Lupita gets her first Emmy Awards nomination

By Hilary Kimuyu

Dozens of 2020 Primetime Emmy nominees are celebrating their first-ever nods. Among them is Kenyan actress and Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o who has been nominated for her narration in Serengeti.

The 12 Years A Slave actress has been nominated alongside global stars Kareem Abdul, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Angela Bassett and David Attenborough in the Outstanding Narrator Category.

Major awards

The nominees for this 72nd edition of the Emmys were unveiled this week via live stream.

The Emmys, which are television's equivalent of the Oscars, will take place on September 20 and will be the first major awards show in Hollywood since the coronavirus crisis began.

Last year Lupita become the first African woman to narrate a documentary for Go Discovery. The docuseries followed the heartwarming and harrowing tales of wildlife living within Tanzania's largest national park.

The Oscar winner narrated the six-part series, produced by Emmy-winning filmmakers Simon Fuller and John Downer, who also directed the show. Having visited plenty of safaris throughout her lifetime, Lupita, said she was overwhelmed by the majesty of Africa's nearly untouched plains.

However, it was the uncanny similarities many of the animals in the Serengeti shared with mankind, as well as the dramatic moments that filled their day-to-day lives, that made her feel even more connected to her home country and all the inhabitants there.

Academy award

The Black Panther star is very passionate about wildlife conservation. Last year, she was honoured by WildAid, the global conservation organization leading the fight to end the illegal wildlife trade, as a Wildlife Champion.

Lupita's talent and passion has earned her various coveted accolades including BET and Oscar Awards. She also boasts of gracing the covers of various publications such as British Vogue and Ms among others. She recently launched her debut book Sulwe, which it is getting favourable reviews.

The actress impressive catalogue of award-winning films has made her an inspiration to many young Kenyan actors and actresses.

She earned her first Academy Award for her featured film debut in 12 Years A Slave, where she became the first Kenyan actress to win the award. Lupita was also nominated for several awards including a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress, a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a supporting Role and a Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Supporting Actress, which she won.

Lupita made her Broadway debut as a teen orphan in the critically acclaimed play Eclipsed in 2015, where she earned a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance.

Nominations

In addition, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play and a Distinguished Performance Award at the Drama League Award for her performance.

In 2018, Lupita co-starred in superhero film Black Panther, which earned her multiple award nominations, including BET Awards for Best Actress, NAACP Image Award, for Best Supporting Actress, and a Saturn Award for Best Actress.

The following year, she starred and earned nominations for her dual role in Us, which included a Critics Choice Award for Best Actress, two MTV Movie Awards, a NAACP Image Award for Best Actress which she won, two People's Choice Awards, a Saturn Award for Best Actress, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress.

Lupita now becomes the third black woman to be nominated in the category for the Emmy Award for her narration as an Outstanding Narrator. She was also been nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Character Voice-Over Performance.

This article was originally published by Nairobi News. [Photo: Getty Images/Kevin Winter]