Accra: Actor Majid Michel has expressed shock at making it again on the nomination list of this year's African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). He told NEWS-ONE in a short conversation on Saturday that he did not see it coming as it came to him as a surprise.
According to Ghana Web, after three nominations in a row, Michel was unsure of being nominated this year and was unaware of which of his movies were submitted for consideration. Nonetheless, he expressed excitement over his nomination for the Best Actor in a Leading Role category for his performance in 'Pool Party,' directed by Frank Rajah. He faces stiff competition from fellow actors Ekow Blankson, Themba Ndaba, Patsha Bay, Jimmy Jean-Louis, and Antar Laniyan.
This marks the third time Michel has been nominated for this prestigious category. His previous nominations were in 2009 for his role in Venus Film's 'Agony of the Christ' and in 2010 for 'Sin of the Soul.' Despite not having secured a win in those years, Michel remains enthusiastic about the recognition, stating that being nominated is gratifying in itself, even without winning.
Michel was part of the Ghanaian delegation attending the AMAA nominees' party in Kenya and returned home last week. Following the release of the nomination list, some media outlets mistakenly omitted his name, which some interpreted as a sign of sabotage. However, Michel regarded it as an oversight, not seeing any reason for intentional exclusion by the media.
Despite his nomination, Michel remains cautiously optimistic about winning this year. He acknowledges the uncertainty of the outcome, stating, "I can't tell. It will be very difficult to tell if I will win or not. I like it to be a surprise. It is entertaining. For me, it is fun. If I win, it will be a surprise to me, and if I don't, it will be a surprise to me as well."
Last year, Michel earned accolades, including the Ghana Movie Awards' Best Actor in a Leading Role for English movies and the Zulu African Film Academy Awards (ZAFAA) Best Actor. The AMAA nomination represents his first recognition for this year.