Christine Anu

Christine Anu (born 15 March 1970) is an Australian pop singer and actress. She gained popularity with the release of her song "My Island Home". Anu has been nominated for 17 ARIA Awards.

Early life

Anu was born on 15 March 1970 in Cairns, Queensland, to a Torres Strait Islander mother from Saibai.

Music career

Anu performs at the 2000 Summer Paralympics Opening Ceremony

Anu began performing as a dancer and later went on to sing back-up vocals for The Rainmakers, which included Neil Murray of the Warumpi Band. Her first recording was in 1993 with "Last Train", dance remake of a Paul Kelly song. The follow-up, "Monkey and the Turtle", was based on a traditional story. After "My Island Home", she released her first album, Stylin' Up which went platinum, and also gained her a position as a spokeswoman for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

In 1995, Neil Murray won an Australasian Performing Right Association songwriting award for writing "My Island Home". Christine Anu won an ARIA Award for best female recording artist as well as a Deadly Sounds National Aboriginal & Islander Music Awards Award in 1996 for best female artist.

Baz Luhrmann asked her to sing on the song "Now Until the Break of Day" on his Something for Everybody album. It was released as a single and the video then won another ARIA award and led to her being cast in Moulin Rouge!.

In January 1998, Anu teamed up with Archie Roach, Paul Kelly, Judith Durham, Renee Geyer, Kutcha Edwards and Tiddas and formed 'Singers for the Red Black and Gold'. Together, they released a cover of "Yil Lull"

In, 2000, Anu released Come My Way which peaked at number 18 on the ARIA albums chart and went gold. In 2000 she sang the song "My Island Home" at the Sydney 2000 Olympics Closing Ceremony.

In November 2003, Anu released her third studio album, 45 Degrees.

In 2007, Anu toured a children's show and released an associate album titled Chrissy's Island Family. The album gained an ARIA Award nomination.

On 26 September 2010, she released a new digital only single, "Come Home".

On 7 November 2014, Anu released a Christmas album, titled Island Christmas.

Acting and TV career

Anu has also had an acting plus TV career. She appeared in Dating the Enemy, a 1996 Australian film starring Guy Pearce and Claudia Karvan. She then appeared in an Australian production of the stage musical Little Shop of Horrors in the same year.

Anu's stage career developed with a starring role in the original Australian production of Rent in 1998 and 1999. Anu was offered a role in a Broadway production of this musical but had to decline due to commitments in recording her second album. Her links with Baz Luhrmann led to him offering her a part in Moulin Rouge!. In 2003, she appeared as Kali in The Matrix Reloaded and played the character on the video game Enter the Matrix.

In 2004, she became a judge on Popstars Live, a television quest broadcast on the Seven Network at 6.30 pm on Sunday night in Australia along the lines of Australian Idol. The program failed to achieve a similar level of success, leading network executives to pressure the judges to offer harsher criticism of the contestants. Christine Anu refused to offer harsher criticism, leading to her resignation as a judge in April 2004. In a statement issued on her departure, she said: "I chose to play a positive role model and wanted to encourage these young people in their endeavours, rather than criticise them. Although leaving Popstars Live was a difficult decision for me to make, I do feel somewhat relieved that I can now focus on my music."

Anu reappeared on television in 2012, in the Australian sci-fi television series Outland, about a gay sci-fi fan club. Anu plays wheelchair using Rae, the sole female member of the group. Also in 2012 she participated in Who Do You Think You Are.

Radio

In 2016, Anu began presenting 'Evenings' on 702 ABC Sydney, 1233 ABC Newcastle, 666 ABC Canberra, and ABC Local Radio stations across New South Wales.

She took over from Dominic Knight who had presented the program since 2012. In the first half of 2016 the program suffered a dip in the ratings after she began hosting.

In December of 2016 it was announced that Christine will no longer present the NSW/ACT Evenings Show on 702 ABC Sydney, but will instead present a national Evenings program on Fridays and Saturdays in 2017. Chris Bath will take over the Monday-Thursday programs in 2017.

Christine has a number of regular guests she speaks to about a range of topics.

Personal life

Anu married her childhood sweetheart, Simon Deutrom, in 2010. Anu is a mother of two: eldest son Kuiam (born 1996), daughter Zipporah (born 2002) Zipporah's father is actor Rodger Corser.

In June 2016 Anu announced that she and Simon Deutrom were separating after six years of marriage.

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)

Live albums

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

Films and television

Theatre and stage performances

ARIA Awards

Green Room Awards