle locations in Accra, so take your pick, have a drink, and watch your favorite sports match for your pre-weekend unwind.

Date: Thursday, 25th May, 2-5 p.m.

Venue: The Honeysuckle, all locations

Junkie’s Burgers New Location Launch

If you’re a foodie and you haven’t tried Junkie’s Burgers, what are you doing? Junkie’s Burgers is home to Accra’s Best Burgers, and they’ll be launching a brand new location on Thursday. The new Junkie’s will be at Labone, so pass through for Junkie’s signature Fully Loaded Burger or any burger of your choice. Vegetarian options are also available.

Date: Thursday, 25th May

Venue: Junkie’s Burgers, Labone

Open Space at Kukun

Open Space is a conversation platform that periodically hosts panel-type conversations on intriguing subject matter facing young Africans across the world. It’s comparable to a live podcast, and their events are free to attend. Their mandate is “building and connecting Africans across the world through honest conversations,” and their conversations are intriguing, thought-provoking, and sometimes even humorous. This week’s topic is a hot one, so make sure to tap in for a night of great conversation.

Date: Friday, 26th May, 6 p.m.

Venue: Kukun, Osu

Cost: Free

“In Relation To Light” Exhibition at The Mix Design Hub

Curated by Mamoud Brimah, “In Relation To Light” is a solo exhibition featuring the work of Ghanaian illustrator and artist Michael Badger. The exhibition explores what constitutes true self-expression with a series of surrealist, figurative paintings depicting varying human emotions on a journey toward self-discovery. The artist involves these figurative subjects in an exploration of what it means to stand in the light.

Date: Friday, 26th May, 6 p.m.

Venue: The Mix Design Hub, Osu

Cost: Free

Dance Class at DWP Academy

For a dose of fun, great vibes, and some physical activity this weekend, you can sign up for a dance class at DWP Academy. Dance With a Purpose Academy is Accra’s most prominent dance studio, located at East Legon. DWP Academy dancers have featured in Beyonce music videos, performed alongside Usher at international festivals, and more. If you’re passionate about dance, DWP Academy is definitely a place to check out.

Date: Saturday, 27th May, 12:20 - 3:30 p.m.

Venue: Lizzy Sports Complex, East Legon

Cost: GHC50 for a session

The Awakening Live Recording Concert with Akesse Brempong

For fans of contemporary Christian music, there’s an event for you as well! Akesse Brempong, one of Ghana’s leading voices in the gospel music scene is hosting a live recording concert called “The Awakening: Anthems of Revival.”Other top gospel voices are on the bill as well, such as Pastor Isaiah Fosu Kwakye Jnr., MOG Music, Efe Grace, and Kofi Owusu Peprah, so it promises to be a night of gospel music excellence and one you definitely don’t want to miss.

Date: Saturday, 27th May, 4 p.m.

Venue: Empowerment Worship Centre, Achimota

Cost: Free, but register to attend

Vine Brunch

Vine Restaurant is a premium restaurant, bar, and lounge located at Labone. They offer a choice selection of continental and African dishes and drinks, and on Sunday you can catch the Vine Brunch for premium cocktails and mouth-watering dishes prepared by master chefs all throughout the day. Trust me, there’s no brunch like a Vine Brunch.

Date: Sunday, 28th May, 12:30 - 9 p.m.

Venue: Vine Restaurant, Labone

Open Field Day at Bambo’s Adventure Park

Bambo’s Adventure Park is a recreation center located at Labone, Accra. On the last Sunday of every month, they host Open Field Day, a fun games event. Their arena-style paintball tournament is the main attraction, however, there will be loads of other activities, as well as music, food, and drinks. Play capture the flag with a team of friends, or relax and unwind with board games at Bambo’s Adventure Park this weekend.

