Emma Donovan

;Heritage Donovan was born in 1981 in Liverpool, a suburb of Sydney. Her father, Neville Councillor, is from Geraldton in Western Australia, Her mother, Agnes Donovan, is a Gumbaynggirr/Danggali woman from the Nambucca Valley on the north coast of New South Wales, ;Music Donovan's musical singing career started at a young age. Her grandparents Micko and Aileen Donovan, years before her birth, founded the Aboriginal country band The Donovans, which consisted of their five sons and daughter Agnes singing at local events. Donovan's uncles still perform as the Donovan Brothers band. At the age of seven, she began periodically singing with the Donovans. Her family and mother Agnes encouraged and supported her singing, Agnes taking her to talent competitions around the country. Agnes also helped develop Aboriginal showcases at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in the late 1990s, in which Donovan took part. ;Education Donovan's family moved frequently, and she attended multiple schools in New South Wales and WA, with an extended time spent at North Newtown Primary. In 1997, at age sixteen, Donovan was studying contemporary music at the Eora College for Performing Arts in Chippendale, New South Wales. The school was founded to provide education for Indigenous students. She began branching out from country music, exploring reggae and R&B as well. ==Musical career==

1999–2003: Stiff Gins In late 1999, Donovan formed the vocal acoustic band Stiff Gins with Nardi Simpson and Kaleena Briggs after meeting at the Eora College. They released their first EP, Soh Fa, on Sony Records in 2000. Donovan co-wrote their second release, the full album Origins. In 2007, Donovan was invited to become a member of the Black Arm Band. Donovan performed at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. 2022–present In January 2022, Donovan released a cover of Archie Roach's "Get back to the Land" with The Teskey Brothers. In November 2022, she collaborated with other First Nations artists DOBBY, Emily Wurramara, Drmngnow, and Optamus to create a song in memory of Cassius Turvey, a Noongar-Yamatji boy who had died at the age of 15 the result of an assault by a random attacker when walking home from school in Perth, Western Australia. The song, titled "Forever 15", and released three days later on 21 November 2022. In July 2023, Donovan released "Take No More" with Kee'Ahn. In February 2024, Donovan announced the release of her fifth studio album, Til My Song is Done, scheduled for release on 19 April 2024. ==Musical style==

Donovan's singing and songwriting frequently blend reggae, gospel, smooth soul, roots, and country music. Although she has stated she is proud of her Naaguja, Yamatji, and Danggali tribal heritage, she most frequently expresses her Gumbaynggirr heritage from her mother's side in her music, often singing in the traditional language. ==Documentaries==

Donovan has appeared in or been featured in a handful of documentaries. The documentary Gumbayngirr Lady featured her, and was filmed and aired by the Special Broadcasting Service in 2004 as part of their BLAKTRAX series. The hour-long film followed Donovan to her home region of Macksville, New South Wales. • Emma Donovan: Gumbainggir Lady (SBS TV) (2004) • Dynasties (ABC series) (2005) • murundak – songs of freedom (AFI) (2011) ==Discography==

Albums Extended plays See also • Stiff Gins • The Black Arm Band ==Awards and nominations==

AIR Awards The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. APRA Awards The APRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), "honouring composers and songwriters". They commenced in 1982. ARIA Music Awards The ARIA Music Awards is an annual ceremony 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. Australian Music Prize The Australian Music Prize (the AMP) is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. It commenced in 2005. The Deadly Awards 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. The ran from 1995 to 2013. J Awards The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. They commenced in 2005. Music Victoria Awards The Music Victoria Awards, are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2005. National Indigenous Music Awards The National Indigenous Music Awards recognise excellence, innovation and leadership among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians from throughout Australia. They commenced in 2004. National Live Music Awards The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) commenced in 2016 to recognise contributions to the live music industry in Australia. Rolling Stone Australia Awards The Rolling Stone Australia Awards are awarded annually in January or February by the Australian edition of Rolling Stone magazine for outstanding contributions to popular culture in the previous year. == References ==