Nollywood veterans Sola Sobowale and Kanayo O. Kanayo have been honoured with the prestigious Industry Merit Awards at the 2026 edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA). The duo received the special recognition on Saturday night during the 12th AMVCA ceremony held at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos.
The Industry Merit Award is one of the highest honours of the night, reserved for screen legends whose careers have significantly shaped the Nigerian film landscape. Organisers said Sobowale and Kanayo were selected for their decades long contributions, consistency and ability to remain relevant across multiple eras of Nollywood.
In her acceptance speech, Sola Sobowale – fondly known as “King of Boys” after her blockbuster role – expressed gratitude to God, the AMVCA organisers, her colleagues and fans. She paid emotional tribute to her children for standing by her during the toughest moments of her career and dedicating the award to them and to all women in the industry.
Kanayo O. Kanayo, whose career spans classics like Living in Bondage to recent streaming era hits, also took the stage to thank filmmakers and viewers who have supported him over the years. The actor and lawyer used the platform to call for an end to xenophobic attacks in South Africa and urged African countries to deepen cultural and creative collaboration instead.
The 12th AMVCA ceremony also recognised other categories including Best Lead Actor, Best Lead Actress, Trailblazer Award and a separate Industry Merit honour for Richard Mofe Damijo (RMD). But many fans and colleagues agreed that the dual recognition for Sobowale and Kanayo was one of the emotional high points of the night, celebrating two figures widely regarded as pillars of Nollywood.
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