RISE OF RIZ
AHMED LEADS THE WAY AS BRITS DOMINATE OSCAR NOMINATIONS
RIZ AHMED is on the brink of leading Britain to a full sweep at the Oscars following the historic clutch of nominations unveiled yesterday.
British talent dominates the acting categories at the new-look Academy Awards. This year they are heavy on non-white and female talent – including, for the first time, two female directing nominees.
Ahmed, 38, becomes the first Muslim best actor nominee, for his role as a heavy metal drummer in Sound Of Metal. He is up against Sir Anthony Hopkins, who scooped best actor for The Silence Of The Lambs in 1992.
The 83-year-old is the oldest person to receive an Oscar nomination in the best actor category, for The Father.
Sir Anthony and Ahmed will need to beat another Brit, Gary Oldman, 62, for Mank, and the late Chadwick Boseman, for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
In 93 years of the Academy Awards only one woman has been named best director – Kathryn Bigelow, 69, for her 2008 film The Hurt Locker.
But now, for the first time, two women are in with a chance.
Brit Emerald Fennell, 35, – who plays Camilla in The Crown – is up for her movie Promising Young Woman, along with Nomadland director Chloé Zhao, 38.
In the supporting actor battle Daniel Kaluuya, 32, gets the nod for Judas And The Black Messiah, along with fellow Brit Sacha Baron Cohen for The Trial Of The Chicago 7. Cohen, 49, said: ‘I share my nomination with the incredible actors of Chicago 7 who are equally deserving of this accolade.’
British stars hoping to be named best actress are Carey Mulligan, 35, for Promising Young Woman and Vanessa Kirby, 32, for Pieces Of A Woman. Olivia Colman, 47, who won the best actress Oscar in 2019 for The Favourite, is up for supporting actress for The Father.
The diversity-packed nominations follow pressure on the Academy Awards to reform ever since 2015’s notorious #OscarsSoWhite where all 20 acting nominations were white. This year a total of nine of the 20 acting nominees are non-white, including three of the five in the categories of best actor and best supporting actor, making this year’s event the Academy’s most diverse ever.
The best picture contenders are The Father, Judas And The Black Messiah, Mank, Minari, Nomadland, Promising Young Woman, Sound Of Metal and The Trial Of The Chicago 7. Mank, which is about the writing of Citizen Kane, leads the number of Oscar nominations with ten nods. The nominations list was announced live from London by singer Nick Jonas, 28, and his 38year-old actress wife Priyanka Chopra.
The Oscars have been delayed by the pandemic and are now scheduled to take place on April 25.