He’s nominated in the Best Actor category for his portrayal as Ruben Stone in the Sound of Metal.
And Riz Ahmed cut a dapper figure on Sunday as he arrived at the 93rd annual Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles alongside his wife Fatima Farheen Mirza.
The actor, 38, looked sharp in a simple black suit, while writer Fatima, 30, brought the glamour in a stunning turquoise caped gown.
Looking good: Riz Ahmed cut a dapper figure on Sunday as he arrived at the 93rd annual Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles alongside his wife Fatima Farheen Mirza
Toning down his look for the evening, Riz ditched the traditional white shirt and instead opted for a black crew neck top beneath his blazer.
He added a black cumberband to his look and finished the ensemble with shiny black shoes.
Fatima meanwhile was the picture of elegance in her floor length dress which she wore with red heels that featured a rose embellishment.
The beauty wore her raven tresses in a sleek style, while she highlighted her features with a radiant palette of make-up.
Stylish couple: The actor, 38, looked sharp in a simple black suit, while writer Fatima, 30, brought the glamour in a stunning turquoise caped gown
Sunday afternoon’s red carpet was definitely different from years past, although it was hard to tell from just a glance.
This year COVID restrictions have whittled the VIP guest list down to only 170 people, from the usual 3,000.
2021 marks the first time Tinseltown’s finest have assembled in over a year, for a three-hour show that co-producer Steven Soderbergh has described as being ‘like a movie.’
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is hosting the delayed ceremony at the historic Union Station in Los Angeles, California where socially distanced movie stars can go mask-free while on-camera or seated in the main show room.
Simplistic: Toning down his look for the evening, Riz ditched the traditional white shirt and instead opted for a black crew neck top beneath his blazer
Style: He added a black cumberband to his look and finished the ensemble with shiny black shoes
Stunning: Fatima meanwhile was the picture of elegance in her floor length dress which she wore with red heels that featured a rose embellishment
Built in 1939, the national historic landmark and its main terminal is 161,000 square feet, creating plenty of room for theatrics on Hollywood’s biggest night.
During normal times, when COVID restrictions haven’t crimped travel, more than 100,000 people a day walk through its halls.
Comparatively the Dolby Theatre, where the glitzy event is usually held, can only seat around 3,300 people which would have created difficulties in putting on an award show amid the pandemic.
But in the spacious station, believed to be large enough to accommodate social distancing requirements with its soaring main hall featuring windows that are 40-feet high, stars have more room to mingle and maneuver.
Lovely: The beauty wore her raven tresses in a sleek style, while she highlighted her features with a radiant palette of make-up
All smiles: The couple smiled for the cameras as they walked the socially distanced carpet
Sticking to a ‘No Zoom’ policy unlike other shows that have taken place this awards season, Academy organizers have teased a ‘British hub’ for UK actors who are unable to make it in person, as well as another rumored ‘surprise location.’
During a year that saw movie theatres closed due to the pandemic, there were eight new films that did manage to impress Academy voters enough to be in contention for Hollywood’s biggest award, the Oscar for Best Picture (last year there were nine nominees in the category.)
While blockbusters may be absent this year, there have been a wide range of movies that have caught the attention of Academy voters, including the lavish Mank, Netflix’s ode to the Golden Age of Hollywood, starring Gary Oldman and Amanda Seyfried.
The look of love: Riz gazed lovingly at his wife as she flashed a dazzling smile for the cameras
Another strong contender is Minari, an indie drama about Korean immigrants scraping out a living off the land in rural America, written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung and starring Steven Yeun.
The eight films in the top category this year are The Father, Judas and the Black Messiah, Mank, Minari, Nomadland, Promising Young Woman, Sound of Metal, and The Trial of the Chicago 7.
It is the first time that two female directors have ever been nominated in the Best Director category, with Chloé Zhao (Nomadland) and Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) both receiving nods. Only five women have ever been nominated in the category before.
An official spokesperson called this year’s event ‘an Oscars like none other, while prioritizing the public health and safety of all those who will participate.’
The Academy and ABC will certainly be hoping that their ambitious plans will drum up more excitement than they have elsewhere during a dismal award seasons, after the virtual Golden Globes plunged to 6.9 million viewers this year – a 64 percent drop from 2020.