Nollywood actor and filmmaker, Deyemi Okanlawon has said that despite working in Nollywood for a considerable amount of time, he has never been given any serious awards in the country.
Okanlawon claimed that despite not receiving any recognition from the nation’s award organisers, he continues to stay motivated because he enjoys motivating himself.
In a recent interview with Hip TV, the seasoned actor said that while he would accept an award if one were to come his way, he would not let it define who he is.
The actor claimed that if he were the kind of guy who gets offended by these kinds of things, he would have been thinking about himself and wondering why he hasn’t won anything noteworthy yet.
He claimed he could confidently congratulate himself in the mirror after all of his accomplishments. Additionally, he added that rather than brushing off praises, he has learned to value them.
Okanlawon said:
“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.”
