Sultan, Donovan, Anu and The Merindas headline 2019 National NAIDOC Awards
A glittering line-up of some of this country’s most iconic Indigenous musicians and entertainers will perform at the prestigious National NAIDOC Awards in Canberra this weekend.
The ceremony – at the National Convention Centre on Saturday 6 July 2019 – will kickstart NAIDOC Week 2019 with the gala presentation to ten individuals recognising their outstanding achievements at the community, national and international level.
Hosted by the ‘Godfather’ of Aboriginal Comedy Sean Choolburra and Elaine Crombie, a performing artist, director, creative producer and writer - the evening’s stellar line-up includes:
- Dan Sultan - one of the country’s most revered songwriters and performers who has won multiple National Indigenous music Awards and the 2014 ARIA for Best Rock Album.
- Casey Donovan - winner of Australian Idol in 2004 at only 16 years old who has won has won multiple awards and nominations for her music releases and theatre performances, including an ARIA No #1 Award for Listen with Your Heart, Deadly Awards for Best Album, Best Single and Most Promising New Talent, Sydney Theatre Awards nominations for Best Newcomer and Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical.
- Christine Anu - Australia’s most prolific Torres Strait Islander female entertainer with an illustrious career that spans over 25 years in music, theatre, dance, film and television. Christine is a multi-award winning recording artist, including ARIA Song of the Year for My Island Home and was recently the first recipient of the Australian Songwriters Associations inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award for Contribution to Australian First Nations Music.
- The Merindas - Melbourne based Candice Lorraev and Kristel Kickett have supported some of Australia’s biggest stars, including Jessica Mauboy, Dan Sultan, Isaiah Firebrace and International Grammy Award winning artist, Brandy. The duo received a 2013 Deadly award nomination for Most Promising New Talent In Music and won the 2015 Indigenous WAM Song of the Year for their single Ready to Love.
The evening will also feature live appearances from:
- Jimblah - a producer, MC and vocalist hailing from the Larrakia Nation in Top End Northern Territory.
- David Williams - an internationally-recognised performer and musician who’s performed at the Beijing Olympics, the Gallipoli Dawn Service in Turkey, Westminster Abbey in London, and has toured with Busby Marou supporting Michael Bublé and James Blunt.
- Mi-kaisha Masalla - a young accomplished musician and award-winning songwriter, who has showcased her talent on some of Australia’s most prestigious stages including the Sydney Opera House.
- Eip Karem Beizam - a Murray Island cultural group based on Thursday Island who uphold the Meriam culture and traditions, and preserve the Meriam language through cultural practices, storytelling, singing and dancing.
NAIDOC Co-Chairs Patricia Thompson and John Paul Janke proudly noted the diversity of Indigenous talent on display at this year’s Awards.
“We engaged established entertainers, seasoned national recording artists, those starting out in their careers and performers who’ve been working at the community level for many years.”
“It’s about showcasing to a national audience the strength and diversity of our culture, our music, but importantly - our excellence,” they said.
The major highlight of the Awards will be the World Premiere of Heal Together, a Healing Foundation project featuring Christine Anu and Philly. The song was specially commissioned by The Healing Foundation to mark 10 years of their partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The exclusive performance also features Mindy Kwanten and Radical Son and is supported by the Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts (WHSPA) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ensemble.
The 2019 Awards Ceremony will be broadcast live on NITV, SBS On Demand and NITV Facebook Live on Saturday 6 July, 6.30pm. The broadcast will be hosted by Elaine Crombie, Megan Wilding, Rachael Hocking and Aaron Fa’Aoso.
For more information visit naidoc.org.au or check out National NAIDOC on Facebook or follow the hashtags #NAIDOC2019, #VoiceTreatyTruth