Date: Sunday, 28th May

Venue: Bambo’s Adventure Park, Labone

Cost: GHC180 per head

Music

Interview: Nevermind the Legend Talk, Wande Coal Just Wants To Make Good Music

We talk to the Nigerian icon about his fourth studio album, Legend Or No Legend, his much-awaited collaboration with T-Pain, and being the blueprint for Afrobeats.

There is no Mount Rushmore of Afrobeats without Wande Coal. If there ever was an emblem for the hallmark of Afrobeats as we know it today, that emblem would have his face on it.

When Afrobeats slowly evolved from its hip-hop and R&B influences, shepherded by forerunners 2face and D’banj, Wande Coal emerged with arguably one of the most defining imprints on the Nigerian pop scene: his 2009 debut album, Mushin 2 Mo’hits.

Released under the Don Jazzy & D’Banj led Mo’hits record label, Mushin 2 Mo’Hits shot Wande Coal to instant superstardom, spawning hit singles such as “You Bad”, “Kiss Your Hand”, “Bumper To Bumper,” and much more. The sixteen-track album also set the blueprint for Afrobeats melodies, delivery, and the overall soundscape, eventually setting the stage for the rise of pop-icons such as Wizkid, Davido, and more.

It would take another six years after his debut before another Wande Coal album would see the light of day. After a drawn-out departure from Mo’Hits Records to start his own imprint, Black Diamond Entertainment, and an intermittent presence within the music scene, Wande Coal released his critically-acclaimed 2015 sophomore album, Wanted.

Keep reading...Show less
Music

Mr Eazi Launches New Group ChopLife Soundsystem

Listen to the new 14-song album Chop Life, Vol. 1 Mzansi Chronicles.

Mr Eazi, the acclaimed music superstar, business visionary, and globe-trotter, extends a heartfelt invitation to music enthusiasts to embark on a sonic journey to South Africa with the release of Chop Life, Vol. 1: Mzansi Chronicles (Choplife Limited/emPawa Africa), the inaugural offering from his newly-formed pan-African music collective, ChopLife Soundsystem.

Crafted amidst the vibrant locales of Cape Town and Johannesburg, this 14-track album serves as an exuberant tribute to amapiano, the electrifying dance music genre that has burst forth from South Africa and garnered international recognition. Joining forces with an excellent lineup of South African music luminaries such as Moonchild Sanelly, Focalistic, Nkosazana Daughter, Ami Faku, and Major League Djz, alongside a host of emerging talents, Mr Eazi presents his interpretation of the scene's captivating elements.

Mzansi Chronicles is an ode to the amapiano sound that has been the soundtrack to my parties and me going to clubs,” Mr Eazi said of the project. “It’s me working with some of my favorite artists and capturing my interpretation of elements I love from the scene.”

Keep reading...Show less
Film
Photo courtesy Directors’ Fortnight.

Rosine Mbakam on the Power of Family and Returning Home in Filmmaking

The Cameroonian filmmaker uses her documentary skills to create her first fictional feature, Mambar Pierrette, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this week.

After a critically lauded career as a documentary filmmaker, writer/director Rosine Mbakam arrives at the Cannes Film Festival in the Directors’ Fortnight program with her first narrative feature: Mambar Pierrette. The film sees Mbakam returning to her homeland of Cameroon to tell the story of a dressmaker — Pierrette (Pierrette Aboheu Njeuthat) — as she deals with mounting financial calamities that threaten her children’s school year and the health of her business.

It’s a conceit that feels familiar to Vittorio De Sica’s film, but with a different, uniquely African touch. While Mbakam has switched mediums for this film, the story, and its translation is similar to the director’s previous films, such as Chez Jolie Coiffure, Delphin’s Prayer, and The Two Faces of a Bamileke Woman in their focus on Black women who use their respective craft to cope with the hurdles they encounter. For Mambar Pierrette, Mbakam retools these familiar themes for Cameroon. The result indicates a change of direction for the filmmaker with regard to mood and tone, switching from ruminative to joyous, from staid to colorful and vibrant. Because all around Pierrette is life: It’s her children, it’s her village; it’s her vivid customers and the lively dresses she designs.

