Ama K. Abebrese Explained

Ama K. Abebrese
Birth Name:Ama Konadu Abebrese
Birth Date:1980 5, df=yes
Birth Place:Kumasi, Ghana
Nationality:Ghanaian, British
Education:Burlington Danes Academy
William Morris Sixth Form
St Mary's University, Twickenham
Occupation:Actress, television presenter, producer
Awards:Best Actress in a Leading Role, 2011 AMAA Awards

Ama Konadu Abebrese (born 3 May 1980) is a British-Ghanaian actress, television presenter and a producer.[1] [2] She was born in Ghana and raised in West London in the United Kingdom.[3] She won the 2011 Best Actress in a Leading Role at the AMAA Awards for her stellar performance in Sinking Sands. Her film credits includes Azali, the first Ghanaian first nominated for an Academy Award; and the 2015 Netflix movie Beasts of No Nation (directed by Cary Fukunaga and starring Idris Elba). She is listed among Africa's Top 20 Actors and Actresses by FilmContacts.com.[4] She is the narrator and a producer on the Blitz Bazawule film The Burial of Kojo, which was acquired by Array and was released on Netflix.[5]

She began her TV presenting career in her teens at YCTV in London. She has presented on BBC2, OBE TV, Viasat 1, TV3, Ebonylife TV, and others.

Education

She attended William Morris Sixth Form in Hammersmith after completing secondary school at Burlington Danes Academy. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts and Drama obtained at St Mary's University, Twickenham.

Career

Abebrese started her training at YCTV (Youth Culture Television) in London, an organization started by Sabrina Guinness on the TV show Challenge Anneka. She was a presenter on BBC2 youth show Pass da Mic and a guest presenter on the English File educational series.[6] She developed a love for acting after joining the Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith) Summer Company as a youth. Abebrese was a regular TV presenter on the now defunct OBE TV in London, hosting and producing on a number of shows including One Touch, and the entertainment chat show On The Sofa, where guests she has interviewed range from Akon to Ziggy Marley. She has interviewed the likes of Harrison Ford, Ne-Yo, Rihanna, and Star Wars director George Lucas among notable others.[7]

Her film credits include the international multiple award-winning film Sinking Sands, directed by 2011 BAFTA LA and Pan African Film Festival prize winner Leila Djansi. The film received 12 nominations at the 2010 Ghana Movie Awards, including "Best Actress in a Leading Role", the film won four awards, including "Best Film". Other film credits are Revele film's Elmina and London Get Problem. She starred and co-produced the movie Double-Cross, which won two awards for "Best Cinematography" and "Best Hair and Makeup" at the 2015 Ghana Movie Awards.

She is the former Head of Own Productions and Executive Producer at Viasat 1 television station in Ghana.[8] She was the host of A Day in the Life TV show which aired on Viasat 1; she co hosted New Day on TV3 weekday mornings.[9]

In 2013, she, alongside Nollywood actress Dakore and comedian Ayo Makun, hosted the 2013 edition of the AMAA Awards.[10] [11]

She was named among C Hub magazine's 100 most influential 'African Women Influencers' of the era 2014/15.[12] She was ranked the Number 1 Most Influential TV and Radio Host 2015 on the Ghana Social Media Rankings List[13]

Filmography

style="background:#FFFFCC;"
Denotes projects that have not yet been released
YearTitleRoleNotes
2010Sinking SandsPabiDrama
2011Ties That BindBuki OcanseyDrama
2014Double-CrossEffie HowardThriller
2015Beasts of No NationMotherDrama/War
The Cursed OnesChinueDrama/Thriller
2017LotannaZaraDrama/Thriller
2018AzaliJoanDrama
The Burial of KojoNarratorDrama/Thriller
2020Lagos to OsloIrukaCrime/Drama
2022The Storm Detective LynnPost-production

Promotional work

In 2014, Ama was unveiled as Dark and Lovely's Brand Ambassador for Ghana.[14]

Causes

Say no to skin bleaching

Ama is the founder of the "I Love My Natural Skintone. Say NO to Skin Bleaching" campaign, which she launched in 2014, it seeks to address issues of colorism and encourage Africans and people of color to embrace their natural skin tones and resist from the often harmful practice of skin bleaching.[15]

Child safety icon

Abebrese is a "Child Safety Icon" for the charity SafeChild Ghana, an organization whose primary goal is to keep the children safe from harm.

