Amitabh Bachchan, Gibson, others grace Riyadh ‘Joy Awards’ 2023

RIYADH: Amitabh Bachchan and Mel Gibson were among the biggest names who attended this year’s Joy Awards ceremony held in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh.

The annual festival honours the best in Arabic music, film, series, sports and other categories, reported international media.

Organised by Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, in partnership with the MBC group, this season’s awards attracted big Hollywood names. Among these names was US actor and director Mel Gibson who received a Lifetime Achievement Award. He also presented the award for the Best Film category.

Gibson thanked the attending crowd in Arabic, joking that it was all the Arabic he had learned while on the flight to Riyadh, before stating his delight at being in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the first time.

US filmmaker Michael Bay, of Independence Day and Transformers film-series fame, was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for his role in cinema.

Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan was also honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award. In his acceptance speech, Bachchan expressed his joy at being in Riyadh and promised the visit would not be his last.

Moroccan Paris Saint Germain football player Achraf Hakimi attended the award ceremony with his mother and was honoured with the Best Sportsman award along with her on stage.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who recently joined Riyadh-based club al-Nassr, could not attend but wished the Best Sportsman nominees the best via video. Meanwhile, media personality Georgina Rodriguez presented the Best Sportswoman trophy to Saudi swimmer and humanitarian Dr Mariam Saleh Binladen. Colombian-American actress and fashion model Sofia Vergara attended the ceremony and was awarded the Personality of the Year Award, while Lebanese star Nadine Nassib Nejim received the Best TV Actress award.