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Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment Presents Awkwafina with a 2020 "Made in NY" Award

The award-winning actress and comedian will be honored during a ceremony on December 17

 

NEW YORK - The Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) presents a 2020 "Made in NY" Award to Awkwafina, the Golden Globe-winning actress, comedian, writer, and producer from Queens, New York.

Awkwafina headshot by Casi Moss

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 & Television's 41st MUSE Awards virtual ceremony on December 17, 1-3pm 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 grew up with her given name, Nora Lum, and has since used her trademark name, comedic style and signature flair to become a breakout star. She created, is the executive producer of and stars in the popular Comedy Central show "Awkwafina is Nora From Queens," which has been picked up for a second season. She has also starred and appeared in several films, most notably the indie darling "The Farewell," where 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, and the smash hit "Crazy Rich Asians."

"The 41st annual Muse Awards celebrates a diverse group of talented women whose vision and achievements have made a significant impact on the media and entertainment industries," said the Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, Anne del Castillo. "I'm thrilled to honor the LaGuardia-schooled and Queens-raised dynamo, Awkwafina, with a 'Made in NY' award for her accomplishments as an actor, writer and comedian. Awkwafina's work challenges stereotypes about Asian Americans and women and reflects the caliber and ingenuity of New York City's homegrown talent."

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.