Christine Anu

Anu was born on 15 March 1970 in Cairns, Queensland,[2] to a Torres Strait Islander mother from Saibai.[3][4]

Anu attended Emmaus College in Rockhampton where she graduated from in 1987 before studying at the National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association in Sydney.[5][6]

Anu performs at the 2000 Summer Paralympics Opening Ceremony

Anu began performing as a dancer, she studied dance at NAISDA (the National Aboriginal And Islander Skills Development Association) established by Carole Johnson in Sydney.[7] She 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", a 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.[2]

In 1995, Neil Murray won an Australasian Performing Right Association songwriting award for writing "My Island Home". 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!.[2]

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".

In 2000, Anu released Come My Way which peaked at number 18 on the ARIA albums chart and went gold.[2] In 2000 she sang the song "My Island Home" at the Sydney 2000 Olympics Closing Ceremony.[8]

In November 2003, Anu released her third studio album, 45 Degrees.

In 2007, Anu toured a children's show and released an associate album titled Chrissy's Island Family. The album gained an ARIA Award nomination.

On 26 September 2010, she released a new digital only single, "Come Home".

On 7 November 2014, Anu released a Christmas album, titled Island Christmas.[9]

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.[10]

2023, sees Anu continuing to work 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.[7]

Anu has also had an acting career in film, stage and television. 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. 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."[11]

In 2009, Anu participated in Who Do You Think You Are.[12] She appeared again 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.

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.[13]

In December 2015, ABC announced that Anu will host the Evenings radio program on ABC Radio Sydney, ABC Radio Canberra and ABC Local Radio stations across New South Wales.[14] Anu shared the role with Dominic Knight, then took over full reins in April after Knight's resignation. In the first half of 2016 the program suffered a dip in the ratings after she began hosting.[15][16][17]

In November 2016, ABC announced will host a national Evenings program on Friday and Saturday across ABC Local Radio. 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.

Anu is a mother of two, son Kuiam (born 1996) and daughter Zipporah (born 2002).[2][18][19] Zipporah's father is actor Rodger Corser.[20]

Anu married her childhood sweetheart, Simon Deutrom, in 2010.[18][21]

In June 2016, Anu announced that she and Deutrom were separating after six years of marriage.

On 24 February 2020, Anu pleaded guilty in the Rockhampton Magistrates Court to mid-range drunk driving after recording a blood alcohol reading of 0.109 after she was pulled over by police in Rockhampton on New Year's Eve.[22][23] Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale fined Anu $650 and suspended her driver's license for three months.[22][23]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Christine Anu.

• Christine Anu official web site
• Christine Anu at IMDb
• Allmusic Christine Anu entry
• Intimate and Deadly
• Black is Blue tour
• Interview with Christine Anu