Malaysia has a new name to celebrate on the world stage. Composer Joy Ngiaw has become the first Malaysian to win an Emmy Award, taking home the Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for an Animated Program accolade at the 4th Children’s & Family Emmy Awards, held recently in New York City.

The score is composed by Emmy-nominated composer Joy Ngiaw and marks her first feature-length live-action theatrical release following a body of work primarily associated with animated projects. The music for Solo Mio takes a smaller-scale, character-focused approach, drawing on Italian musical influences and featuring strings, guitar, mandolin, and vocal textures.

“The music in WondLa, across all three seasons, suggests that Joy Ngiaw is a composer with a huge career ahead of her – she can write memorable themes and complicated action, she structures her music intelligently, her use of countless different world music styles gives each new cue a fascinating tonal dimension, and once in a while she hits you with a moment of emotion that breaks your heart. I can’t recommend it highly enough.”

At the Solo Mio premiere with my wonderful directors Chuck and Dan, alongside the impeccable Kevin James and the incredible cast and crew.

The score for WondLa S2 have been nominated for a Children’s & Family Emmy® for Outstanding Music Direction and Composition

With encouragement from Skydance and Apple Music, Ngiaw similarly recorded vocals for her work on WondLa, furthering the show’s otherworldly sense of adventure. Season 2 of the series introduces several new locales across Orbona, and Ngiaw made sure to establish a unique sonic identity for each and every one. Beyond her own voice – perhaps her favorite instrument – Ngiaw turned to everything from synths to Didgeridoos to Fujara flutes and Bukkehorns to reflect Orbona’s range of futuristic as well as natural environments.

Watch as Writer Grace Davis and Composer Joy Ngiaw break down different scenes from each season of WondLa and discuss their creative approach for the series!

Moderated by WondLa creator Tony DiTerlizzi.

An honor to score Monkeypaw Production’s The Pigs Underneath, directed by the visionary Charlie Dennis. It was a sold-out TIFF premiere celebrating the five #NoDrama filmmakers, with opening remarks by the incomparable Jordan Peele.

Raised on Disney soundtracks and Chinese ballads like Fish Leong, Malaysian-composer and BAFTA-honoured Joy Ngiaw never imagined her music would one day play across the world. Now, she’s living the dream—and championing space for others to do the same.

Say hello to five creative trailblazers from Southeast Asia as we celebrate the stories that shaped them. Through music, art, app development and more, these visionaries dared to dream, defied conventions, and left their mark far beyond their communities.

Excited to be at Comic-Con #SDCC2025 for the 'In Sync: Directors & Composers' panel. The conversation will delve into the collaborative relationship between directors and composers and how sound acts as a vital narrative thread in visual storytelling.

Joy Ngiaw (Blush, WondLa, Rescued by Ruby) has been hired to score the upcoming romantic comedy Solo Mio. The movie will be released in theaters nationwide on February 6, 2026 by Angel Studios.

It was so special to conduct a few pieces from #WondLa at the #SoundOff Benefit Concert — an afternoon of music and community advocating for a safer, more inclusive music industry.

Supervising Director Andrew Schmidt and Composer Joy Ngiaw discuss the Skydance Animation show’s deeper and darker new season on Apple TV+, expanding Eva Nine’s emotional journey with complex revelations, sibling conflict, and an evolving world brought to life through grounded design and inventive sound.

A big part of my approach comes from my diverse cultural background and musical influences, which shape my unique perspective. One of the elements that has become a signature sound of mine is the use of my own vocals. I started incorporating them in my first studio project, Skydance Animation’s ‘Blush’ (Apple TV+), and since then, they’ve become something I’m naturally drawn to. I love weaving my vocals into the score because they add a personal touch that deeply connects with the emotional fabric of the story.

WondLa Season 2 soundtrack is here! This album is particularly special to me as it captures the emotional evolution of the story. With Season 2 delving into more sophisticated and darker themes, I had the opportunity to compose some of my most emotional music yet—expanding on character themes and exploring new instrumentations. From futuristic synths for New Attica to the organic textures of Didgeridoo, Fujara flutes, and Bukkehorn for Faunus—every musical choice was to create unique sonic identities for the world of Orbona.

I’m incredibly proud to be nominated for Best Music in TV/Media by the Annie Awards! Thank you so much ASIFA Hollywood for this amazing recognition.

Ngiaw is also a trailblazer in challenging gender stereotypes within the composing world: “One stereotype I’ve worked hard to break is that women composers, especially women of color, aren’t typically considered for large-scale, action-heavy projects.” Her dedication to her craft is evident in her reflection on her career: “Every step of my career has always stayed true to my love and passion for storytelling.

BAFTA has unveiled its 2024 BAFTA Breakthrough cohort, which includes up and coming creatives working in film, games and television from the U.S., U.K.and India.

In the U.S. they are director Angela Walker Patton, creative director Elaine Gómez, writer/director Erica Tremblay, editor Hanna Park, cinematographer Jih-E Peng, composer Joy Ngiaw, costume designer Juliana Hoffpauir, game writer Karrie Shirou Shao, casting director Nafisa Kaptownwala, director Natalie Rae, performer Nava Mau, creative director Nicole He and writer/director Sean Wang.

谢谢马来西亚星洲日报的支持！Thank you Malaysia Sin Chew Daily for your support.