Kate Miller-Heidke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kate Miller-Heidke
Miller-Heidke in 2015
Born	Kate Melina Miller-Heidke (1981-11-16) 16 November 1981 (age 43) Gladstone, Queensland, Australia
Alma mater	Queensland Conservatorium of Music, BMus Queensland University of Technology (MMus), Griffith University (honorary doctorate)
Occupation	Singer songwriter
Years active	1998–present
Spouse(s)	Keir Nuttall ​ (m. 2007)​
Children	1
Musical career
Origin	Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Genres	Folk pop rock alternative opera
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Waterbear/Sony BMG Epic US RCA UK Cooking Vinyl Australia
Associated acts	Elsewhere Transport Fatty Gets a Stylist

Kate Melina Miller-Heidke (born 16 November 1981) is an Australian singer and songwriter. She was trained in classical music but chose a career in pop music with a unique twist. She signed with major record labels like Sony and Epic, but since 2014, she has been an independent artist. This means she manages her own music career.

Four of her albums have reached the top 10 on the ARIA Charts, which are Australia's official music charts. These albums include Curiouser (2008), Nightflight (2012), O Vertigo! (2014), and Child in Reverse (2020). Her most popular song, "The Last Day on Earth" (2009), reached number 3 on the ARIA Singles Chart. It became very popular after being used in TV ads for the show Neighbours. Kate Miller-Heidke has been nominated for 17 ARIA Music Awards.

In 2019, she represented Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Israel. Her song was "Zero Gravity". Kate is the only artist to have performed at Coachella (a big music festival), the New York Metropolitan Opera (a famous opera house), and Eurovision. She has also won five Helpmann Awards, which celebrate live performances in Australia.

Early Life and Education

Kate Melina Miller-Heidke was born on 16 November 1981 in Gladstone, Queensland, Australia. Her mother, Jenny Miller, was a ballet dancer and dance teacher. Her father, Greg Heidke, was a high school principal. After her parents separated, Kate grew up living in two different suburbs, Indooroopilly and Auchenflower. She has two siblings. Her cousin, Annie Lee, is also a performer in the comedy group, the Kransky Sisters.

Kate attended several high schools before finishing at St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School in 1998. She then studied classical singing at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music on a full scholarship. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree and later a Master of Music degree from Queensland University of Technology.

Music Career Highlights

Early Career and First Songs (2000–2005)

Kate Miller-Heidke started her career as a classical singer. She won several awards for her classical voice performances. She also performed in operas with Opera Queensland. In 2005, she made her professional opera debut in a production called The Turn of the Screw.

At the Woodford Folk Festival, December 2008. She had been named Queen of the Festival back in 2002–2003.

While studying, Kate also played in pop bands in Brisbane. She was the lead singer for a band called Elsewhere, which released an album of their own songs. In 2003, she started her solo music career. She became well-known in Brisbane after performing at an event called Women in Voice several times. In 2005, she won a Helpmann Award for her performance there.

In 2004, Kate released her first collection of songs, called Telegram. Many of the songs were written by her or with her then-boyfriend, Keir Nuttall. Keir Nuttall is a guitarist and has been part of Kate's backing band since 2004. In 2005, a song from Telegram called "Space They Cannot Touch" became very popular on national radio. This led to her signing with EMI Music Australia and starting to tour all over Australia.

She also performed at many music festivals, including the Woodford Folk Festival, where she was named "Queen of the Festival" in 2002–2003. Kate has appeared on popular Australian TV shows like RocKwiz and Spicks and Specks.

First Albums and Growing Success (2006–2010)

Miller-Heidke (centre) singing alongside Deborah Conway (on acoustic guitar at left) and Mia Dyson, Australia Day Live, January 2007. All three had performed as part of the Broad Festival in August 2006.

In 2006, Kate released her third collection of songs, Circular Breathing. The next year, in 2007, she released her first full album, Little Eve. This album reached number 11 on the ARIA Albums Chart and sold enough copies to be certified gold. Music critics compared her unique voice to artists like Kate Bush. The main song from the album, "Words", reached the top 50 singles chart. She received five nominations at the ARIA Music Awards of 2007.

Performing at the Brunswick Music Festival, March 2009

Kate's second album, Curiouser, came out in 2008. She worked on this album with her husband, Keir Nuttall. The first song from the album, "Can't Shake It", was her first song to reach the top 40. Curiouser became her first album to reach the top 10, peaking at number 2.

