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Christine Anu

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Christine Anu
Anu in 2007
Background information
Born1970 (age 53–54)
Cairns, Queensland, Australia
OriginTorres Strait Islands, Queensland, Australia
GenresPop
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • actress
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active1987–present
Labels
Websitewww.christineanu.com

Christine Anu (born 1970) is an Australian singer-songwriter and actress of Torres Strait Islander origin. She gained popularity with the cover song release of the Warumpi Band's song "My Island Home". Anu has been nominated for many ARIA Awards winning several, as well as five Deadly Awards, among others. In August 2024 she released a new album and single of the same name, Waku: Minaral a Minalay.

She has had an acting career in film, stage (including musical theatre), and television, as well as hosting the Evenings radio show on ABC Radio.

Early life and education

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Christine Anu was born in Cairns, Queensland, in 1970.[1] She did not know who her biological father was, and grew up with her Torres Strait Islander mother and stepfather[2] all over Queensland.[3] Her mother is from from Saibai Island,[4][5] and her stepfather who died in 1979 when Christine was 10 years old, was a respected songman on Sabai,[2] originally from Mabuiag Island. He sang traditional songs of the islands, and encouraged family singalongs.[1][6]

Anu attended Emmaus College in Rockhampton, from which she graduated in 1987. Dancing being her first love, she moved to inner-city Sydney to study at the National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association (later known as NAISDA Dance College),[7][8][6] which had been established by Carole Johnson.[9] She earned an Associate's degree in dance in 1992.[10]

Career

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Music

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Anu performs at the 2000 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony

Anu began performing as a dancer while at college,[9] and became a member of the Bangarra Dance Theatre and the Aboriginal and Islander Dance Theatre troupes.[1] She toured with Bangarra in 1992 and 1993.[10]

She went on to sing back-up vocals for the Rainmakers, which included Neil Murray, formerly founder-member of the Warumpi Band, for a year.[6] Her first recording was in 1993 with "Last Train", a dance remake of a Paul Kelly song.[3][1] The follow-up, "Monkey and the Turtle", was based on a traditional nursery rhyme from the Torres Strait Islands.[11]

In 1995, Neil Murray won an Australasian Performing Right Association songwriting award for writing "My Island Home".[12] Anu covered the song, which gained immediate popularity, causing her to be remembered as the principal singer of the song. She released her first album, Stylin' Up, which went platinum,[3] in 1995.[1]

"Come On" was released as the fourth and final single from Stylin' Up. The song peaked at number 94 in Australia on the ARIA Charts.[13][14] At the ARIA Music Awards of 1996 the song won two of three awards for which it was nominated, including Best Female Artist and Best Indigenous Release.[15] In that year she also won a Deadly Award for best female artist.[10][16]

Baz Luhrmann asked her to sing on the song "Now Until the Break of Day" on his 1997 album Something for Everybody album. It was released as a single, with the video winning another ARIA award in 1999, and led to her being cast in Moulin Rouge!.[3][10]

In January 1998, Anu teamed up with Archie Roach, Paul Kelly, Judith Durham, Renee Geyer, Kutcha Edwards and Tiddas and formed Singers for the Red Black and Gold. Together they released a cover of "Yil Lull".[17][18] In that year, she won the Female Artist of The Year Deadly Award.[19]

In 2000, Anu released Come My Way which peaked at number 18 on the ARIA albums chart and went gold.[3] She released the hit single "Sunshine on a Rainy Day", for which she won the ARIA Awards for both Best Female Artist and Engineer of the Year.[16][20] In the same year, she sang the song "My Island Home" at the Sydney 2000 Olympics Closing Ceremony.[21]

In 2003, Anu released her third studio album, 45 Degrees, and in 2005 released Acoustically.[1] In that year, she was again winner of the Deadly Award for Female Artist of the Year,[22] and in 2004 she won Single of the Year for "Talk About Love".[23]

In February and March 2007, Anu toured New South Wales with a new stage show, Black is Blue, singing the songs of blues legends such as Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Marlene Cummins, and Ella Fitzgerald.[24] Also that year she toured a children's show and released an associate album titled Chrissy's Island Family.[25] The album gained an ARIA Award nomination.[26]

On 26 September 2010, she released a new single, "Come Home", but it was not successful.[27] In 2012 she released the album Rewind: The Aretha Franklin Songbook.[1]

On 7 November 2014, Anu released a Christmas album, titled Island Christmas,[28] and the following year released ReStylin' Up 20 Years.[1]

In March 2018, Anu released a duet version of "Without You" from the musical Rent with Greg Gould. The lyric video featured photography from around the world, each photo with a splash of red for HIV/AIDS support and awareness.[29]

Through 2023, Anu worked on her first album since 2015's live ReStylin' Up 20 Years. The project is using German ethnomusicologist Wolfgang Laade's recordings of Anu's grandfather, Nadi Anu, which are held by the Australian Institute Of Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Studies.[9] The resulting album, Waku: Minaral a Minalay, was released on 2 August 2024.[30][2] Her daughter, Zipporah, wrote one of the songs on the album.[31]

Acting

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Anu has had an acting career in film, stage (including musical theatre), and television.

