Ai-Ling Lee is on such a roll right now. The 38-year-old Singaporean audio engineer is having the biggest moment of her life ever since she moved to Los Angeles for greener pastures in 1998 — she received double nominations in this year’s Academy Award for sound editing and sound mixing in the irresistible La La Land.
Alas, Lee wasn’t able to make history as the first Singaporean to score an Oscar today. The award for Best Sound Mixing went to Mel Gibson’s war flick Hacksaw Ridge, while cerebral alien invasion drama Arrival scored the trophy for Best Sound Editing.
Regardless of trophy, Lee’s achievements are as flaxen and resplendent as the Oscar statuette. Together with Mildred Iatrou Morgan, she’s part of the first all-woman sound editing duo ever to receive an Academy Award nomination in a field typically dominated by men. She’s the first Asian woman to ever be nominated for sound editing. Hell, to even hold a crucial role in such a gorgeous, critically acclaimed musical love letter to Los Angeles is an achievement in itself.
However, Lee’s not the first local to ever be in the running for an Oscar. Singaporean computer graphics artist Nickson Fong got nominated and won the Academy Award for Best Technical Achievement back in 2013.
Other than La La Land, Lee’s soundcrafting touches can also be heard in other big flicks like Deadpool, Thor, Godzilla, Wild and more — she’s got over 70 films under her belt.
The Oscars ain’t over yet, as of writing. For all we know, she could be the first Singaporean to hold a significant position in a film that won Best Picture.
So far, it’s been a pretty great night for diversity in Hollywood. Mahershala Ali already took home Best Supporting Actor for his phenomenal turn in Moonlight — making him the first Muslim actor to score an Oscar. After nabbing the award for Best Supporting Actress in Fences, Viola Davis became the first black actor to win an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony.
Also, Suicide Squad — a sensationally shitty film — just became an Oscar winning flick after it won Best Makeup and Hairstyling. LMAO.
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