LESS than a week after her death, Busi Lurayi has received a South African Film and Television Awards (Safta) nomination.
She has been nominated for Best Actress in the comedy category for her role as Tumi on Netflix’s How to Ruin Christmas.
She was nominated alongside Ashley de Lange, Shamilla Miller, Julia Anastasopoulos, and Ilse-Lee van Niekerk.
The nominations were announced on social media yesterday, 14 July.
Busi’s manager and friend, Brian Mauku, spoke on behalf of her agency Eye Media. He said he was proud of her and they thanked the Saftas.
“We appreciate it. We really do. I, as her manager, feel very proud of her. She fought for everything, and she deserves every accolade.
“We also love that South Africa is behind her, even though she’s no longer here. I just wish she was still alive. She would’ve been so nervous about the nomination,” he said.
Brian said he’s heartbroken about Busi’s death.
ALSO READ : Alex FM music manager shot dead!
“My heart is broken. I don’t want to lie. It feels like I lost a sister. She was a good friend. We are also in the process of planning her memorial service. We want to make sure that it will celebrate her talent and the star that she was.”
Nominees for Best TV Soap are Getroud Met Rugby, Suidooster and 7de Laan. The Best Telenovela nominees are The Wife, DiepCity and The River. How To Ruin Christmas, Tali’s Baby Diary and G.I.L, have been nominated for Best TV Comedy.
The nominees for Best Structured Soap Reality Show are The Unexpected: DJ Zinhle, Pastor Wants A Wife and Uthando Nesthembu.
Skeem Saam actress Shoki Mmola was nominated for Best Actress for TV Soap alongside Manaka Ranaka, Denise Newman, Cindy Swanepoel, and Jill Levenberg.
Putla Sehlapelo was nominated for Best Actor for TV Soap alongside Thabo Malema, Mathews Rantsoma, Cedwyn Joel, and Johan Scholtz.
Tsholofelo Matshaba, Kgomotso Christopher, Mary-Anne Barlow, Sindi Dlathu, and Nthati Moshesh were nominated for Best Actress in a Telenovela.
Vusi Kunene, Robert Hobbs, Aubrey Poo, Don Mlangeni Nawa, and Bonko Khoza were nominated for Best Actor in a Telenovela.
The nominees for the Best TV Presenter were Thembisa Mdoda-Nxumalo, Motlatsi Mafatshe, Samora Mangesi, Devi Sankaree Govender, Vicky Davis, Nico Panagio, Siphelo Bayana, Lourensa Eckard, Israel Matseke-Zulu, and Lawrence Maleka.
The nominees for Most Popular TV Soap or Telenovela were Giyani: Land of Blood, Scandal, 7de Laan, DiepCity, Imbewu: The Seed, The Estate, Binnelanders, Arendsvlei, Getroud Met Rugby,Gomora, Skeem Saam, Isono, The River, Generations: The Legacy, The Wife, Suidooster, and House of Zwide.
The awards will be held on 2 and 3 September.
