Nollywood actor, Deyemi Okanlawon, has said despite being in the movie industry for a very long time, he was yet to receive any significant award.
He said despite not being recognised by award organisers in the country, he has remained focused, stressing that he is fond of encouraging himself.
According to the thespian, if an award comes, he would accept it but noted that he won’t allow the validation of awards to define him.
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.”