Emma Donovan

Emma Donovan

Emma Donovan is an Indigenous Australian singer and songwriter. She started her singing career at age seven with her uncle’s band, The Donovans. In 2000, she became a founding member of Stiff Gins, leaving the band three years later to release the solo album Changes. She has been nominated for multiple Deadly Awards including Female Artist of the Year.

About Emma Donovan in brief

Summary Emma DonovanEmma Donovan is an Indigenous Australian singer and songwriter. She is a member of the renowned musical Donovan family. She started her singing career at age seven with her uncle’s band, The Donovans. In 2000, she became a founding member of Stiff Gins, leaving the band three years later to release the solo album Changes in 2004. She performs with The Black Arm Band and released a solo EP, Ngaaraanga, in 2009. She has been nominated for multiple Deadly Awards including Female Artist of the Year, and performed at the opening of the 2004 Olympic Torch Relay. She won Best Female Artist at the 2009 BUMP Awards. Donovan appeared in the ABC series Dynasties in 2004, and was the subject of the 2005 SBS TV documentary Emma Donovan: Gumbainggir Lady. Her father is from Geraldton in Western Australia, He is of Naaguja and Yamatji heritage.

Her mother, Agnes Donovan, is a GumbAingg GirDanggali woman from the Nambucca Valley on the north coast of New South Wales, where Emma was raised. Her grandparents Micko and Aileen Donovan, years before her birth, founded the Aboriginal country band TheDonovans, which consisted of their five sons and daughter Agnes singing at local events. In 1997, at age 16, Donovan was studying contemporary music at the Eora College for Performing Arts in Chippendale, New South NSW. She began branching out from country music, exploring reggae and R&B as well. In late 1999, Donovan formed the vocal acoustic band Stiff. Gins with Nardi Simpson and Kaleena Briggs after meeting at theEora College. They released their first EP, Soh Fa, on Sony Records in 2000.