Entertainment
Riz Ahmed becomes first British-Pakistani to win Oscar
In a blistering short film, Riz Ahmed scoops first Oscar
California: British-Pakistani actor and musician Riz Ahmed has made history by becoming the first Muslim to win the Oscar for the short film ‘The Long Goodbye’. He earned the accolade for his role in ‘Sound of Metal’.
Ahmed’s win was announced in advance of the Oscars 2022 ceremony, with Short Film (Live Action) being one of several categories to be dropped from the live televised portion of the event.
In his acceptance speech, the 39-year-old said: “In such divided times, we believe that the role of story is to remind us there is no ‘us’ and ‘them’. There’s just ‘us’.
He continued: “This is for everyone who feels like they don’t belong. Anyone who feels like they’re stuck in no man’s land. You’re not alone. We’ll meet you there. That’s where the future is. Peace.”
Success for The Long Goodbye comes only a year after Ahmed was nominated for an Oscar last year for his role as a hearing-impaired drummer in Sound of Metal, losing out to Anthony Hopkins.
The Long Goodbye features music from Ahmed’s 2021 album of the same name, and focuses on a south Asian family in London who are accosted at their home by members of an all-white militia. The film was released in 2021 and reflects on his identity as a British Pakistani artist.
Riz Ahmed, the British actor and musician, has won his first Oscar for Aneil Karia’s live-action short film The Long Goodbye, which Ahmed co-wrote and starred in.
The 2022 Academy Awards were held at the Dolby Theatre on March 27.
In 2017, Mahershala Ali was the first Muslim actor to win an Oscar as a supporting actor for “Moonlight”. He won the same prize in 2019 for ‘Green Book’.