On Tuesday night in New York City, Mo Abudu, CEO of EbonyLife Media, chaired the 47th International Emmy Awards Gala. She is the first African, male or female, to land the coveted role. Following her appointment as the first African director of the Academy, the move signals a change in the opportunities opening up for television content producers on the continent.
Speaking at the gala, Mo Abudu said, “These partnerships are the first of their kind between Hollywood studios and a Nigerian television company. We are happy to be at the forefront of forging these new partnerships because it is truly about sharing our local stories with a global audience – stories that are historical, authentic and progressive.”
Stand-up comedian and actor Ronny Chieng, a correspondent on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and star of Crazy Rich Asians, hosted the gala, while businesswoman, philanthropist, author and former model Iman presented the Directorate Award to CNN Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour. Actor Conleth Hill, known worldwide for his role as Lord Varys in Game of Thrones, presented the Founders Award to the show’s creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
Mo Abudu’s high profile guests included Zain Asher, News Anchor, CNN International; Shuli Adebolu, Hon. Commissioner for Tourism, Arts & Culture; Abiola Oke, CEO, OkayAfrica; Gbenga Akinnagbe, actor (The Wire); to name a few.
The visit was supported by Lagos State Government.
