2011 African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) Best Actress in a Leading Role, Ama K Abebrese says she was hopeful that she would win the award which was recently held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Although Ama couldn’t attend the ceremony because she is currently filming in Ho, Volta Region, she monitored events in Bayelsa and when she received a call from the Ghanaian delegation confirming that she had won the nod, she was overwhelmed with joy.

According to Ama, she was honoured to be nominated along with some of the best actresses in Africa; and even more excited that her first lead role earned her one of the most coveted prizes in African cinema. She also commented that the win only signifies more hard work and that she wouldn’t let her new status as the ‘best actress in Africa’ get into her head.

Ama finally had the opportunity to hold and kiss her trophy when it was presented to her at a press conference in Ho, for the new movie, ‘Ties that Bind’, which she is again shooting with filmmaker, Leila Djansi. Ama was adjudged the ‘Best Actress’ for her role as an abused wife in Leila Djansi’s psychological drama, ‘Sinking Sands’. She picked up the award ahead of Nollywood’s Genevieve Nnaji (Tango with Me), Omoni Oboli (Anchor Baby), Idiat Shobande (Aramotu), DR Congo’s Manie Malone (Viva Riva) and South Africa’s Denise Newman (Shirley Adams).