Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman & Uzor Arukwe Crowned Best Lead Actress and Best Lead Actor at AMVCA 2026

The biggest acting prizes of the night have officially found their winners. Uzor Arukwe and Linda Ejiofor–Suleiman emerged as the top lead acting winners at the 12th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, taking home the Best Lead Actor and Best Lead Actress awards respectively in a ceremony that celebrated some of Nollywood’s strongest performances of the past year.

Held at Eko Hotel and Suites and hosted by Bovi Ugboma alongside Nomzamo Mbatha, the ceremony brought together the industry’s leading actors, filmmakers, and creatives for one of the biggest nights in African film and television.

Uzor Arukwe secured the Best Lead Actor award for his performance in “Colours of Fire,” directed by Niyi Akinmolayan. In the fantasy epic, he plays a conflicted warrior tasked with hunting a beast, delivering a performance that balanced emotional vulnerability with commanding physical intensity. The win marks a major milestone in Arukwe’s AMVCA journey, following previous nominations including a Best Supporting Actor nod in 2025 and a double nomination in the comedy category in 2020.

For Linda Ejiofor–Suleiman, the night became even more historic. She claimed the Best Lead Actress award for her role in “The Serpent’s Gift” after already winning Best Supporting Actress earlier in the evening for “The Herd.” With two major acting wins in one night, Ejiofor-Suleiman joins a rare group of performers to achieve a double victory within a single AMVCA cycle.

The 2026 edition featured a highly competitive field of nominees across film and television, but by the end of the ceremony, it was clear that the night belonged to Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman and Uzor Arukwe.