Malaysian composer Joy Ngiaw wins Emmy for Apple TV+ series WondLa

MALAYSIAN composer Joy Ngiaw has achieved a historic milestone after winning an Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for an Animated Program for her work on the Apple TV+ series WondLa.

The award was presented during the Children’s and Family Emmy Awards, which held its fourth annual ceremony at the Lincoln Center in New York City on March 1 and 2.

Joy, who was born in Pahang, shared the news of her win through an Instagram post following the ceremony, marking a significant achievement for Malaysian representation in the global entertainment industry.

Her success was also recognised by the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas), which congratulated her through a social media message on Monday.

The agency said the recognition highlights the potential of Malaysian creatives to excel internationally.

“May this accomplishment inspire a new generation of artists to keep creating and conquering the world,” Finas said.

In an interview with Grazia, Joy reflected on the challenges she encountered while building her career in the competitive Hollywood music industry.

"Growing up, there were not many composers who looked like me scoring projects in Hollywood. Often, I walked into rooms where I was the only woman and sometimes the only person of colour.

"I have had people look surprised when I introduced myself as the composer, not an assistant. I have had to work harder to prove myself and that is a constant reminder of why representation matters,” she said.

Her Emmy win now stands as a landmark achievement for Malaysian talent in the international film and television music industry, signalling growing global recognition for composers from Southeast Asia.