Nollywood actor Deyemi Okanlawon has stated that despite being in the business for a very long period, he has never won a major honour.
He emphasised that he enjoys motivating himself and that he has stayed focused even if the nation’s award organisers have not acknowledged him.
The actor said that while he would accept an award if one were to come his way, he would not let it come to define who he is.
Speaking in a recent interview with Hip TV, 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.”
