Shams Ahmed becomes first Bangladeshi-American to win an Emmy
Music Director Shams Ahmed has become the first Bangladeshi-American to win an Emmy award for Music direction for a Super Bowl LVII piece, "Ragged old flag", at the 44th Sport Emmys.
Shams Ahmed announced the news on his Facebook along with his Emmy award.
"To receive this award is an honor and blessing - but to be the first Bangladeshi/Bangladeshi-American to win an Emmy Award for Music Direction feels absolutely unbelievable. Thank you to everyone for your unwavering support," read his post.
Earlier on, he posted that his Super Bowl LVII piece, 'Ragged Old Flag' has been nominated for an Emmy award. They were nominated in two categories - one for camera work, and the other for our direct contributions in Music Direction. Shams Ahmed worked with his team, which consists of Rachel Neubeck Ben Bram Scott Hoying on this super bowl project.
"Working on this was a major highlight of my year so far, and seeing it positively affect so many people was a huge win. Congratulations to our team Rachel Neubeck Ben Bram Scott Hoying," said Shams.
While describing America's Youth Choir for Super Bowl LVII, he felt it was a piece that focuses on the values that make America such a diverse and wonderful country.
"Historically this piece has felt politicized, and this year, we chose to focus on the values that make this country amazing - diversity, ingenuity, and the hope for a better future. What better way to underscore these values — and so brilliantly captured by Rachel's team — than with a beautiful and talented choir made up of American youths. It is very cool to be an Ahmed working on such a patriotic American piece. In a country that has grappled with decades of Islamophobia, this feels like a small triumph to say the least," stated the Music Director.
Shams Ahmed, a music director, voice producer, and vocalist of Bangladeshi heritage, is making waves in the world of Western music with his amazing compositions and musical creations. Shams has already made an unmistakable imprint in the music industry by co-founding several musical properties, including a girl group, Citizen Queen, a kids' music brand, Acapop! KIDS, and producing for the highly popular a cappella group, Pentatonix.