Free rape medical kits

Abebrese launched a petition in July 2020 in Ghana calling on the government to waive fees attached to the medical examinations of rape victims.[16] [17] The fees being charged became an impediment because without a proper medical examination no prosecution could be undertaken by the police and majority of the rape victims could not afford the fees.[18] This led to a nationwide campaign which got her a meeting with the First Lady of Ghana Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Gender Minister Cynthia Morrison to implore the government to scrap the fees associated with the examination kits.[19]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
2010Media Personality
2011Zimbabwe International Film Festival Best Actress Sinking Sands
2011Best Actress in a Leading Role Sinking Sands
2011Best Pan African Actress
2011Best West African Actress Ties That Bind
2011Ghana Movie AwardsBest DiscoveryTies That Bind
2012Best Actress in a Leading RoleTies That Bind
2012Best New ActressSinking Sands
2013African Film Personality
2013AU Diaspora African MissionSalute to the Diaspora Award
2014Noble Woman AwardNoble Care Foundation
2014TV Hostess of the Year (Ghana)A Day in the Life show
2014Best Actress in a Leading RoleDouble-Cross
2015Favourite Golden Actress
2015Actress in a Supporting RoleThe Cursed Ones
2016Golden Supporting Actress DramaThe Cursed Ones
2016Non Nigerian ActressBeasts of No Nation
2017Best ActressSink or Swim. The Perilous Journey
2018Ghana Movie AwardsBest Actress in a Supporting RoleAzali

Notes and References

  1. News: Unifem Ghana Endorses "Sinking Sands". Bondzi. Jacquiline Afua. 10 December 2010. AllAfrica.com. AllAfrica Global Media. 28 March 2011.
  2. Web site: AMAA Nominees and Winners 2011. 28 March 2011. Africa Movie Academy Awards. 28 March 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110403012110/http://www.ama-awards.com/amaa-nominees-and-winners-2011. 3 April 2011. dead.
  3. Web site: Biography . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130731030214/http://amakonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2&Itemid=7 . 31 July 2013 . 11 June 2014 . Amakonline. . dmy-all.
  4. Web site: Africa's Top 20 Actors and Actresses . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20190402130802/http://www.filmcontact.com/africa/africa%E2%80%99s-top-20-actors-and-actresses . 2 April 2019 . 21 March 2016 . FilmContact..
  5. Web site: 'The Burial of Kojo': Film Review. The Hollywood Reporter. 29 March 2019. en. 2019-06-11.
  6. News: Featured: Ama K Abebrese . 15 June 2007 . Gossipa . Sakofa Magazine . 6 July 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080504013154/http://www.ghanasentertainment.com/tv-and-film/featured-ama-k-abebrese.html . 4 May 2008 .
  7. Web site: Ama - Viasat One. 5 May 2013. Viasat1. 5 May 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130707150852/http://www.viasat1.com.gh/v1/en/presenters/ama-k-abebrese.php. 7 July 2013. dead.
  8. Web site: Ama K. Heads Viasat 1 Productions . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150518070631/http://mail.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/blogs/blog.article.php?blog=1603&ID=1000008863 . 18 May 2015 . 11 May 2015 . GhanaWeb. . dmy-all.
  9. http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/entertainment/Ama-K-Abebrese-quits-TV3-429562 "Ama K. Abebrese quits TV3?"
  10. Web site: Dakore, AY, Ghanaian Abebrese to Host AMAA 2013. 12 April 2013. The Punch. https://web.archive.org/web/20130412015320/http://www.punchng.com/entertainment/arts-life/dakore-ay-ghanaian-abebrese-to-host-amaa-2013/. 12 April 2013. dead.
  11. Web site: Host of AMAA 2013 – Comedian AY, actress Dakore and Ghana's Ama Abebrese. Haliwud. INFORMATION NIGERIA. 17 April 2013.
  12. Web site: C. Hub names Ama K. Abebrese among its 100 most influential people of the era 2014/15 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20190402152311/https://ameyawdebrah.com/c-hub-names-ama-k-abebrese-among-100-influential-people-era-201415/ . 2 April 2019 . 11 May 2015 . AmeyawDebrah..
  13. Web site: Ama K. Abebrese tops Most Influential TV & Radio Host 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160201042202/http://thebftonline.com/lifestyle/16888/ama-k-abebrese-tops-most-influential-tv-radio-host-2015.html . 1 February 2016 . 27 January 2016 . thebftonline. . dmy-all.
  14. Web site: Ama K. Abebrese unveilved as Dark and Lovely Ghana Brand Ambassador. NY DJ Live. 7 August 2014.
  15. Web site: 16 July 2014 . "SAY NO TO SKIN BLEACHING" campaign, Ama K. Abebrese's bold step . GhanaWeb..
  16. Web site: BBC World Service - Newsday, Ghana rape: Campaign to end fee for medical form . 2021-02-06 . BBC News United Kingdom.
  17. Web site: Women in Ghana Have to Pay up to $140 to Open a Rape Case. This Actress Is Fighting to Change That.. 2021-02-06. Global Citizen. en.
  18. Web site: 2020-12-31. Pulse Picks: 6 Ghanaian heroes of rape campaigns in 2020. 2021-02-06. Pulse Ghana. en-US.
  19. News: Asiedu. Kwasi Gyamfi. 2020-08-07. Rape victims 'denied justice' in Ghana by costly medical fees. en. Reuters. 2021-02-06.