Nollywood actor Deyemi Okanlawon has confessed to not receiving any significant award. According to him, despite being in the film industry for a long period, he had yet to get a significant prize.
He went on to say if an award comes his way, he will accept it, but he will not let awards define him. In his words;
“I have never won any of the serious awards in Nigeria. I have been around [in the entertainment industry] for long enough that if I were the type of person to feel a certain way, I would have been like, ‘Why had I not been awarded this or that?’’
“The truth is, I can look into my mirror and congratulate myself. I have done this all my life. And if recognition or validation comes from somewhere else, I will take it graciously. In fact, I had to learn to take compliments instead of deflecting them. Validation shouldn’t define you. If anything, my presence should validate an award, not the other way round.”
Deyemi Okanlawon is a Nigerian film, television, theatre and voice actor. He is best known for his roles in Omo Ghetto: The Saga, Blood Sisters and King of Boys: The Return of the King. He has been listed as the highest grossing Nollywood actor of 2020 and 2021.