With Mambar Pierrette, Mbakam offers the unique cultural lens she’s spent nearly a decade crafting to give viewers a vision of radical empathy and a change in perspective. After having spent several years working in television, she attended film school in Belgium, where she is now based, before going on to create her first trio of feature-length documentaries that shared stories of Cameroonian women.

She talks to OkayAfrica about wanting to show a different Africa, making a film with her family, and subverting the traditions of Western filmmaking.

The interview below has been edited for length and clarity.

You’ve spent your career doing documentaries, but this is your first fictional film. Why did you feel you needed to switch for this particular story?

Fictional features were my first desire. I discovered documentaries when I was in film school. But my desire when I wanted to do cinema was to do features because it was what I was seeing on television in Cameroon. It was not documentaries. When I was in film school I really didn't know what kind of fiction I wanted to do. And when I discovered the documentary [form], it gave me a lot of freedom to be myself, to really experience what I wanted to, because I didn't want an intermediary between me and the people that I wanted to film.

Because of all the legacy of colonialism — I was in Belgium — I didn't want to use a white person or a person that didn't know what I wanted to question. But the documentary really helped me to deconstruct my gaze, and to just find my way and really see what kind of fiction I could do. Because the fiction that I learned in film school was Western fiction, and it was difficult for me to apply it in my reality in Cameroon. I'm really happy to come to my first desire of cinema, of doing fiction and really the fiction that I want to do with all the knowledge that I had from documentaries.

An image of the filmmaker, Rosine Mabakam, holding a microphone.Rosine Mabakam speaks at the premiere of her film in the Directors’ Fortnight program at the Cannes Film Festival.Photo courtesy Directors’ Fortnight / Delphine Pincet.

Your previous films are set in Belgium, but for this one you returned to Cameroon. Why did it make sense to return now?

Because when I was in Belgium I was there in the context of the legacy of colonialism. And I was confronting it every day. I wanted to really find my position there because I chose to live there, even though my inspiration was Cameroon. I wanted to deconstruct that and find my way because I knew that when I was deconstructing it that it would help me to see my reality differently. Because when I was in Cameroon, I was colonized. I didn't know I was reproducing all the things that I was seeing from the films I was watching in Cameroon. I wanted to discover how the rest of the world saw people like me in Belgium. It was important for me to deconstruct that first and to go back to Cameroon afterwards because I didn't want to reproduce the power of Western cinema on people that I wanted to film in Cameroon.

I love that you see it as a deconstruction of the image white people have of people from Cameroon or really any African country. You always get to the inner lives of the people you capture by looking at their craft. With Chez Jolie Coiffure, for instance, you focus on hairdressers. What draws you to a person's relationship with their craft, and why did you choose a dressmaker for this film?

In Cameroon, in my culture, all of those small spaces are where people come and drop stories and drop pain and also reconstruct their mental health. And I want to underline those spaces that sometimes people neglect because for them, maybe, it's not important. For me, for Chez Jolie Coiffure, with the hairdressers, it's the same thing. It's the space where women, and some men, come to just drop something and or take something.

I want to make people understand that sometimes it's not big spaces or important spaces that make us feel confident or that make us feel fine. I grew up in those smaller spaces. My mother was a dressmaker and my grand sister was her hairdresser. I really know those spaces and I know how it's built my imagery for stories of strong women. I wanted to show that.

I love the designs of the dresses; they’re so vibrant and vivid. What do they represent to you and to the character of Peirrette?

It's the dresses and how people can rebuild themselves through them. It's the space where your life can change with the world, with solidarity and also with love that people have brought to you through those spaces. You are surrounded not only by one woman, but by all these people who are coming. And yes, I really like fashion and also the colors.

