Not one to bitch about 2012...

It was a good year!

By no means has it been an easy year, but from kicking off the year at Southwark Playhouse; experiencing my professional big screen debut at BAFTA and ending the year with my first best actress nomination, I have a heaps to be thankful for.

Thank you to my 'Naked Poet' family - Jason Barrett, Petra Letang, Aml Ameen, Kyla Frye, Kelle Bryan, Babatunde Aleshe, Mo George, Aaron Fontaine, Emma Dennis-Edwards, Bella Turner, Jacqueline Williams, Fab Santino Michelle Harvey and Gabrielle Ryan. It was so jokes working with you all and can't wait to see what 2013 has in store for you gorgeous talented lot.

Thank you Suzette Coon and Anil Kumar for taking a journey into the future with me at Southwark Playhouse. We turned the script inside out and back again and made people smile. You are awesome people.

Thank you Sam Benjamin for trusting me with your words, it was such a treat to work on 'Hangman'. Thank you.

Kate McGregor, super chilled director of the year - can't believe how much we covered in 3 days! Thanks to you and Hester Kent for casting me and giving me my first (and probably last) experience of wearing flesh coloured leggings in public. Cheers to you my tea drinking friends.

Eddie Usher, Glenn Speers, Adrian Kabba, Felix Trench, Nina Moniri, Anita Gollschewsky, Chris Walsh. The joy was so short but undoubtedly sweet.

Thank you to Sam Brown, Roe Brooks and Terry Mills at BAM and Big Talent for what has been achieved in this short time and what is to come in 2013. I'm excited and hope you are too!

Dean Stalham, Dudley Sutton, Kane Sharpe, Les Wade, David Frederick and Sadie Kaye - You and Art Saves Lives are what the industry needs more of and I cannot wait to unleash 'Raw Vision' with you in 2013.

Thank you Trevor Melvin and RSA films - getting out of bed to go to work has never been easier than this! One of the loveliest production teams I have ever know. Cheers to you all.

Thank you to Laura Bellingham for making me cry. No really, thank you. You are an incredibly gifted film maker and it is only a matter of time before the rest of the world realises it.

Gemma Lloyd - you are one in a million and deserve the best of everything. Thank you.

Thank you Rae McKen for always thinking of me. We will work together, we will dammit!

Melissa Lambert, 2013 is yours. Fact.

John Setrice @ Macfarlane Chard for all your loveliness and wicked sense of humour.

Thank you Esta Charkham for always championing me - I appreciate it so much.

And aside from my family, there are some people whose support, advise and general presence throughout 2012 have to be noted including Kristle Williams, Marie Stower, Amanda Zendel, Jo Villa, Ishya Thompson, Vanessa Robinson, Louise Mulcahy, Joanna Vanderpuije, Stuart Chapman, Daren Montaque, Kirsty Sutton, Tom Starling, Joao Costa, Buki Fadipe, Kane Hulse, Alix and Lucas @ Lulix Films, Tailia Santo, Cynthia Bernard, Florence Ogunbowale, Nana Opoku, Yvie Mason, Jennifer Nicholas, Ben Cawley, Chris Chasseud, Stephen Oakes, Charley Jai, Nonso Anozie, Nathan Stewart- Jarrett, Shereen Jasmin-Philips, Bola Agbaje, Destiny Ekaragha, Lashana Lynch, Nuria Moregrega, Michael Grandage, Gemma Hutchinson, Suzanne Oremus, Sadia Mustufa, Jenny Bastet, Ben Sheridan, Amanda Wilkin, Demi Oyediran, Karl Donovan, Sam Way, Maggie Daniels, Kayleigh Llewellyn, Matthew Parker and Laura Harling, First Draft, Porcelain Films, Ian Grout, Scotch & Soda and Wonderland Magazine.

I hope 2013 brings much courage, love and success to you all.

Ava

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