Age: 54
Christine Anu
Age: 54
Christine Anu (born 15 March 1970) is an Australian pop singer and actress. She gained popularity with the release of her song "My Island Home" and has won several ARIA Music Awards.
Biography
Early life
Anu was born on 15 March 1970 in Cairns, Queensland, to a Torres Strait Islander mother from Saibai.
Music career
Anu began performing as a dancer and later went on to sing back-up vocals for The Rainmakers, which included Neil Murray of the Warumpi Band. Her first recording was in 1993 with "Last Train", dance remake of a Paul Kelly song. The follow-up, "Monkey and the Turtle", was based on a traditional story. After "My Island Home", she released her first album, Stylin' Up which went platinum, and also gained her a position as a spokeswoman for Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.
In 1995, Neil Murray won an Australasian Performing Right Association songwriting award for writing "My Island Home". Christine Anu won an ARIA Award for best female recording artist as well as a Deadly Sounds National Aboriginal & Islander Music Awards Award in 1996 for best female artist.
Baz Luhrmann asked her to sing on the song "Now Until the Break of Day" on his Something for Everybody album. It was released as a single and the video then won another ARIA award and led to her being cast in Moulin Rouge!.
It took five years for a follow-up to Stylin' Up to be released; 2000's Come My Way made her a mainstream star. The single "Sunshine on a Rainy Day" was a Top 40 hit for 13 weeks in Australia. Come My Way went gold. In 2000 she sang the song "My Island Home" at the Sydney 2000 Olympics Closing Ceremony.
Anu has been nominated for 16 ARIA Awards.
On 26 September 2010, she released a new digital only single, "Come Home". This is her first solo single since 2003.
On 7 November 2014, Anu released a Christmas album, titled Island Christmas.
Acting and TV career
Anu has also had an acting plus TV career. She appeared in Dating the Enemy, a 1996 Australian film starring Guy Pearce and Claudia Karvan. She then appeared in an Australian production of the stage musical Little Shop of Horrors in the same year.
Anu's stage career developed with a starring role in the original Australian production of Rent in 1998 and 1999. Anu was offered a role in a Broadway production of this musical but had to decline due to commitments in recording her second album. Her links with Baz Luhrmann led to him offering her a part in Moulin Rouge!. In 2003, she appeared as Kali in The Matrix Reloaded and played the character on the video game Enter the Matrix.
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. Christine Anu refused to offer harsher criticism, leading to her resignation as a judge in April 2004. In a statement issued on her departure, she said: "I chose to play a positive role model and wanted to encourage these young people in their endeavours, rather than criticise them. Although leaving Popstars Live was a difficult decision for me to make, I do feel somewhat relieved that I can now focus on my music."
Anu reappeared on television in 2012, in the 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. Also in 2012 she participated in Who Do You Think You Are.
Radio
Anu will present the evenings program on 702 ABC Sydney in 2016, initially co-hosting with existing host Dom Knight before hosting solo.
Personal life
Anu married her childhood sweetheart, Simon Deutrom, in 2010. Anu is a mother of two: eldest son Kuiam (born 1996), daughter Zipporah (born 2002) Zipporah's father is actor Rodger Corser.
Discography
Albums
Year | Album details | Chart positions | Certifications |
---|---|---|---|
AUS |
|||
1995 | Stylin' Up
|
21 |
|
2000 | Come My Way
|
18 |
|
2003 | 45 Degrees
|
— | |
2005 | Acoustically
|
— | |
2007 | Chrissy's Island Family
|
— | |
2012 | Rewind
|
— | |
2014 | Island Christmas
|
— |
Singles
Year | Title | Chart positions | Album |
---|---|---|---|
1993 | "Last Train" |
93 | N/A |
1995 | "Monkey & the Turtle" | — | Stylin' Up |
"Island Home" | 67 | ||
"Party" | 20 | ||
"Come On" | 95 | ||
1997 | "Now Until the Break of Day" |
50 | Something for Everybody |
2000 | "Sunshine on a Rainy Day" | 26 | Come My Way |
"Jump to Love"/"Island Home" | 58 | ||
2001 | "'Coz I'm Free" | 86 | |
2003 | "Talk About Love" | 85 | 45 Degrees |
2008 | "Takin' It to the Streets" |
— | N/A |
2010 | "Come Home" | — | |
2014 | "Beat of Your Heart" | — |
Filmography
Films and television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1996 | Dating the Enemy | Minor role, first feature film | |
1998 | Wildside | TV guest appearance | |
2001 | Moulin Rouge! | Dancer | |
2003 | The Matrix Reloaded | Kali | Also lent voice to video game Enter the Matrix |
2000 | It's a Wiggly Wiggly World | Herself | The Wiggles video and album |
2004 | Popstars Live | Judge | |
2004 | Play School | ||
2007 | Toasted TV | ||
2009 | Who Do You Think You Are? | Herself | Episode "Christine Anu" aired 18 October 2009 |
2012 | Outland | Rae | Lead role |
2012 | Excess Baggage | Herself | Celebrity contestant |
2013 | Dance Academy | Summer | Episode "Travelling Light" |
2015 | Ready for This | Vee |
Theatre and stage performances
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | Little Shop of Horrors | Crystal | David Atkins musical |
1998-99 | Rent | Mimi | Australian stage musical |
2013 | South Pacific | Bloody Mary | Musical |
2014 | Parramatta Girls |
Awards and nominations
ARIA Awards
Year | Award | Work | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1994 | Best Video | "Last Train" | Nominated |
Breakthrough Artist - Single | Nominated | ||
1995 | Best Indigenous Release | Stylin' Up | Won |
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 | "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 |