This is the list of Pakistani personalities who are Academy Award (informally known as Oscar) winners and nominees.
In 2012, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy became the first Pakistani to win an Oscar, winning the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject alongside co-director Daniel Junge for their film Saving Face. [1] She won again in 2016 for the film A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness, becoming the first female filmmaker to win twice in this category.
In 2018, Pakistani-American actor/comedian Kumail Nanjiani became the first Pakistani nominee for a writing award, nominated alongside Emily V. Gordon for their screenplay for The Big Sick.
In 2022, British-Pakistani actor/rapper Riz Ahmed became the first Muslim to win an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film. He co-wrote and starred in the film, winning alongside the film's director Aneil Karia.
As per the Academy's rules [2] for the Best Visual Effects category, a maximum of only four individuals are credited as nominees for each film. Whilst he has not been named in the nominations, Pakistani visual effects artist Mir Zafar Ali has been a part of the visual effects team for two winners in this category, The Golden Compass and Life of Pi. Additionally, he was a visual effects artist on the Best Animated Feature winner Frozen. [3]
Year | Nominee(s)/recipient(s) | Film | Category | Result/received | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 (84th) |
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy shared with ( Daniel Junge) |
Saving Face | Best Documentary Short Subject | Won | [4] |
2016 (88th) |
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy | A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness | Won | [5] | |
2018 (90th) |
Kumail Nanjiani shared with ( Emily V. Gordon) |
The Big Sick | Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | [6] |
2021 (93rd) |
Riz Ahmed | Sound of Metal | Best Actor | Nominated | [7] |
2022 (94th) |
Riz Ahmed shared with ( Aneil Karia) |
The Long Goodbye | Best Live Action Short Film | Won | [8] [9] |