Who is Jessica Mauboy?
Jessica Mauboy is an Australian singer and actor from Darwin, born in 1989. She rose to fame as runner-up on Australian Idol in 2006 and became one of the country's most successful Aboriginal performers.
Mauboy has Aboriginal heritage through her mother, who is from the Kuku Yalanji people of Far North Queensland, and Indonesian heritage through her father. She grew up in Darwin singing in church and at local events.
After Australian Idol, she released hits such as Running Back, Burn and Pop a Bottle (Fill Me Up). Her albums have reached the top of the Australian charts, and she has won several ARIA Awards.
Acting and Eurovision
Mauboy starred in the films Bran Nue Dae and The Sapphires, playing singer Julie McCrae, and in the TV series The Secret Daughter, set in country New South Wales.
In 2018, she represented Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon with the song We Got Love, after performing as a guest at the 2014 contest.
She has performed for presidents and royals and sang the national anthem at major sporting events. Mauboy is admired as a role model for young Indigenous Australians.
Did You Know?
Mauboy's 2019 album Hilda, named after her grandmother, reached number one on the Australian albums chart.