Budjerah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Budjerah
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Budjerah in 2022
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Budjerah Julum Slabb |
| Born | 17 March 2002 Fingal Head, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Years active | 2019–present |
| Labels | Warner Music Australia (2020–present) |
Budjerah Julum Slabb (/ˈbʊdʒəˌrʌ/ buuj-Ə-ruh; born on March 17, 2002), known simply as Budjerah, is an Australian singer. He comes from Fingal Head, New South Wales and is a Coodjinburra man from the Bundjalung nation.
His first song, "Missing You," came out in October 2020. Budjerah performed this song live on the Australian TV show The Sound. He won the Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist award at the 2021 ARIA Awards. After that, he released his first EP, Conversations, in April 2022 and started his first world tour.
In 2023, Budjerah won the Artist of the Year award at the National Indigenous Music Awards.
Contents
Budjerah's Early Life and Music Beginnings
Budjerah Julum Slabb was born on March 17, 2002, in Fingal Head, New South Wales. This town is close to the border between Queensland and New South Wales. His parents are pastors, so he grew up singing gospel music in churches. Budjerah shared that he "grew up singing Sam Cooke and listening to gospel singers like The Clark Sisters." He also performed at big events, like a Gold Coast Suns' football game, where he sang in front of over 18,000 people.
Budjerah's Music Journey
Starting His Career (2019–2021)
In 2019, Budjerah tried out for The Voice (Australian season 8), singing "Climb Every Mountain." He didn't make it past the first round, but he kept going.
In September 2019, he put his song "River Dry" on Triple J Unearthed, a platform for new artists.
In 2020, Budjerah started working with musician Matt Corby, who helped produce his first EP. In October 2020, Budjerah released his first song, "Missing You." This song became very popular on Triple J radio.
Music critics praised "Missing You" for mixing different styles like soul, hip-hop, R&B, and pop.
In March 2021, Apple Music chose Budjerah as an "Up Next" artist. This program helps new artists from Australia and New Zealand get noticed. Budjerah said he was "really excited" about it and that his new songs were "about different times in my life and all the different emotions that I feel."
His first EP, called Budjerah, was released on March 26, 2021.
In May 2021, he released Budjerah (Live At Rainbow Valley). This EP had live versions of the songs from his first EP, recorded at Matt Corby's studio. Other artists like Ngaiire and JK-47 also joined him on this live recording.
In August 2021, a special CD version of his first EP was released. At the 2021 ARIA Music Awards, Budjerah won the award for Breakthrough Artist.
On November 26, 2021, Budjerah released another song called "Wash My Sorrows Away."
Conversations and World Tour (2022–Present)
On February 25, 2022, Budjerah announced his next EP, Conversations, which came out on April 8, 2022. He also started his first world tour around this time.
His song "Ready for the Sky" was released in July 2022. People called it "smooth" and "a warm slice of soul" that showed off his amazing voice.
Budjerah also got to open for Ed Sheeran on his Australian tour in 2023. In February 2023, Budjerah released "Therapy." He explained that "Therapy can come in many forms, but taking a step back and getting an outside perspective is something that has helped me."
He also released the song "Video Game," which he co-wrote with Meg Mac, Matt Corby, and Chris Collins.
In June 2023, Budjerah covered the Crowded House song "Better Be Home Soon" with WILSN. This was part of Mushroom Records' 50th anniversary celebration.
On January 9, 2025, Budjerah performed at AJ2025 (Australian Scout Jamborees). He sang many of his own songs like 'Stranger Love' and '2 Step', and also some covers like 'Valarie' and 'Proud Mary'. His performance ended with his song 'Therapy'. During the show, he was given an AJ2025 scarf, and the crowd cheered for him.
