Riz Ahmed said that Oscars snubbing particular awards from broadcast of 94th Academy Awards should not steal the spotlight from winner's celebrations.
During his conversation at backstage after bagging his first Oscar for impressive performance in The Long Goodbye star, Ahmed said that he hopes that the controversy wouldn’t ‘become the story.’
The 2022 ceremony of the prestigious ceremony decided to not air Best Production Design, Best Editing and Best Sound awards, causing massive backlash from film industry.
Meanwhile, Ahmed’s Short Film (Live Action) win was announced in advance of the event.
During his acceptance speech, Ahmed said, “In such divided times, we believe that the role of story is to remind us there is no ‘us’ and ‘them’. There’s just ‘us’.”
“This is for everyone who feels like they don’t belong. Anyone who feels like they’re stuck in no man’s land. You’re not alone. We’ll meet you there. That’s where the future is. Peace,” he added.