Megan Alexanda Washington (born 7 January 1986) is an Australian musician and songwriter who has worked mononymously as Washington. Originally performing jazz music, her style shifted to indie pop and alternative rock. She has released three studio albums, '' I Believe You Liar'' (July 2010), ''

There There "There There" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released as the lead single from their sixth album, ''Hail to the Thief'' (2003), on 26 May 2003. It reached number four on the UK Singles Chart, number one in Canada and Portug ...

'' (September 2014) and '' Batflowers'' (August 2020). Both ''I Believe You Liar'' and ''There There'' reached the top 5 on the

ARIA Albums Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

and ''Batflowers'' peaked in the top 25. Her music was described on I-D Vice as "sexy synth-laden pop" and in 2019 ''

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...

''s Anna Rose said of her intimate tour run, that "Washington's impressive command of her relatively small stage gave proof her music can work anywhere, anyway, any time." She has won three

ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...

with two in

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

for ''I Believe You Liar'', Best Female Artist and Breakthrough Artist – Release. The other win was Best Cover Art for ''Batflowers'' in

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

Life and career

1986–2005: Early life

Megan Alexanda Washington Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' &/or 'Performer:' was born on 7 January 1986 in

Port Moresby (; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New ...

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

to Australian parents. She grew up with her father, Rick Washington, a part-time DJ for "weddings, parties and balls"; her mother, Karen Amos, and an older sibling. The artist started primary school in Port Moresby and, in 1996, the family moved to

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

, where she completed her secondary education at

Moreton Bay College , motto_translation = With Courage and Hope , established = 1901 , type = Independent, single-sex, day school , denomination = Uniting Church , slogan = , chair ...

. Washington developed a stutter just before primary school and explained that "The way that I speak is idiosyncratic because it's based on 20 years of 'loopholing', of avoiding words that trip me up. The only thing I still (she pauses briefly) have trouble with is sustained syllables – like s's and ts and fs together." Later she attended Sheldon College and its

Australian School of the Arts The Australian School of the Arts (ASTA) is an arts program founded by the Sheldon College Institute of the Arts in 2006. The initiative was designed by Darren Harvey in an attempt to create "unparalleled creative learning experiences in the art ...

where she continued her interest in music. She studied for a Bachelor of Music degree at the Queensland University of Technology and then jazz voice at the

Queensland Conservatorium of Music Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University (formerly the Queensland Conservatorium of Music) is a selective, audition based music school located in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, and is part of Griffith University. History The Conservato ...

2006–2009: Early career and EPs

Washington, with jazz instrumentalist Sean Foran, recorded her six-track debut extended play, ''

Nightlight A nightlight is a small light fixture, usually electrical, placed for comfort or convenience in dark areas or areas that may become dark at certain times, such as at night or during an emergency. Small long-burning candles serving a similar fun ...

'', in April 2006 for the Newmarket Music record label. She supplied lead vocals, with Foran on piano, John Parker on drums, Chris Pickering on guitar and Sam Vincent on double bass; Pickering recorded and mixed the tracks. It was re-released in June 2009 and appeared on the

at No. 53 in October that year. * ARIA chart positions (1–50): * ''Nightlight'' (2006) and ''How to Tame Lions'' (2009): * ''Rich Kids'' (2010): * "Sunday Best" (2010): * "Limitless": The EP won the 2008 Australian Jazz Bell Award for 'Best Australian Jazz Vocal Album'. She followed with a second EP, ''Bennetts Lane'', a collaboration with pianist Paul Grabowsky, which appeared in 2007. In January that year Washington had relocated to Melbourne and worked in a bagel shop and recalled that "It was not a good or glamorous time. And the irony is, across from the shop counter there was a huge plasma TV playing Australian film clips – so I'd see all my friend's clips all day and I'd be going, 'Would you like more cream cheese on your f---ing bagel?'" Washington's music style moved from jazz when she backed a blues and roots musician, Old Man River, as keyboardist and harmony vocalist from 2006, including touring internationally in support of his debut album, ''Good Morning'' (March 2007). She also worked as keyboardist and backing vocalist for indie pop artist

Ben Lee Benjamin Michael Lee (born 11 September 1978) is an Australian musician and actor. Lee began his career as a musician at the age of 14 with the Sydney band Noise Addict, but he focused on his solo career when the band broke up in 1995. He appe ...

