| Beverly Naya | |
| Birth Name: | Beverly Ifunaya Bassey |
| Birth Place: | London, England |
| Occupation: | Actress |
| Yearsactive: | 2008–present |
| Alma Mater: | Roehampton University |
Beverly Naya (born Beverly Ifunaya Bassey; 17 April is a British-born Nigerian actress. Beverly won Most Promising Talent at the 2010 Best of Nollywood Awards. She also won the award for Fast Rising Actress at the 2011 City People Entertainment Awards.[1] [2] [3]
Beverly Ifunaya Bassey was born in London as the only child of her Nigerian parents.[4] At 17, Beverly began acting while studying philosophy, psychology and sociology at Brunel University. She also studied script-writing and film-making at Roehampton University.[5] In an interview with BellaNaija, she explained that she relocated to Nigeria because of the rapid growth of Nollywood, and the opportunities that it creates for aspiring actors.[6] In another interview, Beverly cited Ramsey Nouah and Genevieve Nnaji as mentors.[6]
Naya began acting at the age of 17 and studied film-making at Roehampton University, London.[7] In the year 2011, Naya was named the "fastest rising actress" in the City People Entertainment Awards in Nigeria, when asked why she returned to Nigeria by Encomium Magazine she said:
After I graduated from university, I just knew that I wanted to act, I knew I wanted to act, and in London I could shoot a film probably once in a year and that's it. Whereas coming to this industry, I can build a brand as well as shoot films more often and be given a more diverse amount of scripts. So, I decided to come back for that reason.[8]
| Year | Event | Prize | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2010 Best of Nollywood Awards | Most Promising Talent | ||
| 2011 | City People Entertainment Awards | Fast Rising Actress | ||
| 2014 | ELOY Awards[12] | TV Actress of the Year | Tinsel | |
| 2016 | AMVCA[13] | Best Supporting Actress | ||
| 2018 | Toronto International Film Festival | Best Actress | Demon Inside | |
| Forbes 30 under 30 Africa[14] | Best Actress and Entrepreneur | |||
| 2020 | Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards (AMVCA) | Best Documentary | Skin | |