Ahead of the Oscars and BAFTAs – at which he is the frontrunner – Malek will pick up an Oustanding Performer of the Year prize this Friday for his portrayal of Queen icon Freddie Mercury in the massively successful biopic. The honour is being dished out at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, at which fellow Oscars frontrunner Glenn Close will be presented with the Modern Master Award, and Melissa McCarthy will net the Montecito Award.
“Rami Malek’s portrayal as Freddie Mercury is humble and full of humanity,” the festival’s executive director Roger Durling told The Hollywood Reporter.
“No one could have expressed the joy Freddie felt when performing nor the complex reality he lived offstage better than Rami.”
The prize comes just days after Malek was victorious in the Best Actor in a Lead Role field at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards.
He has also already scooped the prestigious Golden Globe equivalent, where Bohemian Rhapsody itself additionally took home Motion Picture – Drama.
Malek remains the bookies’ favourite to be the recipient of the Oscar next month, and he could also do the same at the BAFTAs.
He currently has 1/2 odds with Ladbrokes, narrowly ahead of Vice’s Christian Bale on 2/1.
Former frontrunner Bradley Cooper is now out at 16/1, with Viggo Mortensen and Willem Dafoe both at 50/1.
Over in the Best Actress race, Close is now the easy favourite on 1/4, with Olivia Colman on 5/1.
Lady Gaga is on 10/1, with Yalitza Aparicio and Melissa McCarthy both on 33/1.
The Best Picture race is though to be all sewn up for Roma on 4/5, with Green Book on 7/2 and The Favourite on 6/1.
Bohemian Rhapsody is actually ranked seventh of the eight nominees by bookies: its chances are rated at 25/1 as things stand.
A scene from the movie yesterday went viral online for what its detractors called poor editing.