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United States Awkwafina has established herself as a versatile actress, rapper, and comedian, earning critical acclaim and a Golden Globe Award for her diverse roles.
Awkwafina partnered with Gap for their "Logo Remix" campaign, featuring artists remixing creative culture. The campaign included various artists who are influencing culture on their own terms.
Awkwafina has been involved in brand partnerships that include Google, earning significant compensation through these collaborations.
Awkwafina partnered with Nintendo, with her involvement helping her earn substantial checks through brand collaborations.
Awkwafina engaged in brand partnerships with GM, which contributed to her earning considerable financial compensation.
Awkwafina is the voice of plant-based brand Lightlife's new campaign, becoming one of several celebrities to promote plant-based food products.
Awkwafina partnered with HotelTonight, an app acquired by Airbnb, which offers last-minute deals on hotels and other accommodations.
Nora Lum, professionally known as Awkwafina, was born on June 2, 1988, in Stony Brook, New York. She was raised in Forest Hills, Queens, by her father, Wally Lum, and paternal grandparents after her mother, Tia Lum, passed away when Awkwafina was four years old. Her paternal great-grandfather, a Chinese immigrant, opened Lum’s, one of the first Cantonese restaurants in Flushing, Queens. She attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, where she studied classical music and jazz, playing the trumpet. At 15, she adopted the stage name Awkwafina, an alter ego contrasting with her quieter personality. She pursued higher education at the University at Albany, State University of New York, majoring in journalism and women’s studies, and also studied Mandarin at Beijing Language and Culture University from 2006 to 2008. Prior to her entertainment career, she gained early experience as an intern at publications such as Gotham Gazette and the Times Union, and as a publicity assistant for Rodale publishing house.
Awkwafina’s career gained significant momentum in 2012 when her rap song “My Vag” became widely popular on YouTube. This led to her debut album, “Yellow Ranger,” released in 2014, followed by “In Fina We Trust” in 2018. Her transition into acting saw her take on supporting roles in notable films like “Ocean’s Eight” and “Crazy Rich Asians” in 2018. A pivotal moment in her career was her leading role in the 2019 comedy-drama “The Farewell,” which earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, making her the first woman of Asian descent to win in a lead actress film category. She also showcased her voice acting talents in animated productions, including “Storks” (2016) and “Raya and the Last Dragon” (2021).
Her career continued to expand with her co-creation, writing, and executive production of the Comedy Central series “Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens,” where she also stars as a fictionalized version of herself from 2020 to 2023. In 2021, she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Katy in “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for this role. Her voice work continued with roles in “The Bad Guys” (2022) and its sequel, “The Little Mermaid” (2023), “Migration” (2023), “Kung Fu Panda 4” (2024), and “IF” (2024). In 2023, she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie for her starring and producing role in “Quiz Lady.” She has also been recognized for her public image, appearing on numerous magazine covers and advocating for Time’s Up and against Asian stereotyping in media. In 2017, she was honored as Kore Asian Media’s Female Breakout of the Year.
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