Uzoamaka Aniunoh

Uzoamaka Aniunoh
Aniunoh in 2020
Born	Uzoamaka Doris Aniunoh Onitsha, Nigeria
Education	University of Nigeria University of Birmingham
Occupation	Actor
Known for	MTV Shuga
Relatives	Chidinma Maryjane Aniunoh

Uzoamaka Aniunoh is a Nigerian actor, writer, and director.

Early Life and Education

Aniunoh was born and raised in Onitsha. She received a degree in English and History from the University of Nigeria and an MA in creative writing from the University of Birmingham.[1]

Career

Aniunoh is in the queue to audition to play Cynthia in MTV Shuga

After her move to England in 2015, she returned to Nigeria in 2017 and attended the open auditions for the popular series MTV Shuga, winning the role of Cynthia.[2] She starred in the series from 2018 to 2019.[3]

Cynthia talking on-line in "Alone Together" Episode 12

She also starred in the 2020 special edition mini-series titled MTV Shuga Alone Together bringing together cast members from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Ivory Coast highlighting the challenges people were facing across the continent during the Coronavirus pandemic.[4]

In 2019 she was a lead in the short film Stuck alongside Seun Ajayi and Lala Akindoju[3][5] and in 2020 appeared in Africa Magic's Riona period drama, one of the top 5 Nigerian TV series of the year. 2020 also saw her take on one the main roles in Ife, an LGBT love story for which she received the Kim Renders Memorial Award for Outstanding Performance from the Reelout Film Festival in 2021.[6][7]

In 2021 Aniunoh was listed as a Nigerian actress to watch out for over the coming year by Nigerian Entertainment Today.[8] She went on to appear in several shorts including in the title role of the female superhero "The Zipman" in the supernatural thriller, Ananze and the Zipman, [9] Sister Rose,[10] and Title Ije.[11] She was also named by Filmone Nigeria as one of its Box Office Breakthrough actresses for her lead role in the comedy hit Ponzi. [12]

In 2022, she starred in the Nigerian thriller Diiche, Showmax's first Nigerian original limited series. The series received seven nominations at the 2023 Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards[13] including for Best Series.

Aniunoh appeared in one of Africa's most lauded films of 2023, the award-winning fantasy thriller Mami Wata written and directed by C.J. "Fiery" Obasi. In addition to being the Nigerian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards, it received a multitude of awards and a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Aniunoh at the 2023 Africa Movie Academy Awards. In 2023 she also made her directorial debut with Love Language, a short film about an intertribal love affair, which she also wrote and starred in.[14]

2024 was a standout year for Aniunoh. She appeared in over a half a dozen films including the thriller The Weekend, a commercial and critical success that garnered her a Best Actress nomination at the 20th edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards.[15] In With Difficulty Comes Ease, an Amazon Prime Video feature directed by Korede Azezez, Aniunoh plays a young Igbo-Hausa widow who has to navigate both her grief and cultural expectations after losing her husband.[16] She also appeared in Ifeoma Nkiruka Chukwuogo's Phoenix Fury, which won the Best Film and Best Director awards at the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) in November 2024.

Writing

Aniunoh is a published fiction writer. An excerpt from her work Balcony was edited and published by the Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.[1] and her short story The Child That I was Not was Adichie's selection for Story of the Week for the literary journal The Missing Slate in January 2017.[17] The literary platform Brittle Paper also published works by Aniunoh: Tea Glass: An African Story in 2015 [18] and Mama Juror and Rush Green in 2017.[19]

Filmography

Television

• MTV Shuga [20]
• MTV Shuga Alone Together [21]
• Rumor Has it
• Riona (2020) as Kumene [8]
• Diiche (2022) as Inspector Ijeoma Anene [22]

Films

• Stuck [3] (2018) as Dara Akpabio
• Ife [8] (2020) as Ife
• Ananze and the Zipman (2020) [8]
• Sister Rose (2021) as Sister Rose [10]
• Ponzi (2021) as Abike [23][24]
• A Naija Christmas (2021) as Cassie
• Mami Wata (2023) as Zinwe
• The Weekend as Nikiya
• With Difficulty Comes Ease (2024) as Zainab

