Christine Anu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Christine Anu
Anu in 2007
Background information
Born	1970 (age 54–55) Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Origin	Torres Strait Islands, Queensland, Australia
Genres	Pop
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter actress
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1987–present
Labels	Mushroom Records Liberation Music ABC Music Independent Social Family Records

Christine Anu (born in 1970) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. She comes from the Torres Strait Islands.

She became very popular in 1995 with her version (called a cover song) of the Warumpi Band's song "My Island Home". Christine Anu has been nominated for many ARIA Awards, which are big music awards in Australia. She has won several of these, plus five Deadly Awards and other honors.

In August 2024, she released a new album and song called Waku: Minaral a Minalay. Christine started her career as a dancer. She has also acted in movies, stage shows (including musical theatre), and on TV. She even hosted a radio show called Evenings on ABC Radio.

Early life and education

Christine Anu was born in Cairns, Queensland, in 1970. She grew up with her Torres Strait Islander mother and stepfather in different places across Queensland.

Her mother is from Saibai Island. Her stepfather was a respected "songman" from Mabuiag Island. He sang traditional island songs and encouraged everyone in the family to sing along. He passed away in 1979 when Christine was 10 years old.

Christine went to Emmaus College in Rockhampton and finished school in 1987. Dancing was her first passion. She moved to Sydney to study at the National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association (now called NAISDA Dance College). She earned a degree in dance in 1992.

Career

Music journey

Anu performs at the 2000 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony

Christine started performing as a dancer while still in college. She became part of the Bangarra Dance Theatre and the Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre groups. She toured with Bangarra in 1992 and 1993.

Later, she sang backup for a group called the Rainmakers for a year. This group included Neil Murray, who used to be in the Warumpi Band. Her first song recording was in 1993. It was "Last Train", a dance version of a Paul Kelly song.

Her next song, "Monkey and the Turtle", was based on a traditional nursery rhyme from the Torres Strait Islands. In 1995, Neil Murray won an award for writing "My Island Home". Christine Anu sang her own version of this song, and it became instantly popular. Many people remember her as the main singer of "My Island Home".

She released her first album, Stylin' Up, in 1995. It sold so well that it became a "platinum" album. "Come On" was released as the fourth song from Stylin' Up. This song reached number 94 on the Australian music charts.

At the ARIA Music Awards of 1996, "Come On" won two awards. These included Best Female Artist and Best Indigenous Release. In the same year, she won a Deadly Award for best female artist.

The famous director Baz Luhrmann asked her to sing on his 1997 album, Something for Everybody. The song was "Now Until the Break of Day". The music video for this song won another ARIA award in 1999. This led to her being chosen for a role in the movie Moulin Rouge!.

In January 1998, Christine Anu joined other singers like Archie Roach and Paul Kelly. They formed a group called Singers for the Red Black and Gold. They released their own version of the song "Yil Lull". That year, she also won the Female Artist of The Year Deadly Award.

In 2000, Christine released her album Come My Way. It reached number 18 on the ARIA albums chart and sold enough to be a "gold" album. She released the popular song "Sunshine on a Rainy Day". For this song, she won ARIA Awards for both Best Female Artist and Engineer of the Year.

In the same year, she sang "My Island Home" at the Sydney 2000 Olympics Closing Ceremony. In 2003, Christine released her third album, 45 Degrees. In 2005, she released Acoustically. That year, she won the Deadly Award for Female Artist of the Year again. In 2004, she won Single of the Year for "Talk About Love".

In 2007, Christine toured New South Wales with a new stage show called Black is Blue. In this show, she sang songs by famous blues singers like Billie Holiday and Nina Simone. Also in 2007, she toured a children's show and released an album for kids called Chrissy's Island Family. This album was nominated for an ARIA Award.

On 26 September 2010, she released a new song, "Come Home", but it was not a big hit. In 2012, she released the album Rewind: The Aretha Franklin Songbook. On 7 November 2014, Christine Anu released a Christmas album called Island Christmas. The next year, she released ReStylin' Up 20 Years.

In March 2018, Christine Anu released a duet version of "Without You" with Greg Gould. This song was from the musical Rent. The video for the song showed photos from around the world. Each photo had a splash of red to support HIV/AIDS awareness.