She appeared in Dating the Enemy, a 1996 Australian film starring Guy Pearce and Claudia Karvan.[32][33] She has also hosted children's television programme Play School.[34]

She appeared in an Australian production of the stage musical Little Shop of Horrors.[1] Anu's stage career developed with a starring role as Mimi in the original Australian production of Rent[1] in 1998[16] and 1999,[35] which played to glowing reviews. Anu was offered a role in a Broadway production of this musical but had to decline due to commitments in recording her second album.[16]

She had parts in the films Moulin Rouge! (2001) and The Matrix Reloaded (2003)[1] as Kali. She also played Kali on the video game Enter the Matrix.[36]

From October 2004 through 2005, she toured Australia in Intimate and Deadly, a cabaret-style stage show based on her life.[37][1] The show opened at Kabarett Voltaire in the Seymour Centre in Sydney, and toured to Melbourne.[38]

In 2012 she played the lead role of Australian sci-fi television series Outland, about a gay sci-fi fan club. Anu plays wheelchair-using Rae, the sole female member of the group.[39]

Other TV

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In 2004, she became a judge on Popstars Live, a television quest broadcast on the Seven Network at 6.30 pm on Sunday night in Australia along the lines of Australian Idol. The program failed to achieve a similar level of success, leading network executives to pressure the judges to offer harsher criticism of the contestants. Anu refused to offer harsher criticism, saying that she wished to be a role model, leading to her resignation as a judge in April 2004.[40]

In 2009, Anu participated in Who Do You Think You Are.[41]

In August 2020, Anu was revealed to be "the Goldfish" in the second season of The Masked Singer Australia and was the third contestant unmasked, placing 10th overall.[42]

Radio

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In December 2015, ABC announced that Anu would host the Evenings radio program on ABC Radio Sydney, ABC Radio Canberra and ABC Local Radio stations across New South Wales.[43][44] Anu shared the role with Dominic Knight, then took over full-time in April 2016 after Knight's resignation. In the first half of 2016 the program suffered a dip in the ratings after she began hosting.[45][46][47]

In November 2016, ABC announced a national Evenings program on Friday and Saturday across ABC Local Radio, hosted by Anu. Chris Bath replaced Anu as host of Evenings from Monday to Thursday on ABC Radio Sydney, ABC Radio Canberra and ABC Local Radio stations across New South Wales.[48]

After a break, Anu restarted presenting Weekend Evenings in January 2023.[49] As of August 2024, Anu presents Weekend Evenings on Friday and Saturday evenings, along with Sirine Demachkie.[50]

Personal life

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Anu is a mother of a son, Kuiam, and daughter,[3][51][52] Zipporah Corser Anu.[31] Zipporah's father is actor Rodger Corser,[53] and is also musically talented.[2]

Anu married her childhood sweetheart, Simon Deutrom, in 2010.[51][54] He is not the father of either of her children. In June 2016, Anu announced that she and Deutrom were separating after six years of marriage, and they later divorced.[55]

She revealed in 2012 that she had struggled with weight gain, after suffering from depression, and appeared on the Nine Network's reality show Excess Baggage.[39] After her separation from Deutrom, she lost 25 kg (55 lb).[56]

In February 2020, Anu pleaded guilty in the Rockhampton Magistrates Court to mid-range drunk driving, after having been pulled over by police in Rockhampton on New Year's Eve.[57][58] She was fined A$650 and had her driver's license suspended for three months.[57][58]

Discography

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Main article: Christine Anu discography

