Jessica Mauboy’s powerhouse voice and trailblazing career now have a permanent spotlight in the Australian Music Vault. The pop icon and proud Kuku Yalanji and Wakaman woman has been honoured with a new photographic display celebrating her induction into the National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMA) Hall of Fame.
The display features seven striking images from her Yours Forever 2024 tour in Albury, Newcastle and Canberra, an album cover shoot, and her performance at the 2024 NIMAs.
“I’m deeply humbled to be inducted into the NIMA Hall of Fame and to see my journey celebrated in the Australian Music Vault,” Mauboy said.
“Music has always been my way of sharing story and spirit, and I hope this display inspires future First Nations artists to honour our heritage and follow their dreams,” she said.
Arts Centre Melbourne curator Ian Jackson called Mauboy a remarkable”addition to the Hall of Fame. “Jessica has always maintained her commitment to community and proud First Nations identity. The Australian Music Vault celebrates the story of Australian music, and it is wonderful to put Jessica Mauboy in her rightful place at the heart of that story,” he said.
From her Darwin childhood listening to traditional songs and pop records with her sisters, to her unforgettable Australian Idol audition at 16, Mauboy’s rise has been steady and unstoppable. Her four Sony albums produced nine Top 10 singles, saw her tour with Beyoncé, and collaborate with artists from Flo Rida to Snoop Dogg.
She’s just as comfortable on screen, with standout roles in Bran Nue Dae and The Sapphires, plus her TV hit The Secret Daughter, which made her the first Indigenous artist to top the ARIA Albums Chart. She’s performed at Eurovision, coached on The Voice Australia, and most recently toured Yours Forever to near sell-out crowds.
In the past year alone, she premiered her one-woman show at Adelaide Cabaret Festival and delivered a moving gospel-inspired cover of Yothu Yindi’s World Turning for NAIDOC Week on triple j’s Like a Version.
The Australian Music Vault’s free exhibition is inside Arts Centre Melbourne’s Theatres Building and tells the story of Australian music — past, present, and future. Mauboy’s new display is open now.
