Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Ejiofor ya sami yabo da yawa don taka rawar da ɗan adawa na Amurka Solomon Northup a cikin fim ɗin wasan kwaikwayo na tarihin rayuwar 2013 "Shekaru 12 a Bawa". Ya karɓi lambar yabo ta BAFTA don Mafi Kyawun Jarumi a cikin Babban Matsayi kuma an zaɓe shi don Kyautar Kwalejin don Mafi Kyawun Jarumi. Bugu da kari, ya lashe kyaututtukan Mafi Kyawun Jarumi a Kyautar AACTA ta Duniya ta 3 da kuma Kyautar BET ta 14, kuma an zaɓe shi a Kyautar Golden Globe ta 71, Kyautar Gida ta 20
, Kyautar Zaɓin Masu sukar 19, da Kyautar Satellite ta 18. A cikin 2013, ya kuma fito a cikin wasan kwaikwayo na talabijin na BBC "Dancing on the Edge", wanda aka zaɓe shi don lambar yabo ta Golden Globe, lambar yabo ta Primetime Emmy, da kuma lambar yabo ta Satellite. An ba Ejiofor lambar yabo ta CBE a shekarar 2015.