Riz Ahmed overjoyed that people can connect to his Oscar nod on a ‘deeper level’ Entertainment Tue, Mar 16, 2021 Riz Ahmed became the first Muslim to get nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Actor Celebrated actor Riz Ahmed grabbed the title of the first Muslim and Pakistani actor to bag a nomination the Best Actor’s category for this year's Academy Awards. The Rogue One star became the first Muslim and the first actor of Pakistani origin to get nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Actor for his performance in Sound of Metal. The film bagged nods for a total of six categories, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor for Paul Raci, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing and Best Sound.