La-Aja J. Hernandez

La-Aja Hernandez is an Emmy Award–winning editor on the iconic American game show The Price Is Right. She carries the distinction of being the first African-American female editor in the show’s 50+year history. During her time on the show, The Price Is Right received its first nomination in the category of multi-camera editing. 

A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Hill District, La-Aja graduated from David B. Oliver High School, which was considered a drop-out factory on the critically acclaimed documentary “Waiting for Superman.” She excelled there as part of their advanced-studies tract, graduating eighth in her class, and received several scholarships that allowed her to attend Clarion University of Pennsylvania at almost no cost. In 2006, she graduated magna cum laude from Clarion, earning her bachelor’s degree in communication before moving to California to pursue a career in the television industry. 

Once in Los Angeles, La-Aja enrolled in a 14-month post-production institute that focused specifically on television and film editing. A month before graduating, she was offered her first job as an assistant editor on FOX for the show Don’t Forget the Lyrics with Wayne Brady. Her skill, hard work, determination, and pleasant attitude led to a recommendation to work on many popular shows, including American Idol, America’s Got Talent, Jersey Shore, and The Talk. A high point was editing for The 84th Academy Awards (also called The Oscars) where she worked with numerous celebrities including Justin Bieber, George Clooney, and Billy Crystal. 

After working as a freelance assistant editor for the first five years of her career, she received a call to work on The Price Is Right. There, she advanced from assistant editor to editor, earning a Daytime Emmy nomination after completing her very first season on the popular game show. In the 2019–2020 season, after five nominations, she was awarded the Daytime Emmy Award in the category of post-production sound mixing for her work on The Price is Right.

La-Aja is grateful for the success that she’s had in life and in her career. She understands that it is not an easy feat for people who come from her background and circumstances. Because of this, her passion is to empower young girls and boys from the inner city to chase their dreams and goals instead of getting caught up in the negative stereotypes that run so rampantly in the hood. She has been invited to speak at workshops, on panels, and podcasts to share her experiences and the lessons she’s learned along the way.

In addition to editing, La-Aja Hernandez is also a devoted Christian, wife, mom of two boys, and an adjunct professor at Pasadena City College, which is recognized as one of the top community colleges in the nation by The Aspen Institute.