Shellie Morris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shellie Morris
AO |
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|---|---|
| Genres | Folk music, folk rock, roots revival |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, singer/songwriter |
| Instruments | Singing, guitar, piano |
| Labels | independent record label |
| Associated acts | The Black Arm Band |
Shellie Morris is a talented Indigenous Australian singer and songwriter. She creates beautiful music that blends modern folk music with acoustic ballads.
Contents
About Shellie Morris
Shellie Morris grew up in Sydney and loved singing from a young age. She often sang in church choirs when she was in her twenties. In the 1990s, Shellie moved to Darwin to find her Indigenous family. She studied contemporary music at N.T.U in Darwin. After that, she worked with producer and musician Glen Heald for ten years. Together, they created her albums Shellie Morris and Waiting Road.
Musical Journey and Achievements
Shellie Morris toured with the famous band Yothu Yindi in 2001. She also performed with Neil Murray from the Warumpi Band. In 2002, Shellie and Glen Heald wrote music for a play called "To the inland sea." This play was inspired by Charles Sturt's journey to find a mythical inland sea in Australia.
Shellie Morris was named Best Female Musician at the 2004 and 2005 Northern Territory Indigenous Music Awards. Her album Waiting Road was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2007 Deadly Awards. She has been featured on ABC TV's Message Stick program. Shellie also appeared on the SBS show Rockwiz.
Working with Communities
Shellie Morris works with Indigenous communities and young people across Australia. She helps them write songs about their own stories and experiences. She has visited over fifty Indigenous communities. Shellie is also an ambassador for the Fred Hollows Foundation. This group helps prevent blindness in Indigenous communities and other parts of the world. She is also an ambassador for The Jimmy Little Foundation. This foundation works to improve kidney health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Performances and Collaborations
Shellie Morris is a featured singer with the Black Arm Band. This group brings together top Indigenous artists and jazz musicians. Her song "Swept Away" was performed with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in 2008. In 2009, Shellie performed at the Sydney Opera House with the famous musician Gurrumul Yunupingu.
Morris also co-wrote "Liberty Songs" with Australian guitarist Glen Heald. This project was a collaboration between refugees from Liberia and Indigenous Australian female singers. In 2010, Shellie performed "Swept Away" at the opening of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. She sang with The Black Arm Band. In 2011, Morris performed with international stars like Sinéad O'Connor and John Cale.
Shellie Morris was featured in the Australian film 'Murundak – Songs of freedom'. This movie is about Aboriginal protest music. It follows The Black Arm Band from concert halls to remote communities.
In 2011, the famous Brazilian singer Gilberto Gil chose Shellie Morris for his film "Viramundo." This film explores connections between countries in the Southern Hemisphere.
In 2013, Shellie released an album called Ngambala Wiji Li-Wunungu – Together We are Strong. This album features songs in several Indigenous languages. These include Yanyuwa, Marra, Garrwa, and Gurdanji. This project won the 2012 National Indigenous Music Award for Traditional Music. It also won the 2012 Music Council of Australia's Music in Communities Award. In 2013, it won the National Indigenous Music Award for Song of the Year for "li-Anthawirriyarra a-kurija."
Music Albums
Studio Albums
These are the main music albums Shellie Morris has released.
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Shellie Morris |
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| Waiting Road (with Glen Heald) |
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| Together We Are Strong: The Song People's Sessions (with The Borroloola Songwomen ) |
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Awards and Recognitions
Order of Australia
Shellie Morris was honored as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2023. This award recognized her amazing work in the performing arts. It also honored her contributions to the Indigenous community and non-profit groups.
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards celebrate the best in Australian music each year.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Together We Are Strong – Ngambala Wigi Li – Wun the Song Peoples Sessions | Best World Music Album | Nominated |
Australian Women in Music Awards
The Australian Women in Music Awards celebrate amazing women in the Australian Music Industry.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Shellie Morris | Auriel Andrew Memorial Award | Nominated |
National Indigenous Music Awards
The National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMA) celebrate great achievements in the Northern Territory music industry.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Shellie Morris | Female Artist of the Year | Won | |
| 2005 | Shellie Morris | Female Artist of the Year | Won | |
| 2012 | Ngambala Wiji Li-Wunungu – Together We Are Strong (with The Borroloola Songwomen) | Album of the Year | Nominated | |
| "Ngambala Wiji Li-Wunungu" (with The Borroloola Songwomen) | Traditional Song of the Year | Nominated | ||
| 2013 | Ngambala Wiji Li-Wunungu – Together We Are Strong (with The Borroloola Songwomen) | Album of the Year | Nominated | |
| "Waliwaliyangu li-Anthawirriyarra a-Kurija (Saltwater People Song)" (with The Borroloola Songwomen) | Song of the Year | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | Shellie Morris | Artist of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2021 | "Dharuk Gurtha" (with Jason Durrurrnga) | Indigenous Language Award | Nominated |
Helping Others
Shellie Morris uses her music career to help raise awareness for the Fred Hollows Foundation. She is one of their special ambassadors. The Fred Hollows Foundation is a non-profit group that teaches surgeons how to cure blindness. They help people in communities and countries that don't have much access to healthcare. They especially work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia.