In Cameroon, we don't have enough confidence in what we have. Even in fashion, we’re always looking at the West and how the West dresses without taking into account what we have. I wanted to show that it's beautiful and our story is important by just talking to ordinary people to show that even if we are ordinary, we have something important to say.


A still from the film of a group of women outside a rural dress shop.Rosine Mbakam’s first narrative feature is set in Cameroon.Photo courtesy Directors’ Fortnight.

The actress who plays Pierrette is your first cousin, correct? And it’s her first time acting?

It's not only my cousin. All of the cast are members of my family except for two people. But the rest are my mother, my aunts, my cousins, my sisters, my grand sisters.

Did you find it challenging directing people who you're not only related to but are in a situation where they’ve probably never acted before?

It's more challenging. There is a power in cinema and we know how that power has been used to stereotype Africans. I know the consequences of that power. And even more so with my family. Because they didn't really don't know what is the cinema, and how that power can be destructive. It's easy to take that power and to make them do what I want. It's important for me to be more vigilant and to give them the space to express themselves. That was really challenging because I had to be more careful about that.

With all of the travesties that befall Pierrette, a woman on an economic edge, I was really reminded of Vittorio De Sica’s films like Bicycle Thieves and Umberto D. And yet, you don’t remain on a track toward heartbreak like those films do. It’s almost like a De Sica film would be impossible to pull off because the idea of community is so present here?

I didn't feel it was possible to end like that because, usually, it doesn’t end like that in my family. With every problem you have people going together to resolve something, to bring joy, even if there is something very painful. For me, it was a perspective that I wanted to give to that story. And I wanted to give the perspective of that power that I can see in Pierrette and all of the members of my family. I wanted to show that power is higher than the difficulty. That was the intention behind that ending with the mannequin, and of all the neocolonialism that exists. Our power can overtake those problems.

A still from the film, 'Mambar Pierrette,' of a woman walking next to a girl carrying a bucket on her head.In ‘Mambar Pierrette,’ Rosine Mbakam enlisted family members for the film.Photo courtesy Directors’ Fortnight.

Her shop is also very small, yet open. Whenever Pierrette is making dresses, in the background you can see the street and you can see the life of her neighborhood. Could you talk a bit about why you framed her in that way as opposed, to say, close-ups?

If you see my film Chez Jolie Coiffure, you’ll notice it's really close. But if I close the perspective, here, it's not how we live in Cameroon. There is always a door open somewhere or someone can open the door to give you something, to give you help, to give a testimony. But in Chez Jolie Coiffure, in the West, Black people are closed into their space. In Cameroon it's different. There is always a perspective, there is always a solution. And I wanted to show that, to open that place, even if it's small. In Chez Jolie Coiffure, in the salon there is no door open anywhere. It's really close. It's like a prison. It's really close. In this film, it’s different. You can see the life of the earth coming, you can see light coming.

What do you hope people take away from this film when they’re finished?

I hope people will see another Africa and another way of filming Africa, another way to imagine Africa, and how we can look at Africa differently. I don't think we usually see that perspective, to be in the position of someone in Africa. I want people to be with these people and to help them understand what they want to say. I hope that people will watch the film and will remember the images and the words of this Black woman.

get okayafrica in your inbox

news.

The Songs You Need to Hear This Week

Featuring new African music from Mr Eazi, DJ Edu, Rema, Asake, Olamide, Adekunle Gold, Kel-P and more.

Afro Nation Detroit Lineup: Davido, Burna Boy, P-Square & More

Afro Nation has released a line up of the artists who will be performing at the event.

5 Standout Moments From ‘Young, Famous and African’ Season 2

The return of the Netflix reality show sticks to its template, but trades more screen time for bigger, buzzier moments.

Places in Lagos to Have Fun this Weekend

From festivals to live shows from Seyi Vibes and Johnny Drille, here are the events you shouldn't miss in Lagos this weekend.

popular.

Interview: Joeboy Wants to Take on the World

The Afrobeats star talks global dominance, future plans, and his new album, Body & Soul.