M.I.A 'Slumdog Millionire' song nominated for Academy Award 2009
(13 February 2009)

Mathangi 'Maya' Arulpragasam, born 17 July 1977, better known by her stage name M.I.A., is a British songwriter, record producer, vocalist and artist. M.I.A. contributed songs for A. R. Rahman's score of Slumdog Millionaire, which included the collaboration 'O Saya', releasing the soundtrack in late 2008 via her record label N.E.E.T. 'O Saya has been nominated for an Academy Award 2009 for Best Original Song.

An accomplished visual artist by 2002, she came to prominence in early 2004 through file-sharing of her singles 'Galang' and 'Sunshowers' on the Internet. She released her Mercury Prize-nominated debut album Arular in 2005. Her second album, Kala, was released in 2007 and gained her mainstream chart success.

Her compositions have been noted to encompass various genres, often with political lyricism and artwork. M.I.A. has described her music style as being "other." In addition to her work as a graphic designer, providing artwork and photography for releases and as a director of music videos, she has also experimented with documentary film and in 2008 released a collection of her fashion designs. M.I.A. is the founder of the record label N.E.E.T.

Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam was born in Hounslow, London, the daughter of Kala and Arul Pragasam. Her family is of Tamil descent. When she was six months of age, her family moved back to their native Sri Lanka. Motivated by his wish to support the Tamil militancy on the island, her father became a political activist, adopting the name Arular, and was a founding member of The Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students (EROS), a political Tamil group that worked to establish an independent Tamil Eelam. Her alias, M.I.A., stands for both Missing in Acton and Missing in Action.

Leaving Sri Lanka a few years after, she and her mother and siblings moved back to London where they were housed as refugees on a council estate in Mitcham, South London. She learnt English and when onto study, graduating from London's Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, with a degree in fine art, film, and video. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, and is engaged to Benjamin Brewer, singer and guitarist for the band The Exit.

About 'Paper Planes'

'Paper Planes' is an alternative hip hop dance song written and produced by M.I.A., Diplo and Switch for M.I.A.'s second studio album Kala (2007). Its main riff is sampled from the song "Straight to Hell" by The Clash from their album Combat Rock. The lyrics to "Paper Planes" are a satire on immigrant stereotypes.

It was released as the album's third single in early 2008, but did not begin to achieve commercial success until June 2008 after appearing in a high profile film trailer and TV spot for the film Pineapple Express. The song is also featured in the film Slumdog Millionaire, as well as its soundtrack. The song has enjoyed renewed success on air and has been viewed nearly 32 million times on YouTube. M.I.A has been nominated in two categories for the UK Asian Music Awards 2009.

View video for 'Paper Planes' (movie format)
View video for 'Jimmy' (movie format)
View video for 'Boyz' (movie format)
View video for 'Bucky Done Gun' (movie format)
View video for 'Sunshowers' (movie format)
view video for 'Galang' (movie format)