Submitted by: Kirby Brooks

The 2009 Oscar nominations were announced on January 22, and while fans of Bruce Springsteen may have been disappointed that the Boss wasn t nominated for The Wrestler, Sri Lankan MC M.I.A. took home a nod for O.. Saya from indie blockbuster Slumdog Millionaire. The pregnant Brooklyn resident, who is engaged to Benjamin Brewer (singer and guitarist for The Exit), responded to the news by stating, This is a great honor. Thank you to all the people who are surrounding us and the making of a real story of a slumdog millionaire. Maybe I can afford to book Dave Chappelle at the baby shower now. Thank you again; my mum wants everyone to know what wonderful news this is for her. Interestingly enough, M.I.A. s delivery date is set for the same night as the Grammys (February 8), so there is a chance she will make it to the Oscars (February 22). M.I.A. and Slumdog Millionaire score composer A.R. Rahman co-wrote O…Saya for the Danny Boyle-directed film, which stole the thunder of major studio films this year. Slumdog Millionaire is up for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Score while M.I.A. will face off against Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Leona Lewis, Adele and Coldplay for Record of the Year.

Born Maya Arulpragasam, M.I.A. was often separated from her father, a Tamil majority among the Sinhalese majority in Sri Lanka, growing up. Her childhood was spent between London, Sri Lanka and Madras, India, but eventually the family made it to London in one piece and it was in the U.K. that M.I.A. began creating art greatly influenced by the Tamil rebellion. M.I.A. created graphics for Elastica s sophomore album and went on tour to document, meeting supporting act Peaches and taking her first dip into the music pool.

M.I.A. s first single was Galang, which producers Steve Mackey (Pulp) and Ross Orton instantly took a liking to and issued 500 copies (which were promptly snatched up). M.I.A. garnered a contract with XL on the strength of her debut single, which fused hip-hop, electronica, dancehall, baile funk and grime. XL reissued Galang followed by M.I.A. s debut album, Arular, in 2005. By this time M.I.A. had already released a mixtape with Diplo titled Piracy Funds Terrorism and had secured a growing fan base. In 2007 M.I.A. s sophomore album Kala was an even bigger success than its predecessor, thanks to the smash single Paper Planes. Paper Planes appeared in trailers for the film Pineapple Express, landed on the Billboard Top 10 and was playing from virtually every radio station in 2008.

M.I.A. revealed plans to cancel her 2008 summer tour when she found out she was pregnant, but the busy MC (who hasn t yet confirmed a wedding date with Brewer, who is the son of Warner Music Group CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr.) is reportedly working on her follow-up to Kala. First came baby, then perhaps marriage for M.I.A., but one thing is for sure: this breakout star is far from ending her recording career. Stay tuned to http://www.stubhub.com/mia-tickets for M.I.A. tickets in the future.

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