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Media mogul , Mo Abudu was on Monday evening awarded the 2019 Médailles d’Honneur (medal of honour) at the MIPTV ceremony in Cannes, France.
Abudu made history as the first African and Nigerian recipient of the prestigious award, given to senior executives who have made their mark in the global television industry as well as contributed to the development of the international television community.
Speaking about the honour on her Instagram handle, the media mogul wrote:
“Basking in the glory of receiving my award. I share this award with the EbonyLife Team, I thank all our partners, sponsors, my family, my dearest mother, my darling Temidee and Koko and of course my bestos that have helped and supported us on our journey. Much love always”
In a related post, she added:
“Sharing the stage with three other incredible people honoured with this award tonight – US writer, showrunner and producer, Ilene Chaiken, chairperson of the Banijay Group in France, Stéphane Courbit, and UK managing director of Sky Vision, Jane Millichip.
“Camille Bidermann, Executive Director of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, presented me with my award last night. Thank you so much Camille for your words of inspiration. Much love ❤❤❤ _
“A major part of my acceptance speech was dedicated to the creative business leaders in the room and the need for a partnership between our respective continents, so that our stories can be told with authenticity and produced to the best international standards. If these stories are told from both our perspectives there is a captive audience on both sides of the Atlantic waiting to be entertained as never before and with creative business leaders adding significantly to their bottom line!”
Abudu is considered one of Africa’s most prolific producers. She is the CEO of Ebonylife Media. In 2013, she launched EbonyLife TV which was Africa’s first global black entertainment and lifestyle network. It has since produced a lot of original programmes and notable series.
Abudu oversees five divisions of EbonyLife Media, namely EbonyLife TV, EbonyLife Films, EbonyLife ON, EbonyLife Studios and EbonyLife Productions Limited (UK).
She was described by Forbes as “Africa’s Most Successful Woman” and CNN as “Africa’s Queen of Media who conquered the continent”. She was also included on The Powerlist 2018, the UK’s selection of the top 100 most influential people of African and Caribbean heritage.