Although Mahershala Ali was the first Muslim actor to win an Academy Award, he nabbed Grammys in the Best Supporting Actor category for his performance in 2017’s Moonlight and 2019’s Green Book. With these, he became the first Muslim actor to win an Oscar and the first black actor to win two Academy Awards. But before Riz, no Muslim actor had managed to receive an Oscar nod in a leading category, such as the Best Actor, and no actor of Pakistani descent had made it to the Oscars. "Riz Ahmed, so proud of you and best of luck! “Riz Ahmed!

Source: The Express Tribune March 17, 2021 09:46 UTC