Studio albums

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Live albums

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Filmography

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Films and television

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List of films and television shows featuring Christine Anu
Year Title Role Notes
1996 Dating the Enemy Minor role, first feature film[59]
1998 Wildside TV guest appearance[3][60]
2000 It's a Wiggly Wiggly World Herself The Wiggles video and album[61]
2001 Moulin Rouge! Dancer [3]
2003 The Matrix Reloaded Kali Also lent voice to video game Enter the Matrix[36]
2004 Popstars Live Judge [62]
2004 Play School
2005 The Alice Valerie Episodes 1.11 and 1.13
2005 Blinky Bill's White Christmas
2007 East West 101 Fiona Baker Episode "Death at the Station"
2007 Toasted TV
2009 Who Do You Think You Are? Herself Episode "Christine Anu" aired 18 October 2009[63]
2012 Outland Rae Lead role
2012 Excess Baggage Herself Celebrity contestant[64]
2013 Dance Academy Summer Episode "Travelling Light"
2015 Ready for This Vee
2017 Kiki and Kitty Mum 5 episodes
2018-2020 Black Comedy Herself 4 episodes
2020 The Masked Singer (Australia) Goldfish Contestant (10th Place)

Theatre and stage performances

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The following list includes selected stage performances by Anu.[65]

List of theatre shows featuring Christine Anu
Year Title Role Notes
1994 Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom Stage musical
1996-97 Little Shop of Horrors Crystal David Atkins musical[60]
1998–99 Rent Mimi Stage musical
2002-03 Kissing Frogs
2010 The Sapphires
2011 Rainbow's End Gladys Banks Stage play. 2009 Parramatta production and 2011 national tour.
2013 South Pacific Bloody Mary Stage musical[66][67]
2014 Parramatta Girls Stage play
2016 Hairspray Motormouth Maybelle Arena production

Awards and nominations

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ARIA Awards

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The ARIA Music Awards are a set of annual ceremonies presented by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the music of Australia. They commenced in 1987. ARIA Awards won by Anu include:[68]

Year Award[68] Work Result
1994 Best Video "Last Train" Nominated
Breakthrough Artist – Single Nominated
1995 Best Indigenous Release Stylin' Up Nominated
Breakthrough Artist – Album Nominated
Best Female Artist Nominated
Album of the Year Nominated
Song of the Year "Island Home" Nominated
1996 Best Indigenous Release "Come On" Won
Best Pop Release Nominated
Best Female Artist Won
1998 Best Video (director Baz Luhrmann) "Now Until the Break of Day" Won
2000 Engineer of the Year "Sunshine on a Rainy Day" Won
Best Female Artist Nominated
2001 Best Pop Release Come My Way Nominated
Best Female Artist Nominated
2007 Best Children's Album Chrissy's Island Family Nominated
2015 Best World Music Album Island Christmas Nominated

Australian Women in Music Awards

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The Australian Women in Music Awards is an annual event that celebrates outstanding women in the Australian Music Industry who have made significant and lasting contributions in their chosen field. They commenced in 2018.

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2019[69] Christine Anu Diversity in Music Award Won
Christine Anu Artistic Excellence Award Won

Deadly Awards

[edit]

The Deadly Awards, (commonly known simply as The Deadlys), was an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. They ran from 1996 to 2013.

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1996 Herself Female Artist of the Year Won
1998 Herself Female Artist of the Year Won
2000 "Sunshine on a Rainy Day" Single of the Year Won
2003 Herself Female Artist of the Year Won
2004 "Talk About Love" Single of the Year Won

Green Room Awards

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Year Award Work Result
1999 Best Female Actor in a Leading Roles (Music Theatre) Rent Won

