Yvonne Nelson

Yvonne Nelson started her basic and secondary education at St. Martin De Porres School in her neighbourhood where she completed her junior secondary school.

Yvonne Nelson honed her creative talents at Aggrey Memorial AME Zion Senior High School where she won the Miss Aggrey beauty pageant and later became the entertainment prefect. She noted in her book released in 2023 that entertainment was the only thing that took her mind away from her dislike of the school.

Yvonne Nelson contested for the Miss Ghana pageant after senior high school and although she did not win, she won the Best Talent award and gained a lot of exposure.

With the exposure from the beauty pageant, Yvonne Nelson won a two-year contract as the face of Maxim Cosmetics and landed a role in the TV series Fortune Island, where her acting career began. Her first lead role was the title character in the movie Princess Tyra.

Yvonne Nelson got her Nollywood breakthrough when she moved to Nigeria to shoot her first collaboration with Genevieve Nnaji in 2007. Since then, she has filmed close to a hundred movies in Nigeria, Ghana, and Ivory Coast. 

Yvonne Nelson has dozens of awards as an actor, producer and director. She won Favourite Actress (2010) at the Ghana Movie Awards, Best Ghanaian Actress (2011) at the City People Awards, Best Picture (Single & Married) at the 2012 Ghana Movie Awards, Glitz Magazine Fans Favorite Actress (2013) at the Ghana Movie Awards, Hottest Ghanaian Actress in Nollywood (2013) at the City People Entertainment Awards, Best Actress – Leading Role (If Tomorrow Never Comes) at the 2013 Ghana Movie Awards, Most Stylish Movie Star (2015) at the Glitz Style Awards and Best Actress (Jungle Justice) at the 2018 Ghana Movie Awards.

Until the release of her memoir, 'I Am Not Yvonne Nelson,' Yvonne Nelson's romantic relationship with top Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie was unknown. She disclosed in the book released in June 2023 that she aborted the rapper's baby in 2010. This created a lot of controversy and a subsequent reaction from Sarkodie in the song titled Try Me.

Yvonne Nelson was banned by the Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG) in 2010 for a year following an altercation with movie producer Abdul Salam Mumuni. The association notified its members not to feature the actress in any movie and also sent a notice to its sister association in Nigeria to do the same. The ban, however, opened doors for her in Nigeria where she secured the biggest roles of her career.

Yvonne Nelson founded the Yvonne Nelson Glaucoma Foundation in 2010 to help create awareness about the disease which affected her grandmother. With support from other Ghanaian celebrities, she recorded an all-star charity single and shot a video to help educate people.

Yvonne Nelson produced her first movie, The Price, in 2011, followed by 'Single And Married' the next year. The latter won Best Picture at the Ghana Movie Awards and Best Ghanaian Movie in Nigeria at the 2013 City People Awards. She followed these up with House of Gold in 2013.

Yvonne Nelson openly dated Nigerian singer Iyanya in 2012 until 2015 when the relationship came to an end. In the tenth chapter of the 'I am not Yvonne Nelson,' memoir titled 'Iyanya and My Love Life,' the actress narrated how she discovered that Iyanya cheated on her with a fellow actress.

Yvonne Nelson sought the support of other celebrities in the movie industry to lead a group of demonstrators to protest against the energy crisis in Ghana. Thousands of people came out for the demonstration which was staged in a form of a vigil and there was a positive reaction from the government led by President John Dramani Mahama.

Not only is Yvonne Nelson an actress and film producer but a successful businesswoman. She owns a hairline and fashion shop called “YN’s Closet” which is stocked with the latest clothing lines you can ever think of.

Heels & Sneakers is a TV drama series produced and directed by Yvonne Nelson to dramatize relatable events that reflect society as it is. It aired on a number of TV channels in Ghana and Nigeria for years before it went on a break. It was relaunched on YouTube in 2023.

Yvonne Nelson became a mother in 2017 after the birth of her baby girl Ryn Roberts whose father is her ex-fiance Jamie Roberts, a photographer from Wales.

Yvonne Nelson gained fame before she pursued higher education earning a bachelor's degree in Human Resource Management at Central University College in 2010 and a master's degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration in 2020.

Yvonne Nelson is the proprietor of Just Like Mama Day Care located at East Legon Hills in Accra. She described the preschool as the best in Ghana with well-resourced facilities.

Yvonne Nelson joined one of the biggest YouTube multi-channel networks, Age Africa Agency, to manage the growth and monetization of her YouTube channels. She joins a long list of Ghanaians who benefit from the network's partner management, digital rights management, and sales and audience development.

Yvonne Nelson released a best-selling memoir titled 'I Am Not Yvonne Nelson'. The book was highly patronized because it talked about her life and relationships. A lot of prominent people were mentioned in the book sparking lots of reactions.

Yvonne Nelson relaunched her popular TV series Heels and Sneakers on YouTube to reach a wider audience. Produced and directed by YN Productions, the show dramatizes relatable events to reflect society as it is. It employs the use of cliffhangers to keep the audience in suspense and in anticipation of the next episode. It shows on the Yvonne Nelson YouTube channel (@yvonnenelsongh).