EMMOLEI
SANKOFA
EmmoLei Sankofa is a composer, executive producer, and story architect who partners with visionary filmmakers to reimagine storytelling's emotional and structural possibilities across narrative, documentary, and branded media. Simply put, I write music that says what words can't.
MO
(ABOUT)
Over the past year, EmmoLei has shapped scores for seven films spanning narrative, documentary, and experimental formats, many of which continue to screen globally. This body of work includes theatrical releases, broadcast premieres, and major brand partnerships, reflecting both scale and creative range. Recent projects include Undercard—set for theatrical release on February 27 and marking Wanda Sykes’ dramatic feature debut—House of Aama: Threads of Legacy, which premiered on PBS, and Journey to Legacy, a major partnership with Delta and Disney. Her recent slate also includes the feature documentary Enongo and the narrative film Are You Fucking Kidding Me?!, with additional projects continuing to unfold.
EmmoLei’s innovative compositions have left an indelible mark on acclaimed productions including Hulu’s The Other Black Girl, Three Ways, Disney+’s Project CC, and Lizzo’s Emmy Award–winning series Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, among others. Together, these works established her as a distinctive voice in contemporary film and television scoring, recognized for emotional precision, cultural fluency, and narrative depth.
In addition to composing, she has served as a sound supervisor and creative partner on high-profile projects with brands including Nike, Pandora, Vans, Kamala Harris for the People, and Pulse Films through her creative audio company, Bèl Son.
In 2024, EmmoLei received her first major award nomination for her work on The Other Black Girl, earning an NAACP Image Award nomination in the inaugural Outstanding Original Score for Film/TV category. As part of the first group of composers recognized in the category’s history, the nomination marked a foundational milestone in her professional trajectory.
Her musical practice extends beyond screen, with a discography spanning over twenty-one independently released albums, EPs, and singles that blend soul, jazz, classical, and rhythm and blues through a distinctive, intentional voice. Her single “Don’t Fight” was featured on Adult Swim’s OPUS compilation album. A versatile percussionist, she has performed alongside artists such as Nelly, Ella Mai, and Kurt Schneider, and made her solo touring debut on Mobley’s Devil in a Daydream Virtual Tour.
An alumna of the Sundance Composers Lab, the Vancouver International Film Festival Composer–Filmmaker Accelerator (VIFF CFA), and the Recording Academy’s NEXT program, EmmoLei has been mentored by leading voices across film, television, and music, and is recognized as a distinctive voice shaping the next generation of industry innovators.
Her work and perspective have been featured by platforms including Hollywood Records’ The Big Score, The Karen Hunter Show, The Film Scorer, Lyrical Lemonade, OC Weekly, and Billboard. She was honored as part of Hampton University’s inaugural Young Alumni 40 Under 40 class and served as the featured alumni speaker at SCAD Atlanta’s 2023 Commencement ceremony.
In addition to her creative work, EmmoLei serves as Vice President of Outreach/Inclusion for the Alliance for Women Film Composers, where she advocates for equity, access, and sustainable pathways for underrepresented voices in the industry.
Beyond the screen, she channels her curiosity into boxing, nutrition, wellness, the business of creativity, coffee science, and design—disciplines that continually inform her approach to leadership, collaboration, and storytelling.
“The past is great, but the present is greater. Ask someone else what I have done. Ask me what I am doing. Most of my work involves honoring and learning from the past to create the sound of the future. I am a blend of that old familiar tune, the beauty of every moment that is now, and a mark of the questionable things to come. I am the past, present, and future.”