Abraham Attah deserves that nomination more than Shatta Wale - Chris Handler

I told you last week that, the nominees for the second edition of the Golden Movie Awards Africa were announced at it’s launch and Nadia Buari was also announced as the ambassador for the ceremony.

Just like any award ceremony held elsewhere in the world, the GMAA also has it’s own mysteries. I hinted in my earlier article that, I was surprised to see some people in the list because I felt they didn’t deserve to be in there and also some of them didn’t deserve to be in some categories based on the category definitions by the selection committee of the Golden Movie Awards Africa.

I have been scanning the nominees list over and over because I am a movie fanatic and have great interest in everything that’s related to the movie industry.

Interestingly, the dancehall king, Shatta Wale earned a nomination for himself for a movie which he featured, “Shattered Lives” for the Golden Discovery Category. See the other people who got nominated in that category below

Golden Discovery

Afia Odo-Beautiful Ruins Ophelia Dzidzornu- The Cursed Ones Queenstar Anaafi-YOLO Wiyala- No Man’s Land Shatta Wale- Shattered Lives Lynn Bentil- Shampaign

The selection committee defined the Golden Discovery Category as; “The Award for discovery of the year goes to the new actor who distinguished him or herself in a breakthrough role. The role must be seen to have had a visible impact on his/her career, opening opportunities for him/her to receive other roles.“

Now from the above definition given, that role Shatta Wale played was not a BREAKTHROUGH and neither was it for Wiyaala. They acted exceptionally but those roles were not breakthrough roles. Shattered Lives for instance was made popular because Shatta Wale was in there.

Now what impact did the movie even have on his career either as a musician or an actor? What opportunities did it create for him? He got nominated in another movie? Shatta is one hell of success story already.

Every producer would die to get Shatta Wale in his movie not because he’s going to excel at it, but because he would draw attention to the movie and drive sales at the box office.

Let’s look at young Attah! He featured in a movie “Beasts Of No Nation” and won several awards internationally. That movie was his breakthrough because everyone got to know him because of that movie. It’s hard for an actor to be featured in his very first movie and become famous after. Only few are able to achieve that. Abraham’s Attah’s role gave him the breakthrough, impacted his life and career and opened opportunities for him to receive other roles. Need we say the other movies, he’s working on after Beasts Of No Nation?

I am confident, the board just decided to sideline the young champ. He’s highly qualified to be in that category unless they tell us, they nominated him and he rejected their nomination.

Now, I am not saying in anyway that, Shatta Wale or Wiyaala do not deserve any nomination. There is also another category which fits Shatta Wale and Wiyaala. I am talking about the “Golden Most Promising” category. Clearly, Shatta Wale and Wiyaala are best fits for that category looking at the definition for that category.

Definition For Golden Promising

The Award for Golden Most Promising is given to a new/ existing actor who distinguished him or herself in a breakthrough role on the continent and has potential if given bigger roles in films.

Shatta Wale and Wiyaala distinguished themselves in the role they had in Shattered Lives and No Man’s Land respectively. They have potential and if they are given more roles in movies, they would really make it.

If I had my own way, I would take someone off the Golden Discovery and put Abraham Attah in there.