On 15th of March, the list of nominees for the 2021 Academy Awards was announced. Among the candidates for the award for best actor, you can find Riz Ahmed ("Venom", " Rogue One: Star Wars. Stories"). The actor was awarded a prestigious nomination for his work on the film "The Sound of Metal". Ahmed became the first Muslim actor in the history of the award to compete for the prize in this category. He enthusiastically said that it was "a great honor" for him.

Rizwan Ahmed was born and raised in the United Kingdom. His ancestors emigrated from India to Pakistan after secession, and then moved to England.

The actor often emphasizes his Muslim origin and often speaks out on current issues of the Islamic world – about refugees, Islamophobia and the image of Muslims in modern cinema.