M.I.A is an English recording artist, songwriter, painter and director of Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of electronic, dance, alternative, hip hop and world music. She has been nominated for various awards including Academy Award, MOBO Award, MTV Video Music Award, MTV Europe Music Award, Grammy Award and the prestigious Mercury Prize. She is the only artist in history to be nominated for an Academy Award, Grammy Award, Brit Award, Mercury Prize and Alternative Turner Prize, and the first artist of Asian descent to be nominated for an Academy and Grammy Award in the same year. Her award-winning career spans 13 years. This is the list of awards and nominations received by her.
Art
Alternative Prize Year Nominated work Award Result 2002 M.I.A.'s Visual Art Alternative Turner Prize
Film
Sundance Film Festival Year Nominated work Award Result2018 Matangi/Maya/M.I.A. World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize
Music
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, informally known as The Oscars, are a set of awards given annually for excellence of cinematic achievements. The Oscar statuette is officially named the Academy Award of Merit and is one of nine types of Academy Awards. M.I.A. has received one nomination for O...Saya from the motion picture Slumdog Millionaire. Year Nominated work Award Result 2008 "O... Saya" Best Original Song
ASCAP Year Nominated work Award Result2009 "Paper Planes"PRS Award "Swagga Like Us"
Asian Music Awards M.I.A. has received 2 nominations in 2012. Year Nominated work Award Result2012 "Bad Girls" Best Video Herself Best Female
Antville Music Video Awards The Antville Music Video Awards are online awards for the best music video and music video directors of the year. They were first awarded in 2005. M.I.A. has received six awards from seven nominations.
| rowspan="3" | 2010 | rowspan="3" | "Born Free" | Video of the Year
| Best Editing
| rowspan="2" | Best Cinematography
| rowspan="3" | 2012 | rowspan="3" | "Bad Girls"
| Best Performance
| rowspan="2" | Video of the Year
| 2015 | "Borders"
BBC Radio 3 Award for World Music The BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music was an award given to world music artists between 2002 and 2008, sponsored by BBC Radio 3. Year Nominated work Award Result 2006 Herself Club Global
BET Awards The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. M.I.A. has received 1 award from 2 nominations.
Year Nominated work Award Result2009 Herself Best Female Hip-Hop Artist Best New Artist
Billboard Awards
Billboard Mid Year Awards Year Nominated work Award Result 2012 "2012 Super Bowl M.I.A. Controversy" Most Shocking Moment
Billboard Music Awards
!class="unsortable" | |- | rowspan=2|2007 | M.I.A. | Top Electronic Artist | |rowspan=2| |- | Kala | Top Electronic Album
| rowspan=4|2008 | rowspan=2|M.I.A. | Top Hot Dance Singles Sales Artist | |rowspan=4| |- | Top Electronic Artist
| Kala | Top Electronic Album
| "Paper Planes" | Top Hot Dance Single Sales
BT Digital Music Awards The BT Digital Music Awards (DMA) were created in the UK in 2001 and are held annually. M.I.A. has received one nomination. Year Nominated work Award Result 2008 Herself Best Urban Artist
Berlin Music Video Awards The Berlin Music Video Awards (BMVAs) are an annual festival that puts filmmakers and the art behind music videos in the spotlight.
| 2015 | "Double Bubble Trouble" | Best Concept
Brit Awards The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's (BPI) annual pop music awards.
!class="unsortable" | |- | 2009 | Herself | British Female Solo Artist
Canadian Independent Music Awards The Canadian Independent Music Awards, also known as the Independent Music Awards or Indies, are presented annually to musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. M.I.A. has received 1 award from 4 nominations. Year Nominated work Award Result 2006 Herself International Artist/ Group of the Year 2008 International Group/Duo/Artist of the Year "Kala (album)" International Album of the Year 2009 "Paper Planes" Indie Award for Favorite International Single
D&AD Awards Design and Art Direction (D&AD) is a British educational charity which exists to promote excellence in design and advertising.
| rowspan=2|2011 | rowspan=2|"Born Free" | Music Video
| Cinematography
Danish Music Awards The Danish Music Awards (DMA) is a Danish award show. M.I.A. has received one nomination.
| 2006 | Herself | Best International Newcomer
Grammy Awards A Grammy Award (originally called Gramophone Award) – or Grammy – is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. M.I.A. received 3 nominations. Year Nominated work Award Result 2009 "Paper Planes" Record of the Year "Swagga Like Us" (as songwriter) Best Rap Song2013 "Bad Girls" Best Short Form Music Video
Groovelot Music and Fashion Awards Year Nominated work Award Result 2005 "Arular" Album of The Year
Hollywood Music Video Awards {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! Nominated work !! Award !! Result !! Ref. |- | rowspan=2|2025 | rowspan=2|"Marigold" | Best Concept | | rowspan=2|https://www.hollywoodmusicvideoawards.com/categories |- | Best Visual Effects
Hungarian Music Awards The Hungarian Music Awards is the national music awards of Hungary, held every year since 1992 and promoted by Mahasz. {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! Nominated work !! Award !! Result !! Ref. |- | 2021 | "Franchise" (with Travis Scott & Young Thug) | Best Foreign Rap or Hip-Hop Recording
Ibiza Music Video Festiva Ibiza Music Video Festival is the online music video competition. Rupert Bryan and Elizabeth Fear founded the event in 2013.
