Queens native Awkwafi na wins ‘Made in
NY’ honors for homegrown excellence
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TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | DEC. 4-DEC. 10, 2020 9
BY HAZEL SHAHGHOLI
Award-winning actress,
comedian and Queens native
Awkwafina will be honored
during a “Made in NY”
awards ceremony on Dec. 17.
Awkwafina, who was born
Nora Lum, serves as executive
producer and star of the
popular Comedy Central
show “Awkwafina is Nora
From Queens.”
She came to prominence
for her hip-hop songs in You-
Tube that led to roles in highprofile
films, most notably
the indie darling “The Farewell,”
for which she received
a Golden Globe award for Best
Actress, becoming the first
Asian woman to win a Golden
Globe in any lead actress film
category. She also appeared
in the smash hit “Crazy Rich
Asians.”
Awkwafina is receiving
the award from the Mayor’s
Office of Media and Entertainment
(MOME). Established
in 2006, the “Made in
NY” awards recognize the
achievements of people and
organizations that have made
significant contributions to
New York City’s entertainment
and digital media industries
over the course of their
careers.
Awkwafina will be honored
at New York Women in
Film and Television’s 41st
MUSE Awards virtual ceremony
on Dec. 17, from 1 to 3
p.m. ET, an annual event that
celebrates women of vision
and achievement in television
and film.
“This Made in NY award
means so much to a girl from
Queens who grew up seeing
very few people who looked
like me on screen, much less
receiving awards,” said Awkwafina.
“I want to thank the
Mayor’s Office of Media and
Entertainment and I hope
this honor will inspire any
New Yorker who feels left out,
ignored or denied to reach for
their dreams.”
Awkwafina has also appeared
in films including
“Ocean’s 8,” “Jumanji: The
Next Level,” and as the voice
of Quail in the animated adventure
“Storks.” Awkwafina’s
upcoming work includes
roles in “Breaking News in
Yuba County,” “The Legend
of Ten Rings” and “The Little
Mermaid” live-action remake.
She will appear in an untitled
comedic feature produced by
Will Ferrell and Jessica Elbaum
alongside Sandra Oh.
Her feature film debut was in
the 2016 comedy “Neighbors
2: Sorority Rising.” She separately
wrote a book, “Awkwafina’s
NYC, a travel guide to
New York,” which was published
by Penguin Random
House in 2015.
A proud New Yorker, Awkwafina
is passionate about
giving back to her local community.
She pledged to donate
a portion of her proceeds to
the Welcome to Chinatown
grassroots initiative that was
created to support struggling
Chinatown businesses, many
of which have been severely
affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior recipients of the
“Made in NY” award include:
Caroline Hirsch, Meryl
Streep, Whoopi Goldberg,
Rachael Ray, Tina Fey, Spike
Lee, John Leguizamo, Alysia
Reiner, Michael K. Williams
and Judith Light.
Awkwafina at the 25th Critics Choice Awards in Santa Monica,
California, on Jan. 12, 2020 . REUTERS/Danny Moloshok
Announcing NewYork-Presbyterian
Medical Group Queens Fresh Meadows.
One location for your child’s healthcare needs.
To make an appointment, call 718-670-2899
or visit nyp.org/FreshMeadowsPediatrics
19815 Horace Harding Expressway
(Same parking lot as Blue Bay Diner)
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