. In early 2008 she sang an acoustic cover version of Ross Wilson's "Bed of Nails" (1989), which was used as the theme song for three seasons of the

ABC1 ABC TV, formerly known as ABC1, is an Australian national public television network. It is owned and operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and is the flagship ABC Television network. The headquarters of the ABC TV channel an ...

TV drama '' Bed of Roses'' (2008, 2010–2011). After Washington's commercial success, in early 2011 the track was released as a single by Ruby Entertainment. In late 2008, Washington artist launched her mononymous band, Washington, with backing members Lance Ferguson ( the Bamboos), John Castle, Des White, Ross Irwin and Ryan Monro (

the Cat Empire The Cat Empire are an Australian jazz/funk band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1999. For most of the band's duration, the core members were Felix Riebl (lead vocals, percussion), Harry James Angus (trumpet, vocals), Will Hull-Brown (drums), ...

and

Jackson Jackson Jackson Jackson is a Hip hop music, hip hop group from Melbourne, Australia consisting of Harry James Angus (vocals/trumpet; The Cat Empire, The Conglomerate (Australian group), The Conglomerate) and Jan Skubiszewski (producer, phrase, and compo ...

) on bass guitar. The band released her third EP, the four-track effort ''Clementine'', in January the following year. In November they were announced as

Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greater emphasis on broad ...

's Unearthed winners and performed at the Melbourne leg of the

Big Day Out The Big Day Out (BDO) was an annual music festival that was held in five Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Adelaide, and Perth, as well as Auckland, New Zealand. The festival was held during summer, typically in January of eac ...

. Washington followed with a five-track fourth EP, '' How to Tame Lions'', in September 2009; its lead track "Cement" and title track, received high rotation on youth radio Triple J. She provided vocals, piano,

glockenspiel The glockenspiel ( or , : bells and : set) or bells is a percussion instrument consisting of pitched aluminum or steel bars arranged in a keyboard layout. This makes the glockenspiel a type of metallophone, similar to the vibraphone. The gloc ...

, synthesiser and guitar and was joined by Castle on guitar, bass guitar, drums, loops, tambo and

autoharp An autoharp or chord zither is a string instrument belonging to the zither family. It uses a series of bars individually configured to mute all strings other than those needed for the intended chord. The term ''autoharp'' was once a trademark of ...

. Castle engineered and mixed the work and co-produced it with Washington. Following appearances on '' Spicks and Specks'' in October and November that year, Washington attracted the attention of a wider audience. She observed that "You might think that most people get their information from the charts or something like that but I had so much great feedback after being on those shows." The EP reached the ARIA Charts top 100. In December 2009, Washington won the inaugural

Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition The Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition is an annual competition that "acknowledges great songwriting whilst supporting and raising money for Nordoff-Robbins" and is coordinated by Albert Music and APRA AMCOS. The competition awards a ...

for the track " How to Tame Lions"; it is sponsored by the

Australasian Performing Right Association APRA AMCOS consists of Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS), both copyright management organisations or copyright collectives which jointly represent over 100,000 songwri ...

(APRA) and the

Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society APRA AMCOS consists of Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS), both copyright management organisations or copyright collectives which jointly represent over 100,000 songwri ...

(AMCOS). In that month she backed Sia on guitar at the Palace Theatre and a few days later performed a duet with

Keith Urban Keith Lionel Urban (born 26 October 1967) is an Australian-American musician, singer, guitarist and songwriter known for his work in country music. Recognized with four Grammy Awards, Urban also received fifteen Academy of Country Music Award ...

during his

Rod Laver Arena Rod Laver Arena is a multipurpose arena located within Melbourne Park, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The arena is the main venue for the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the calendar year. History Replacing ...

concert in Melbourne. "Cement" was listed on the

Triple J Hottest 100, 2009 The 2009 Triple J's Hottest 100 Volume 17, was announced on Australia Day 26 January 2010. It is the seventeenth countdown of the most popular songs of the year, as chosen by the listeners of Australian radio station Triple J. Voting commenced ...

