Stan Walker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stan Walker
Stan Walker in August 2021
Background information
Born	(1990-10-23) 23 October 1990 (age 34) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Genres	Pop R&B
Occupation(s)	Singer, actor, television personality
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	2009–present
Labels	Sony Music Australia
Associated acts	Jessica Mauboy, Ginny Blackmore

Stan Walker (born 23 October 1990) is a talented singer, actor, and TV personality from Australia and New Zealand. In 2009, he won the seventh season of Australian Idol, a popular singing competition. After his big win, Stan signed a music deal with Sony Music Australia.

In December 2009, he released his first album, Introducing Stan Walker. This album featured the hit song "Black Box". The album quickly became popular, reaching number three on the Australian music charts and number two in New Zealand. It sold many copies, earning platinum awards in both countries.

Stan continued to release successful albums. His second album, From the Inside Out (2010), included hit songs like "Unbroken" and "Choose You". This album even reached number one in New Zealand. In 2011, he released Let the Music Play, which featured the popular song "Loud". Throughout his career, Stan has won five New Zealand Music Awards and has been nominated for five ARIA Music Awards in Australia.

Beyond music, Stan has also been a judge on The X Factor NZ in 2013 and 2015. He started acting in the New Zealand film Mt Zion (2013) and later appeared in Born to Dance (2015). His sixth album, Te Arohanui, released in 2021, was special because it was his first album sung entirely in te reo Māori, the Māori language.

Stan Walker's Early Life and Music Start

Growing Up in New Zealand

Stan Walker was born on 23 October 1990. His parents are Ross and April Walker. Stan is Māori, with family roots from the Tūhoe, Ngāi Te Rangi, and Ngāti Porou tribes. He spent his early years living on a marae in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. He attended schools like Fairfield Intermediate and Hamilton Boys' High School in Hamilton.

Life was tough for Stan and his family when he was young. At 15, he found comfort and inspiration by going to church. He says that his love for music and his faith helped him turn his life around. Later, Stan and his family moved to Coolangatta, Queensland, Australia. Before he became famous on Australian Idol, Stan worked in a menswear shop in Coolangatta. He believes moving to Australia helped him chase his dreams in entertainment.

Winning Australian Idol in 2009

In 2009, Stan Walker decided to audition for the seventh season of Australian Idol. He sang "Ordinary People" by John Legend at his audition in Brisbane. The judges were very impressed with his voice. One judge, Kyle Sandilands, even told his family and friends about Stan, showing how much he believed in him.

Stan made it through the early rounds and into the top twenty-four semi-finals. He was one of the first two contestants voted by viewers to go into the final top twelve. Throughout the season, Stan was praised for his powerful voice and his brave song choices. One of his most memorable performances was "Purple Rain" by Prince, which earned a standing ovation from everyone.

The grand finale was held on 22 November 2009, at the famous Sydney Opera House. After all the votes were counted, Stan Walker was announced as the winner! He was the first person from New Zealand to win Australian Idol. After his win, Stan signed a contract with Sony Music Australia. He also set up his own company, Stan Walker Music Pty Ltd, managed by his mother, April. This helped him manage his music career.

Stan's first song, "Black Box", was released digitally right after he won. It quickly became a huge hit, reaching number two on the Australian charts and number one in New Zealand. It sold over 140,000 copies in Australia and 30,000 in New Zealand, earning double platinum awards. His first album, Introducing... Stan Walker, came out in December 2009. It included songs he performed on Australian Idol and new songs like "Black Box". The album was a big success, earning platinum in Australia and triple platinum in New Zealand.

Music Success and New Adventures

Albums From the Inside Out and Let the Music Play

In April 2010, Stan traveled to Haiti to help with relief efforts after a big earthquake, working as an ambassador for Compassion Australia. His second album, From the Inside Out, was released on 20 August 2010. This album was very popular, reaching number two on the Australian charts and becoming his first number-one album in New Zealand. It also earned a platinum award in New Zealand.

The first song from the album was "Unbroken", released in April 2010. It reached number nine in New Zealand and number 23 in Australia. Another hit from the album was "Choose You", which peaked at number three in New Zealand and number 16 in Australia. Both songs earned platinum awards. Stan also worked with New Zealand rapper Young Sid on the song "Stuck in a Box".

Stan Walker and Jessica Mauboy performing during the Galaxy Tour in January 2012.

In November 2010, Stan joined the Summerbeatz tour in Australia, performing alongside famous artists like Flo Rida and Akon. He also performed at the Parachute music festival in January 2011 and had his first headlining tour in New Zealand in February 2011.