| 2017 | "P.O.W.A." | Best Choreography
International Dance Music Awards The International Dance Music Award was established in 1985. It is a part of the Winter Music Conference, a weeklong electronic music event held annually.
| 2008 | "Boyz" | Best Dance Music Video
| 2009 | "Paper Planes" | Best Rap/Hip-Hop Dance Track
Ivor Novello Awards
The Ivor Novello Awards are awarded for songwriting and composing. The awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are presented annually in London by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA).
| 2009 | "Paper Planes" | Best Selling UK Single
Mercury Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. M.I.A. has received 1 nomination in 2005. Year Nominated work Award Result 2005 "Arular" Album of The Year
MTV Awards
MTV Europe Music Awards The MTV Europe Music Awards ("EMAs") were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Year Nominated work Award Result 2012 "Bad Girls" Best Video
MTV Video Music Awards An MTV Video Music Award (commonly abbreviated as a VMA) is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos. M.I.A. has received 3 awards from 5 nominations. Year Nominated work Award Result2012 "Bad Girls" Video of the Year Best Direction Best Cinematography 2021 "Franchise" (with Travis Scott and Young Thug) Best Hip Hop Best Direction
MTV O Music Awards M.I.A. received one nomination in 2012. Year Nominated work Award Result 2012 "M.I.A. flips the bird at Super Bowl" Most F***ed up Performance Gone Viral
mtvU Woodie Awards Year Nominated work Award Result 2005 Herself Left Field Woodie (Most Original Artist) 2007 "Boyz" Viral Woodie
MVPA Awards
| 2012 | "Bad Girls" | Best International Video
MOBO Awards The Music of Black Origin Awards, established in 1996 by Kanya King MBE and Andy Ruffell, are held annually in the United Kingdom to recognise artists of any ethnicity or nationality performing black music. Year Nominated work Award Result 2008 Herself Best UK Female 2010 Best UK Act 2016 "Borders" Directed & Performed by M.I.A. Best Video
NME Awards The NME Awards are an annual music awards show, founded by the music magazine NME.
| rowspan="4" | 2013 || rowspan="3" | "Bad Girls" || Best Track || |- | Best Music Video || |- | Best Dancefloor Anthem || |- | @MIAuniverse || Best Twitter || |- | rowspan="1" | 2017 || M.I.A || Best British Female ||
Q Awards The Q Awards are the UK's annual music awards run by the music magazine Q. Year Nominated work Award Result 2005 Herself Best New Act 2016 Herself Innovation In Sound
Rober Awards Music Prize
| 2007 | "Jimmy" | Best Cover Version
| rowspan=2|2008 | "Paper Planes" | Song of the Year
| Herself | Best Hip-Hop
| 2010 | "Born Free" | rowspan=3|Best Promo Video
| 2012 | "Bad Girls"
| 2015 | "Borders"
Shortlist Music Prize The Shortlist Music Prize, stylized as (shôrt–lĭst), was an annual music award for the best album released in the United States that had sold fewer than 500,000 copies at the time of nomination. Year Nominated work Award Result 2005 "Arular" Best Album 2010 "Kala" Best Album
South Bank Show Awards Year Nominated work Award Result 2005 Herself Breakthrough Award
UK Asian Music Awards The UK Asian Music Awards, also known by the abbreviation UK AMA, is an awards show that is held annually in the United Kingdom since 2002. M.I.A. has received 3 nominations. Year Nominated work Award Result2009 Herself Best Female Act Best Urban Act 2011 Best Urban Act Best Female Act "XXXO" Best Video 2012 "Bad Girls" Best Video
UK Festival Awards
!Ref. |- | rowspan=2|2010 | The Big Chill | rowspan=2|Best Headline Performance | | rowspan=2|https://web.archive.org/web/20100920040843/http://uk.festivalawards.com/ |- | Underage Festival
UK Music Video Awards
The UK Music Video Awards is an annual award ceremony founded in 2008 to recognise creativity, technical excellence and innovation in music videos and moving images for music. M.I.A. has received three awards from nine nominations.
| 2010 | "Born Free" | Best Dance Video
| rowspan="6" | 2012 | rowspan="6" | "Bad Girls" | Video of the Year
| Best Pop Video
| Best Styling
| Best Art Direction
| Best Cinematography
| Best Editing
| 2014 | "Double Bubble Trouble" | Best Urban Video - UK
| 2021 | "Franchise" (with Travis Scott and Young Thug) | Best Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Video - International
XM Nation Music Awards Awarded annually by XM Satellite Radio since 2005, the XM Nation Music Awards "honor some of the most talented and interesting musicians today."
|2005 | Herself | Most Important Indie Emerging Artist
References