List of Muslim Academy Award winners and nominees explained

This is a list of Muslim Academy Award winners and nominees. It includes both practicing Muslims and those who have a Muslim background.

Academy Awards, popularly known as Oscars, are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for artistic and technical merit in the film industry.

This list is current as of the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony, which was held on April 25, 2021.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
CeremonyYearNameCountryFilmStatusNotes
35th1962Omar SharifLawrence of ArabiaFirst Egyptian to be nominated for an Academy Award in any category
89th2016Mahershala Ali MoonlightFirst Muslim to win an Academy Award in an acting category[2]
91st2018Green BookFirst Black actor to win Best Actor in a Supporting Role twice

Best Documentary (Feature)

Academy Award for Best Documentary (Feature)
CeremonyYearNameCountryFilmStatusNotes
39th1965Haroun Tazieff / / Le Volcan interditMuslim father
85th2012Emad Burnat5 Broken CamerasNomination shared with Guy Davidi
86th2013Jehane NoujaimThe SquareMuslim father and possibly converted mother
Karim Amer /
88th2015Asif KapadiaAmyAward shared with James Gay-Rees
90th2017Feras Fayyad
Kareem Abeed
Last Men in AleppoNomination shared with Søren Steen Jespersen
91st2018Talal DerkiOf Fathers and SonsNomination shared with Ansgar Frerich, Eva Kemme, and Tobias N. Siebert
92nd2019Feras FayyadThe CaveNomination shared with Kirstine Barfod and Sigrid Dyekjær
Waad Al-KateabFor SamaNomination shared with Edward Watts

Best Documentary (Short Subject)

Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject)
CeremonyYearNameCountryFilmStatusNotes
84th2011Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy/Saving Face[3] First Pakistani to be nominated for and to win an Academy Award in any category;
Award shared with Daniel Junge
86th2013Sara Ishaq / Karama Has No Walls
88th2015Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy/[4] First Muslim to win two Academy Awards;
First female to win Best Documentary (Short Subject) twice

Best Live Action Short Film

Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film
CeremonyYearNameCountryFilmStatusNotes
33rd1960Ismail MerchantThe Creation of WomanNomination shared with Charles F. Schwep
72nd1999Mehdi Norowzian / Killing JoeNomination shared with Steve Wax
74th2001Shameela BakhshSpeed for ThespiansNomination shared with Kalman Apple
75th2002Lexi Alexander / Johnny FlyntonMuslim father;
Nomination shared with Alexander Buono
87th2014Talkhon HamzaviParvanehNomination shared with Stefan Eichenberger
92nd2019Meryam Joobeur / BrotherhoodNomination shared with Marcia Gracia Turgeon
94th2021Riz Ahmed / The Long GoodbyeNominated shared with Aneil Karia

Best Original Score

Academy Award for Best Original Score
CeremonyYearNameCountryFilmStatusNotes
81st2008A. R. RahmanSlumdog MillionaireFirst Indian to be nominated for and to win Best Original Score[5]
83rd2010127 HoursFirst Asian to be nominated for Best Original Score twice

Best Original Song

Academy Award for Best Original Song
CeremonyYearNameCountryFilm SongStatusNotes
81st2008A. R. RahmanSlumdog Millionaire "Jai Ho"Award shared with Gulzar;
First Asian along with Gulzar to win Best Original Song;
First Asian to be nominated for three Academy Awards in the same year;
First Asian to win two Academy Awards in the same year
Slumdog Millionaire "O... Saya"Nomination shared with Mathangi "M.I.A." Arulpragasam;
First Asian to be nominated for three Academy Awards in the same year
83rd2010127 Hours "If I Rise"Nomination shared with Rollo Armstrong and Dido
91st2018SZABlack Panther "All the Stars"Nomination shared with Kendrick Lamar, Mark "Sounwave" Spears and Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith

Best Picture

Academy Award for Best Picture
CeremonyYearNameCountryFilmStatusNotes
59th1986Ismail MerchantA Room with a View
65th1992Howards End
66th1993The Remains of the DayNomination shared with John Calley and Mike Nichols

Best Sound

Academy Award for Best Sound
CeremonyYearNameCountryFilmStatusNotes
79th2006Kami AsgarApocalyptoFirst and only Middle Eastern to be nominated for Best Sound
81st2009Resul PookuttySlumdog MillionaireFirst Indian to win Oscar in this category.

Best Visual Effects

Academy Award for Best Visual Effects
CeremonyYearNameCountryFilmStatusNotes
69th1996Habib ZargarpourTwisterNomination shared with Stefan Fangmeier, John Frazier, and Henry LaBounta
73rd2000The Perfect StormNomination shared with Walt Conti, Stefan Fangmeier, and John Frazier

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Academy Award for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
CeremonyYearNameCountryFilmStatusNotes
8th1935Achmed AbdullahThe Lives of a Bengal LancerAdapted from the autobiography of the same name by Francis Yeats-Brown;
First Muslim to be nominated for an Academy Award in any category;
Nomination shared with John L. Balderston, Grover Jones, William Slavens McNutt, and Waldemar Young
70th1997Hossein Amini[6] / The Wings of the DoveAdapted from the novel of the same name by Henry James;
First Asian to be nominated for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Best Writing (Original Screenplay)

Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay)
CeremonyYearNameCountryFilmStatusNotes
84th2011Asghar FarhadiA SeparationFirst screenplay written entirely in Persian to be nominated for an Academy Award in a writing category
90th2017Kumail Nanjiani / The Big Sick Nomination shared with Emily V. Gordon (his wife)

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Riz Ahmed is the first Muslim nominated for lead actor Oscar. March 15, 2021. Los Angeles Times.
  2. Web site: Is Mahershala Ali the First Muslim Oscar Winner?. TheWrap. February 26, 2017.
  3. Web site: Nominees for the 87th Academy Awards. April 22, 2013. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
  4. Web site: Nominees for the 88th Academy Awards. April 22, 2013. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
  5. Web site: Biography. A. R. Rahman - The Official Site. September 25, 2016.
  6. News: Is New BBC Hit TV Show 'McMafia' anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli? Its Writer Fights Back. Haaretz. January 9, 2018.