Star actress Yvonne Okoro has been honoured with a Distinguished Achievement Award
at this year’s Nigeria Excellence Awards, chaired by His
Excellency, Ambassador Musiliu Obanikoro, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Ghana.
The award ceremony, which took place at the La Palm Beach Hotel in Accra on Friday
night
was to honour Nigerians who have lifted their country’s flag high with
honour in their different sectors of work in Ghana.
The beautiful actress was one of the youngest award recipients at the ceremony.
She was honoured for her great acting skills and contribution to the African movie
industry.
It was also to recognise her “Nigerian spirit which is affecting lives positively
across the African continent”.
The ceremony brought together high-profile and distinguished Nigerian
citizenry in Ghana who received awards in categories like Lifetime
Achievement Award, Business Excellence Award, Business Personality
Award, Regional Integration and Leadership Award, Community Leadership
Award, Sports and Entertainment Award and Outstanding Student Award.
Others who were honoured in the entertainment category were Iyiola Ayoade, CEO of
Multiple Concepts Group, parent company of Charterhouse; Theo
Akatugba of Point Blank Media Concept, and Silverbird Entertainment
Ghana. Chief Bashorun Dele Momodu was also one of the Lifetime
Achievement Award recipients.
Yvonne’s award was also in the Sports and Entertainment category.The recognition
came at time when many fans are hoping she makes a mark at
the 2012 African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) which will be held in
Lagos.
She has been nominated for AMAA Best Actress In Leading Role Category for
her role in ‘Single Six’, alongside other top African actresses.
Yvonne is always described in many ways. Some say she has been a true
inspirer. Indeed, many watch her from the comfort of their homes,
cinemas, offices etc. and say she is a symbol of hard work, respect and
that rising perfect African woman that many African young ladies aspire
to be like.
She is no doubt an iconic figure of true African beauty. Her commanding
voice and acting radiate a good confidence of a woman of character and
virtue.
She is not just an actress but an embodiment of true womanhood. How she
comports herself, speaks and relates with people can be compared to
none.
Her flawless and superb acting dexterity has become a learning material for rookies
in the acting trade.
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A Bachelor of Arts graduate from the University of Ghana, she is the first actress
in Ghana to star in a two-cast movie, ‘Why Marry’, a production that has raised
eyebrows in Ghana and beyond. She is also
the first Ghanaian actress to appear in a French movie titled ‘Le
Hotelier’ in France.
In 2010, she co-won Best Actress at the prestigious Ghana Movie Awards.
Two years in a row, she has been nominated for Africa Movie Academy
Awards Best Actress In supporting and leading roles categories.
She made her screen debut in 2002 in ‘Sticking To The Promise’ produced by Theo
Akatugba.
There is no doubt that she is loved for her riveting roles in movies like ‘Adams
Apples’, ‘4play’, ‘The Return of Beyonce’, ‘The Game’, ‘Agony Of Christ’, ‘Single
Six’ and an endless list of other movies.
Also, it is no secret that Yvonne Okoro has a mixed lineage of Nigerian and
Ghanaian parentage; hence she calls herself an African.
She grew up in Ghana and had her basic education at Achimota Preparatory
School and then Lincoln Community School before moving to Faith
Montessori School.She was at Mfanstiman Girls Senior High School before the
University of Ghana. Subsequently, she was at the Universite’ De Nantes in France to
study Press Civilization, Drama and Marketing.
Yvonne has come a long way in contributing to Africa’s movie industry and indeed she
is worth celebrating.
credit newsone
