Shona Ferguson’s KINGS OF JO’BURG Scoops 3 International Awards!

When I talk about a dedicated, hard-working creative genius, Mr. Get the Job Done, I am talking about Shona Ferguson aka Mr SHO aka Uncle SHO. The late Shona Ferguson won awards this past Sunday at the Hollywood and African Prestigious Awards (HAPAawards) in Hollywood, California. HAPAawards honors outstanding talents across different genres in Music, Film, Comedy and Fashion.

Mr SHO won Best Lead Actor in a TV Series for the role of Simon Masire in his Netflix series, Kings of Jo’Burg. The series was created by Shona Ferguson himself; it went on to win the award for Best Series (Africa) with actress Cindy Mahlangu taking the award for Best Supporting Actress. Just like that – 3 awards in the bag for Mr SHO & Ferguson Films, a production company he founded with his wife Connie Ferguson. If you didn’t know, Kings Of Jo’Burg was self funded by Ferguson Films.

This is such great news considering how underrated and unrecognized Mr Sho’s talents were in South Africa. Kings of Jo’burg, his FIRST international production got him 3 awards, surely something is off somewhere because he’d been in industry for so long. Yes I am over the moon that he won, but I am also upset that he didn’t get a chance to walk up that stage and accept those awards himself let alone enjoy the fruits of his labour. I’d have loved for him to smell his own flowers and win an OSCAR one day because he sure was heading that direction. Death really robbed him and us because I believe deep in my heart that he still had a lot to offer. Mr SHO’s contribution in the Film & Arts industry goes a long way – it has been a journey; he didn’t just start in 2021. He gave years and years of his talent and creativity into the industry. Anyway, let me just celebrate him and not get into the TV and Film industry politics in Mzansi. It is what it is I guess.

I am yet to do a proper tribute to Abhuti Sho. This is just too close to home and has been hard to accept that he is gone. I am waiting for reality to truly sink in before I can share with y’all how I really feel about him and his premature passing.

*Mike Bless and Samad Davis at the HAPAwards 2021*

Congratulations to the entire cast and crew of Kings of Joburg. If you haven’t watched this series, check it out now on Netflix. A big shout out and Thank You to Executive Producer Samad Davis and Mike Bless for representing Shona and Connie Ferguson so well at the HAPAwards. Thank you for raising the Ferguson Films flag so high every chance you got. Your boy SHO must be smiling from heaven.