One Voice USA, the home for global voice over talent, has officially unveiled its 2023 nomination lineup, which prominently features Africa’s eminent voiceover virtuoso, Chilu Lemba. Competing in the category of Best International Voiceover Performance, Lemba has been nominated for his exemplary work on an ad for the South African Guide Dogs Association, entitled ‘Freedom’.
Lemba’s nomination is remarkable for two reasons: he is not only the sole representative from Africa in a diverse category with nine other international contenders, but he also stands as only the second nominee ever from the continent in the history of both the One Voice USA and UK awards.
The One Voice USA awards recognize non-US voice actors for their superior craft through an exclusive International category. This year, the contenders represent a global span including talents from Australia, Peru, the UK, and Japan.
On August 12, 2023, the victors from all 33 award categories will be unveiled during an opulent black-tie gala event at the Hyatt Regency Airport Hotel in Dallas, Texas.
Speaking about his nomination, Lemba commented, “This is an exhilarating honour. Sian Clarke, the producer of the nominated ad and I, mutually felt a year ago that the creation was award-worthy. Everyone involved in the production did a phenomenal job. This nomination not only validates our belief, but also highlights the global competitiveness of African productions.”
In addition to this recent nomination, Lemba has enjoyed a string of victories. In December last year, he won a prestigious Voice Arts Award for Outstanding Commercial – TV or Streaming – Best African Voiceover, for his performance in an Airtel ad, ‘Easy Bill Payments With The My Airtel App’.
The event took place at the iconic Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California. His triumphs also include winning the Best TV Promo at The APVA Awards, organized by The Association of African Podcasters and Voice Artists.