National Indigenous Music Awards

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The National Indigenous Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises the achievements of Indigenous Australians in music.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2024 "Waku: Minaral a Minalay" Song of the Year Pending [70]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Christine Anu, b. 1970". National Portrait Gallery. 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Gbogbo, Mawunyo (28 July 2024). "Christine Anu explores her roots on new album, Waku – Minaral A Minalay". ABC News. Retrieved 5 August 2024. ...1979 when Anu was 10 years old
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Keenan, Catherine (18 January 2003). "Frog princess". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  4. ^ "Christine Anu – Biography". BiggestStars.com. Archived from the original on 7 July 2009. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
  5. ^ "Christine Anu". Who Do You Think You Are?. Season 2. Episode 4. 18 October 2009. 3:55 minutes in. Special Broadcasting Service. SBS One.
  6. ^ a b c Nimmervoll, Ed. "Christine Anu: Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  7. ^ (2013) Christine Anu: The New Bloody Mary Archived 3 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Stage Whispers. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  8. ^ (23 October 2013) Catching up with Christine Anu Archived 11 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine, Deadly Vibe. Retrieved 7 March 1988.
  9. ^ a b c Wehner, Cyclone. "Christine Anu On Stylin Up, Passing The Baton & Revisiting Old Stomping Grounds". themusic.com.au. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  10. ^ a b c d Kelley, Christine (2001). "Anu, Christine". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  11. ^ "Christine Anu – Stylin' Up". ABC listen. 25 November 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Wondering and wandering far, yet deeply rooted". The Age. 6 May 2005. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  13. ^ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 10 Dec 1995". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Retrieved 19 July 2017. N.B. The HP column displays the highest peak reached.
  14. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
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  16. ^ a b c d Barton, Jacob (23 October 2013). "Catching up with Christine Anu". Deadly Vibe. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  17. ^ "Singers For The Red Black & Gold Performed By Archie Roach, Paul Kelly, Christine Anu, Judith Durham, Renee Geyer, Kutcha Edwards, Tiddas – Yil Lull (1998, CD)". Discogs. 25 November 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  18. ^ Disalvo, Tom (9 November 2022). "Hear Archie Roach and Judith Durham sing 'Yil Lull', on streaming for the first time". NME. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
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  27. ^ "What she wants". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 June 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
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  29. ^ "Without You". iTunes Australia. Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
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  33. ^ "Dating the Enemy". TVGuide.com. 19 September 1996. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  34. ^ Byrnes, Holly (24 November 2015). "Remember the stars of Play School?". news. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  35. ^ "Australia's Rent Premieres in Sydney Nov. 4". Playbill.com. Archived from the original on 26 June 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  36. ^ a b Willis, John (June 2005). Screen World - John Willis - Google Books. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9781557836380. Archived from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
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  38. ^ "Intimate and Deadly Christine Anu". Message Stick. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 17 November 2004. Archived from the original on 4 December 2004. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  39. ^ a b Vickery, Colin (31 January 2012). "Anu sizes up outlandish comedy". news. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  40. ^ Sydney Morning Herald article on her departure from Popstars Live Archived 4 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine, smh.com.au, 14 April 2004. Retrieved on 12 June 2012.
  41. ^ "Season 2 episodes | Who Do You Think You Are on SBS". Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
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  45. ^ Bodey, Michael (31 May 2016). "Radio ratings: Sydney stable amid Melbourne moves". The Australian. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
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  49. ^ "Christine Anu on Instagram: "Hey Happy People… I'm back on Weekend Evenings for ABC Radio tonight from 7pm. Join me as I discuss a range of interesting topics with inspiring people, dive into some new music and so much more x"". Instagram. 20 January 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  50. ^ "Weekend Evenings with Christine Anu and Sirine Demachkie". ABC listen. 3 August 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  51. ^ a b "Christine Anu". Ngarralinyi 2TLP Community Indigenous Radio. Archived from the original on 22 July 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  52. ^ "Christine Anu". Essential Baby. 25 September 2008. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  53. ^ "Rush star Rodger Corser and Renae Berry expecting first child together". Herald Sun. 19 April 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  54. ^ "Christine Anu: My Facebook wedding". New Idea. 15 November 2010. Archived from the original on 29 November 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  55. ^ Docherty, Erin (3 July 2024). "Christine Anu: 'My kids held me up during my divorce.'". Mamamia. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  56. ^ "Christine Anu: 'How I lost my husband... and 25 kg'". New Idea. 5 December 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  57. ^ a b Nufer, Darryn (24 February 2020) Pop star fronts court on drink driving charge Archived 27 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine, The Morning Bulletin. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  58. ^ a b (24 February 2020) ARIA Award winner Christine Anu loses license for NYE drink driving Archived 24 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine, Nine News. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
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  61. ^ "WIGGLES, THE: IT'S A WIGGLY WIGGLY WORLD | Roadshow Entertainment". Roadshow.co.nz. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
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  63. ^ "Who Do You Think You Are | Tuesdays on SBS". Sbs.com.au. 29 March 2019. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  64. ^ "Christine Anu". Channelnine.ninemsn.com.au. Archived from the original on 1 February 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  65. ^ "AusStage". AusStage. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  66. ^ Dunstan, Robert. "South Pacific Music - Festival Theatre Adelaide". Rip It Up. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  67. ^ "Christine Anu: The New Bloody Mary". Stage Whispers. 27 January 2013. Archived from the original on 3 August 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  68. ^ a b "History: Winners by Artist: Christine Anu". ARIA Awards. Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2009.
  69. ^ "Congratulations to our 2019 Recipients & Finalists". women in Music Awards. October 2019. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  70. ^ Mary Varvaris (19 July 2024). "The Kid LAROI & Barkaa Lead National Indigenous Music Awards Nominations". The Music. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
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