Entertainment
Mawuko Kuadzi wins maiden Best Casting Director award at 15th Ghana Movie Awards
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Ghanaian casting director Mawuko Kuadzi has etched his name in the country’s film history, becoming the first-ever winner of the newly introduced Best Casting Director category at the 15th Ghana Movie Awards (GMA) held at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra on Sunday, June 7, 2026.
The star-studded ceremony, which attracted a host of Ghanaian and African celebrities, saw Mawuko Kuadzi take home the historic award for his work on the film The Fisherman.
He beat fellow nominees Naomi Osei Mensah (King of Tema), Frank Rajah (Virgin of the Throne), and the duo Rawdrick Lartey Junior and Omar Krupp (Ghana Map).
The category, introduced for the first time in the awards’ 15-year history, mirrors a similar addition by the Academy Awards (Oscars) and celebrates the critical role of casting directors as the “Human Resource Managers” of the creative economy.
Mawuko Kuadzi’s win comes on the heels of groundbreaking international achievements. In 2025 and again in 2026, he became the first African in 40 years to win the prestigious ARTIOS Award from the Casting Society of America (CSA), firmly placing Ghana on the global casting map.
His international acclaim also led the Ghana Leadership Awards to create and bestow upon him the Best Casting Director honor in 2024.
Observers note that this progression sends a powerful message: when a professional consistently delivers excellence, industry bodies are compelled to take notice and create platforms to honor that contribution.
The biggest honor of the evening, Best Picture, went to Sukura, a production that also featured an executive producer in a lead role.
The film King of Tema took home the Best Editing award, while The Fisherman, which earned Mawuko Kuadzi his historic casting award also won Best Visual Effect. Several veteran actors and rising stars were also celebrated across various categories.
The red carpet at the Kempinski Hotel was a spectacular affair, drawing a who is who of Ghanaian and African entertainment.
Among the Ghanaian stars who graced the event were Fred Amugi, Jackie Appiah, Yvonne Nelson, Nana Ama McBrown, Kweku Manu, Dr Likee, Juliet Ibrahim, Salma Mumin, Hajia4Reall, AJ Poundz, Ahuofe Patri, Charly DGH, and James Gardiner.
Nigerian representation was strong, with actors Deyemi Okanlawon, Daniel Etim Effiong, and celebrated filmmaker Kunle Afolayan all walking the red carpet, underscoring the deepening creative ties between Ghana and Nigeria.
A major highlight was an emotional tribute to legendary highlife musician Daddy Lumba, veteran actress Beverly Afaglo, and Nigerian actor Alexx Ekubo, with a cross-border performance that moved the audience.
The National Film Authority used the platform to urge stakeholders to contribute to a film industry fund, signaling a push for greater financial and institutional backing for the sector
The leadership of the African Chamber of Content Producers (ACCP), present at the ceremony, praised the Ghana Movie Awards for its forward-looking approach.
“The Ghana Movie Awards is holding the fort for the creative economy,” a chamber spokesperson said. “Film is the mother industry. Any initiative that sustains the film sector multiplies jobs across the entire economy.”
With his maiden GMA win, Mawuko Kuadzi has
now achieved a rare triple: Ghana Leadership Awards honoree (2024), two-time ARTIOS winner (2025, 2026), and now the first ever Best Casting Director at the Ghana Movie Awards.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana’s comedy industry would take centre stage today, when the sixth edition of the Ghana Comedy Awards is held at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Ridge, Accra.
The event, which has become the country’s premier platform for recognising excellence in comedy since it rebranded from the Comedy and Poetry Awards, would celebrate comedians whose performances and contributions stood out between January 1 and December 31, 2025. 
This year’s ceremony would begin with a red-carpet session at 7:00 p.m., followed by the main awards event at 8:30 p.m.
Organisers have promised an evening of entertainment featuring some of Ghana’s foremost comedy talents, including Lekzy, Jeneral Ntatia, Kojo PJay, Oh Joo, Alo Wess, Ranzy Ray and Jerry Ashinyo.
Musical performances are also expected to complement the comedy acts.
Media personality Kwame Dadzie would play host for the event, which is expected to attract comedians, entertainers and fans from across the country.
Tickets for the awards are selling at GH¢200 for the silver package and GH¢300 for Gold.
The organisers have also urged the public to support their favourite nominees by voting before polls close at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 1. Voting can be done by dialling 71333*009# and entering the nominee’s code.
Beyond honouring outstanding performers, the Ghana Comedy Awards seeks to celebrate the growth of Ghana’s comedy industry and the talents who continue to entertain audiences nationwide. -GNA
After years of development, funding, and creative grit, Ghanaian feature film “Ego Reach We All” has earned an official nomination to make its world premiere at the 79th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland this month.
Formerly titled Vagabonds, the 105-minute drama was written and directed by Amartei Armar and produced by Yemoh Ike.
It marks one of the biggest international breakthroughs for Ghanaian cinema in recent years.
The film was shot entirely in Ghana with a Ghanaian cast and crew, grounding it in authentic local culture.
Post-production was completed in France, a collaboration that Director Amartei Armar says reflects the film’s spirit, “A Ghanaian story told with the world.”
The journey began in 2018 when the short film version won at the Montreal World Film Festival, an Oscar-qualifying event.
From there, ‘Ego Reach We All’ grew into a full-length feature backed by some of the most respected names in global film development: Winner – Cannes Focus CoPro, Recipient – Red Sea Development Fund, Honoree – Red Sea Souk Award and Backed by – Red Sea Productions Fund.
Industry watchers have called it one of the most promising African film projects to emerge in the last decade.
Beyond awards, the project was shaped in top international labs.
Armar was selected for the Heyazah Screening Lab in Doha, Qatar, to refine the film’s narrative.
Producer, Yemoh Ike joined the prestigious, 2023 EAVE Producers Programme under a CNC scholarship, with training sessions in Luxembourg, Austria, and the Netherlands.
Most recently, the film was chosen for the 2025 Atlas Workshop in Marrakesh, Morocco, cementing its place in global cinema circles.
Casts include, Idrissu Tontie, Dorothy Adobea Tandoh, Emmanuel Wilberforce, Barbara Yong Jin, Emmanuel Owusu Ofori, O’Bryan Kwame Enyan, Gabriel Narh Addo, Nelly Bilson, and Kwame Brenya.
For the team, Locarno is not just a festival slot. It’s validation that Ghanaian stories, told by Ghanaians, can compete on the world’s most respected stages.
“Principal photography was done entirely by Ghanaian creatives,” the producers noted.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
