M.I.A. has a lot going on these days, what with her first child expected any minute now and loads of award nominations. But the "Paper Planes" singer has more than just an impending bundle of joy to celebrate — like an Oscar nomination.
The 31-year-old Brooklyn resident was giddy on Thursday thanks to the news that her collaboration with A.R. Rahman for the "Slumdog Millionaire" soundtrack, "O Saya," was nominated in the Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (a.k.a. best original song).
"This is a great honor. Thank you to all the people who are supporting us and the making of a real story of a 'Slumdog Millionaire,' " the singer said in a statement. "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."
It could be a hectic February for the singer, though. She's due to give birth on the same night as the Grammys (February 8), where she's up against Leona Lewis, Adele, Coldplay and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss in the Record of the Year category. The Oscars are two weeks later (February 22), so assuming she gives birth on or near her due date, she could be able to perform on the big show (not that being pregnant stopped her from performing a few months back).
If she manages to snag the Oscar, M.I.A. could join a short list of contemporary artists who've managed to crash the Hollywood bash in the category over the past decade and break the iron grip of such schmaltzy Oscar faves as Alan Menken ("The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast") and Stephen Schwartz ("The Prince of Egypt"). Among them: Eminem ("Lose Yourself," 2002), the Frames' Glen Hansard ("Falling Slowly," 2007) and, most memorably, Three 6 Mafia's Juicy J and DJ Paul, who took the award in 2006 for "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp."
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(AP)