In 2023, Christine worked on her first new album since 2015. This project used old recordings of her grandfather, Nadi Anu. These recordings were made by a German music expert, Wolfgang Laade, and are kept at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. The new album, Waku: Minaral a Minalay, came out on 2 August 2024. Christine's daughter, Zipporah, wrote one of the songs on the album.

Acting roles

Christine Anu has had a busy acting career in movies, on stage (including musical theatre), and on television.

She appeared in Dating the Enemy, an Australian movie from 1996. She has also hosted the children's TV show Play School. Christine was in an Australian stage production of the musical Little Shop of Horrors.

Her stage career grew when she played the main role of Mimi in the first Australian production of Rent in 1998 and 1999. This show received great reviews. Christine was offered a role in a Broadway production of Rent in New York. However, she had to say no because she was busy recording her second album.

She had parts in the movies Moulin Rouge! (2001) and The Matrix Reloaded (2003), where she played a character named Kali. She also voiced Kali in the video game Enter the Matrix.

From October 2004 through 2005, she toured Australia with a show called Intimate and Deadly. This was a cabaret-style show based on her life. In 2012, she played the main role of Rae in the Australian sci-fi TV series Outland. Rae was the only female member of a gay sci-fi fan club and used a wheelchair.

On 21 October 2024, it was announced that she would be playing the role of Hermes in the Australian tour of the musical Hadestown.

Other TV appearances

In 2004, Christine became a judge on Popstars Live. This was a TV talent show similar to Australian Idol. The show didn't become as popular. The TV network wanted the judges to be harsher with the contestants. Christine refused, saying she wanted to be a good role model. She then left the show in April 2004.

In 2009, Christine Anu took part in Who Do You Think You Are. This show helps people discover their family history.

In August 2020, it was revealed that Christine Anu was "the Goldfish" on the second season of The Masked Singer Australia. She was the third contestant to be unmasked, finishing 10th overall.

Christine also sang "Waltzing Matilda" at the 2003 AFL Grand Final and performed at the 2024 AFL Grand Final.

Radio work

In December 2015, ABC announced that Christine Anu would host the Evenings radio program. This show was on ABC Radio Sydney, ABC Radio Canberra, and other ABC Local Radio stations in New South Wales. She shared the role at first, then took over full-time in April 2016.

In November 2016, ABC announced a national Evenings program for Friday and Saturday nights. Christine Anu became the host of this show across all ABC Local Radio stations. As of August 2024, Christine Anu presents Weekend Evenings on Friday and Saturday nights, along with Sirine Demachkie.

Personal life

Christine Anu is a mother to a son named Kuiam and a daughter named Zipporah Corser Anu. Zipporah's father is actor Rodger Corser, and she is also very talented in music.

Christine married her childhood sweetheart, Simon Deutrom, in 2010. He is not the father of her children. In June 2016, Christine announced that she and Simon were separating after six years of marriage. They later divorced.

In 2012, she shared that she had struggled with weight gain after dealing with depression. She appeared on the Nine Network's reality show Excess Baggage. After her separation from Simon, she lost 25 kg.

Discography

Studio albums

• Stylin' Up (1995)
• Come My Way (2000)
• 45 Degrees (2003)
• Acoustically (2005)
• Chrissy's Island Family (2007)
• Rewind: The Aretha Franklin Songbook (2012)
• Island Christmas (2014)
• Waku: Minaral a Minalay (2024)

Live albums

• Intimate and Deadly (2010)
• ReStylin' Up 20 Years (2015)

Filmography

Films and television

Theatre and stage performances

The following list includes selected stage performances by Anu.

Awards and nominations

ARIA Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are annual ceremonies. They are presented by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). These awards celebrate great achievements in all types of music of Australia. They started in 1987. ARIA Awards won by Anu include:

Australian Women in Music Awards

The Australian Women in Music Awards is an annual event. It celebrates amazing women in the Australian Music Industry. These women have made important and lasting contributions in their field. The awards started in 2018.

Deadly Awards

The Deadly Awards were an annual celebration. They honored Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievements in music, sport, entertainment, and community. They ran from 1996 to 2013.

Green Room Awards

National Indigenous Music Awards

The National Indigenous Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony. It recognizes the achievements of Indigenous Australians in music.