Kate and Keir Nuttall wrote "Caught in the Crowd" together. This song won a big international songwriting competition in 2008. It was even used in Australian schools to help with anti-bullying programs. Her next song, "The Last Day on Earth", became a huge hit, reaching number 3 in Australia. Its popularity made Curiouser re-enter the top 50 charts and reach number 1 on iTunes. Both the song and the album were certified platinum, meaning they sold over 70,000 copies.

In 2009, Kate was nominated for four more ARIA Awards. She also toured in the US, UK, and Europe, opening for the artist Ben Folds.

New Projects and Continued Success (2011–2019)

Kate Miller-Heidke in 2011

In 2011, Kate started a side project with Keir Nuttall called Fatty Gets a Stylist. They released a self-titled album. One of their songs, "Are You Ready?", was used in TV ads in the US and Australia.

Kate also continued her opera work. In 2012, she performed in an opera called The Death of Klinghoffer in London and again in New York in 2014.

Her third Australian album, Nightflight, was released in 2012. It also reached number 2 on the ARIA charts. The song "Ride This Feeling" from the album was used to promote tourism in Brisbane.

Kate Miller-Heidke in 2013

In 2013, Kate left her record label, Sony Records, to become an independent artist. She used a method called crowd-funding through PledgeMusic to raise money for her fourth album, O Vertigo! (2014). She broke a record by reaching her funding goal in just three days! The album reached number 4 on the ARIA Albums Chart.

Kate also started writing operas. In 2015, she co-wrote an opera for children called The Rabbits, based on a popular book. It was very successful and won her two more Helpmann Awards for Best New Australian Work and Best Original Score.

In 2017, Kate and Keir Nuttall wrote the music and lyrics for a musical version of the famous Australian film Muriel's Wedding. This musical was a big hit and won them another Helpmann Award for Best Original Score in 2018.

Eurovision and Recent Work (2019–Present)

Miller-Heidke (centre) performing "Zero Gravity" during the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel. She won the semi-final and finished ninth in the final.

In 2019, Kate Miller-Heidke was chosen to represent Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with her song "Zero Gravity". She won the first semi-final and finished ninth in the grand final. She also received a special award for her artistic performance at Eurovision.

In 2020, Kate released her fifth album, Child in Reverse, which reached number 9 on the charts. That same year, she appeared on the TV show The Masked Singer Australia as the "Queen" and was the runner-up.

Kate continues to write music for TV shows and musicals with Keir Nuttall. In 2023, they wrote a musical comedy called Bananaland. Kate also sang the Australian national anthem at the 2023 AFL Grand Final. In 2024, it was announced that Kate Miller-Heidke would be a coach on the singing competition show The Voice Australia.

Band Members

On stage and in the studio, Kate Miller-Heidke has been supported by members of the rock band Transport since 2003. This includes her husband, Keir Nuttall, on lead guitar and backing vocals. Other long-time band members have included Scott Saunders on bass guitar and Steve Pope on drums. Over the years, other talented musicians have joined her touring band for different performances.

Personal Life

Miller-Heidke (right) singing alongside her husband, Keir Nuttall on guitar and vocals, Blue Mountain Music Festival, Katoomba, March 2018

Kate Miller-Heidke met her husband, Keir Nuttall, in the early 2000s when they were both studying music. Keir and his band, Transport, later became part of Kate's backing band. They have also worked together on many songs and as music producers. Kate and Keir got married in November 2007, and they had their first child in 2016.

Discography

Albums

• Little Eve (2007)
• Curiouser (2008)
• Nightflight (2012)
• O Vertigo! (2014)
• Child in Reverse (2020)

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage Credits

Awards and Nominations

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (AIR Awards) celebrate the success of Australia's independent music artists each year.

APRA Music Awards

The APRA Awards recognize songwriting skills and music performance in Australia and New Zealand.

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are Australia's biggest music awards, celebrating excellence in all music styles. Kate Miller-Heidke has been nominated 18 times.

EG Awards/Music Victoria Awards

The Music Victoria Awards celebrate music from the state of Victoria, Australia.

Helpmann Awards

The Helpmann Awards are important awards for live entertainment and performing arts in Australia.

J Award

The J Awards are Australian music awards created by the radio station Triple J.

Queensland Music Awards

The Queensland Music Awards celebrate new and established artists from Queensland, Australia.

Other Awards

See also

In Spanish: Kate Miller-Heidke para niños