See also

• List of Nigerian actors

References

1. "UZOAMAKA ANIUNOH CHATS WITH GLANCE NG". Glance Online. 2018-05-30. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
2. "Every Woman Every Child partners with the MTV Staying Alive Foundation to Tackle COVID-19". Every Woman Every Child. 2020-04-16. Archived from the original on 2021-10-09. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
3. Chikwendu, Margaret (2019-10-23). "Award Winning TV Drama, MTV Shuga Naija Returns To TV Screens Today!". BHM. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
4. Kan, Toni (2020-04-23). "MTV Shuga "Alone Together" Mini-Series Releases Episode 1&2". The Lagos Review. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
5. Tv, Bn (2019-01-23). "Ozioma Ogbaji's Short Film "Stuck" starring Seun Ajayi, Lala Akindoju & Uzoamaka Aniunoh is a Must Watch | BN TV". BellaNaija. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
6. "2021 Reelout Film Fest Awards Announced! – Reelout". www.reelout.com. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
7. "'Ife': A rare cinematic portrait of queer women's intimacy in Nigeria". Meeting of Minds. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
8. Samuel, Mofijesusewa (2021-01-08). "17 Nigerian Actresses You Should Watch Out For in 2021". Nigerian Entertainment Today. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
9. Isaakiayodeji (2021-01-14). ""YOUR IMAGINATION IS YOUR POWER"". Film Rats Club. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
10. BN, TV (16 February 2021). "Blessing Uzzi Tells A Unique Love Story With Short Film Sister Rose Starring Uzoamaka Aniunoh & Neo Akpofure". Bella Naija. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
11. Nwogu, Precious 'Mamazeus' (2021-08-06). "Watch Omowunmi Dada, Uzoamaka Aniunoh in 'Ije' short film trailer". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
12. ShockNG (2021-03-23). "Ponzi Hits N13.32 Million, Bumps Omo Ghetto To 2nd Slot Rankings Opening Week". ShockNG. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
13. "Showmax Releases First Nigerian Original Limited Series, Diiche, This September - Nigerian Entertainment Today". 2022-09-06. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
14. "First Look at Uzoamaka Aniunoh's Directorial Debut, 'Love Language', a Story of Intertribal Love - What Kept Me Up". 2023-02-15. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
15. BellaNaija.com (2024-11-03). "AMAA 2024: "The Weekend" & "Jagun Jagun" Take Home Major Wins – Full Winners List". BellaNaija. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
16. ""With Difficulty Comes Ease" Review: Korede Azeez's Film Is a Masterful Blend of Art and Heart - Afrocritik". 2024-08-14. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
17. Aniunoh, Uzoamaka Doris. "Uzoamaka Doris Aniunoh Archives". The Missing Slate. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
18. "Tea Glass | by Uzoamaka Doris Aniunoh | An African Story". brittlepaper.com. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
19. "Mama Junior | Uzoamaka Doris Aniunoh | Fiction". brittlepaper.com. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
20. Kehinde, Opeyemi; Lagos (2019-10-19). "MTV Shuga Naija returns with 'Choices' this October". Daily Trust. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
21. "Every Woman Every Child partners with the MTV Staying Alive Foundation to Tackle COVID-19". Every Woman Every Child. 2020-04-16. Archived from the original on 2021-10-09. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
22. "Meet the Cast for DIICHE; Showmax's First Nigerian Original Series". BellaNaija. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
23. TV, BN (2021-03-01). "Meet the Star Studded Cast of Kayode Kasum's Comedy Film "Ponzi" + Watch the Trailer". BellaNaija. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
24. Tv, Bn (2021-03-01). "Meet the Star Studded Cast of Kayode Kasum's Comedy Film "Ponzi" + Watch the Trailer". BellaNaija. Retrieved 2021-11-11.