Stan's third album, Let the Music Play, was released on 18 November 2011. It reached number 18 in Australia and number 12 in New Zealand. The main song from this album, "Loud", was released in May 2011. It was a hit, reaching number nine in Australia and number eight in New Zealand. Stan also teamed up with Jessica Mauboy on her song "Galaxy" in October 2011. They went on the Galaxy Tour together across Australia in early 2012.

In March 2012, "Music Won't Break Your Heart" was released as another single from Let the Music Play. Later that year, Stan opened for Nicki Minaj during her Pink Friday Tour in Australia.

TV Shows, Acting, and New Albums

In November 2012, it was announced that Stan Walker would be a judge on the first season of The X Factor New Zealand in 2013. He also made his acting debut in the New Zealand film Mt Zion. In the movie, he played Turei, a young Māori musician. Stan recorded the song "Take It Easy" for the film's soundtrack.

In October 2013, Stan had the amazing opportunity to open for Beyoncé on her The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour in Auckland and Sydney. His fourth album, Inventing Myself, was released on 25 October 2013. In 2014, he joined other New Zealand artists on a charity single called "Song for Everyone". His fifth album, Truth & Soul, which featured covers of soul songs, came out in April 2015.

Stan returned as a judge on The X Factor NZ in 2015. He also appeared in a fun safety ad for Air New Zealand with rugby player Israel Dagg and actor Rip Torn, which was themed like the Men In Black movies.

Health Journey and Recent Music

Facing Health Challenges

In January 2018, fans noticed that Stan looked different, and there were concerns about his health. In March, it was announced that Stan had undergone surgery in September 2017 to remove his stomach. This was because he had inherited a rare gene mutation called CDH1, which can cause cancer and had affected many members of his family.

Stan shared that the past nine months had been a life-changing journey. He said he felt "blessed to be alive and well." A documentary about his health journey, called Stan, was released in March 2018.

On 26 March 2018, Stan released a 6-song album called Stan. He explained that the songs on this album were written at different important times in his life, some as far back as 11 years ago. In December 2018, he released the song "Gimme Your Love" with a video that showed behind-the-scenes moments from his 2018 national tour. In May 2019, Stan released another album, Faith Hope Love, which he dedicated to the victims of the Christchurch mosque shootings.

New Music and Autobiography

In 2020, Stan Walker started releasing new songs every week, beginning with "Mexico" in February. In October 2020, he released his autobiography, a book about his life story, called Impossible: My Story. A music album, Impossible (Music by the Book), was released at the same time to go along with the book. This album reached number 22 on the New Zealand music chart.

In August 2021, Stan released "Don't Worry Baby" with Australian singer Celina Sharma. This was the first song from his seventh album, All In. Stan described All In as an album full of soul and R&B music, reflecting different parts of his life over the past four years, including love, heartbreak, change, and mental health.

On 7 September 2021, Stan announced his special Māori language album, Te Arohanui, which was released on 17 September. In August 2022, his seventh studio album, All In, was released. He also released a Christmas song, "Favourite Part About Christmas", in November 2022.

In November 2023, Stan released the song "I Am", which was part of the soundtrack for the film Origin. Most recently, on 22 February 2024, he released a new song called "Māori ki te Ao", also sung in te reo Māori.

Stan Walker's Musical Style

Stan Walker often says that Beyoncé is a huge inspiration for his music. He explains, "She's musically why I do what I do." According to music experts, Stan mainly sings pop music with a strong R&B style.

His second album, From the Inside Out, mixed pop, R&B, and hip hop sounds, and even included elements of electro, glam metal, pop-rap, and funk. Stan describes his third album, Let the Music Play, as his most personal work. This album leaned more towards pop and dance music. He said about it, "These are my songs, my stories, my tunes, my melodies, my words, me."

Stan Walker's Albums

• Introducing Stan Walker (2009)
• From the Inside Out (2010)
• Let the Music Play (2011)
• Inventing Myself (2013)
• Truth & Soul (2015)
• Te Arohanui (2021)
• All In (2022)

Stan Walker's Tours

Headlining Tours

• 2011: New Zealand Summer Tour
• 2012: Galaxy Tour (with Jessica Mauboy)
• 2013: World Tour of New Zealand
• 2018: New Take Over Tour
• 2021: All In Tour

Supporting Tours

• 2010: Summerbeatz
• 2012: Pink Friday Tour (supporting Nicki Minaj)
• 2013: The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (supporting Beyoncé)

Stan Walker's Film and TV Roles

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

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  Stan Walker in 2013