Budjerah's Music Releases
Extended Plays (EPs)
| Title | EP details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS |
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| Budjerah |
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72 |
| Budjerah (Live at Rainbow Valley) |
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| Conversations |
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97 |
Singles
Songs as the Main Artist
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certification | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ Hot |
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| "Missing You" | 2020 | — | Budjerah | |
| "Higher" | 2021 | — | ||
| "Stranger Love" (with Pnau) |
34 | TBA | ||
| "Talk" (with May-a) |
— | Conversations | ||
| "Wash My Sorrows Away" | — | |||
| "What Should I Do?" | 2022 | — | ||
| "Get Down" | — | |||
| "Ready for the Sky" | — | TBA | ||
| "Sweet Disposition" (with Ngaiire and Gretta Ray) |
— | non-album single | ||
| "Who Would Imagine a King" | — | |||
| "Therapy" | 2023 | — |
|
TBA |
| "Better Be Home Soon" (with WILSN) |
— | Mushroom: Fifty Years of Making Noise (Reimagined) | ||
| "Video Game" | — | rowspan="2" TBA | ||
| "Is It Ever Gonna Make Sense" | 2024 | — | ||
| "—" means the song did not appear on the charts or was not released. | ||||
Songs Featuring Budjerah
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | "Heavy Love" (KYE featuring Budjerah) |
Ribena |
Other Song Appearances
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "The Way" (with Matt Corby) |
2023 | Faraway Downs (Soundtrack) |
Music Videos
| Year | Title | Director(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | "Missing You" | Mos & Co | |
| 2021 | "Higher" | Mick Soiza | |
| "Stranger Love" (with PNAU) | Tyler Hinde | ||
| "Talk" (with May-a) | Bourtney Crookes | ||
| 2022 | "What Should I Do?" | Mick Soiza | |
| "Get Down" | Tatjana Hamilton | ||
| "Ready for the Sky" (Live at Bakehouse Studios) | Michael Ridley | ||
| 2023 | "Therapy" | Murli Dhir | |
| "Video Game" | |||
| "Heavy Love" (KYE featuring Budjerah) | |||
| "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" (featuring Amazon Playmakers) |
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| 2024 | "Is It Ever Gonna Make Sense" |
Awards and Recognitions
AIR Awards
The AIR Awards celebrate the best independent music in Australia.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | "Stranger Love" (with PNAU) | Best Independent Dance, Electronica or Club Single | Nominated |
APRA Awards
The APRA Awards in Australia and New Zealand honor great songwriting and popular songs.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Budjerah Slabb | Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year | Nominated | |
| "Higher" (Budjerah Slabb, Matt Corby) | Most Performed R&B/Soul Work of the Year | Won | ||
| Song of the Year | Shortlisted | |||
| 2023 | "Ready for the Sky" (Budjerah, Ainslie Wills) | Song of the Year | Shortlisted | |
| Budjerah Slabb | Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year | Nominated | ||
| 2024 | "Therapy" (Sarah Aarons, Ajay Bhattacharyya) | Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| Most Performed Australian Work | Nominated | |||
| "Ready for the Sky" (Budjerah, Ainslie Wills) | Nominated | |||
| Most Performed Pop Work | Nominated | |||
| "Therapy" (Sarah Aarons, Ajay Bhattacharyya) | Nominated |
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards are Australia's biggest music awards, celebrating excellence in all music styles.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Budjerah | Best Artist | Nominated | |
| Breakthrough Artist | Won | |||
| Best Soul/R&B Release | Nominated | |||
| Mike Soiza for Budjerah – "Higher" | Best Video | Nominated | ||
| Budjerah 2021 Aus Tour | Best Australian Live Act | Nominated | ||
| Matt Corby for Budjerah – Budjerah (EP) | Producer of the Year | Nominated | ||
| Engineer of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Chris Collins for Budjerah – Budjerah (EP) | Nominated | |||
| 2022 | Conversations | Best Solo Artist | Nominated | |
| Best Soul/R&B Release | Won | |||
| The Conversations Australian Tour | Best Australian Live Act | Nominated | ||
| Dann Hume & Eric J Dubowsky for Budjerah – Conversations | Mix Engineer – Best Mixed Album | Nominated | ||
| 2023 | "2step" by Ed Sheeran (featuring Budjerah) | Best Solo Artist | Nominated | |
| "Therapy" | Best Pop Release | Nominated | ||
| Song of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Murli Dhir and Made In Katana Studios for Budjerah – "Therapy" | Best Video | Nominated | ||
| Budjerah Australian Tour | Best Australian Live Act | Nominated | ||
| 2024 | "Is It Ever Gonna Make Sense" | Best Video | Nominated |
National Indigenous Music Awards
These awards celebrate the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians in Australia.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Himself | New Artist of the Year | Won | |
| 2023 | Himself | Artist of the Year | Won | |
| "Therapy" | Song of the Year | Nominated | ||
| "Therapy" | Film Clip of the Year | Nominated | ||
| 2024 | Himself | Artist of the Year | Nominated | |
| "Video Game" | Song of the Year | Nominated |
National Live Music Awards
The NLMAs recognize people who contribute to live music in Australia.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Budjerah | Best R&B or Soul Act | Nominated | |
| Budjerah | Best Live Voice in NSW | Nominated |
Rolling Stone Australia Awards
These awards are given by the Australian Rolling Stone magazine for great contributions to popular culture.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | "Ready for the Sky" | Best Single | Nominated | |
| Budjerah | Best New Artist | Won | ||
| 2024 | "Therapy" | Best Single | Nominated |
Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition
This competition celebrates great songwriting and raises money for music therapy.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | "Ready for the Sky" | Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition | 2nd |