2010–2012: ''I Believe You Liar'' to ''Insomnia''

On 30 July 2010, Washington released her debut album, '' I Believe You Liar'', on Universal Music Australia, which peaked at number three on the

and, by the end of 2011, received platinum certification by ARIA for shipment of 70,000 copies. Three of its singles, "Rich Kids" (May 2010, also title track of an EP), "Sunday Best" (August) and "The Hardest Part" (October), were described by Australian musicologist,

Ian McFarlane Ian McFarlane (born 1959) is an Australian music journalist, music historian and author, whose best known publication is the '' Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop'' (1999), which was updated for a second edition in 2017. As a journalis ...

, "Although not chart hits,

hey Hey or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title ...

were insistent and infectious, and when combined with her flamboyant, quirky stage presentation, heralded a major performer." All three tracks were listed on the

Triple J Hottest 100, 2010 The 2010 Triple J Hottest 100 was announced and played on Australia Day, 26 January 2011. It is the eighteenth countdown of the most popular songs of the year, as chosen by the listeners of Australian radio station Triple J. Voting commenced ...

. In October 2010, Washington performed live during YouTube Play, curated in partnership by

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

and the Guggenheim Museum. At the

ARIA Music Awards of 2010 The 24th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) are a series of award ceremonies which included the 2010 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA Hall of Fame Awards, ARIA Fine ...

she won the Best Female Artist and Breakthrough Artist – Release for ''I Believe You Liar''.Winners of the 2010 Aria Awards Announced
Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 24 November 2010. She received further nominations for

Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to: Awards * ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia * Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US * Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA * Lati ...

, Best Adult Alternative Album and Engineer of the Year (John Castle) for ''I Believe You Liar'' and the Single of the Year award for "How to Tame Lions".2010 ARIA Nominations Announced
'' Take40 Australia'' (mcm entertainment). Retrieved 2010-09-29. Washington released an eight-track EP, ''

Insomnia Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder in which people have trouble sleeping. They may have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep as long as desired. Insomnia is typically followed by daytime sleepiness, low energy, ...

'', on Mercury in October 2011, which peaked at No. 24 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Emma Green of ''Beat Magazine'' found it, "marks a change of pace from upbeat pop-oriented tracks to slow and enchanting melodies that could be pulled from the soundtrack to her deepest, darkest dreams... If the singer's insomnia did inspire this album then she should stay on the caffeine, because whatever she's doing is definitely working." ''VSounds'' reviewer, Corey Tonkin, noticed, " tincludes some of ermost accomplished songs yet. From 'Skeleton Key' onwards, her songs are hauntingly beautiful, with an atmosphere that you didn't quite get from ''I Believe You, Liar''... Accompanied with her lyrics about difficult personal experiences, it creates this raw emotion which is quite powerful". In January of the following year, she presented the album at the Sydney Opera House; Tanya Ali of ''the AU Review'' observed, "Seeing erperform these songs made you understand how emotionally draining they could be to sing. The heart and soul with which hetold her stories melodically was astounding and heartbreaking to watch." Washington was a mentor for the inaugural season of Australia's version of TV talent show, '' The Voice'', for members of Keith Urban's team. The show aired from April to June in 2012.

2013–2015: ''There There''

During January 2013 Washington and fellow musician, Tim Rogers (of You Am I), had the lead roles in a musical-thriller film, ''The Boy Castaways''. The shooting schedule was for three weeks and it premiered at the

Adelaide Film Festival The Adelaide Film Festival (AFF, formerly ADLFF) is film festival usually held for two weeks in mid-October in cinemas in Adelaide, South Australia. Originally presented biennially in March from 2003, since 2013 AFF has been held in October ...

in October of that year. Following commitments of early 2013 Washington travelled to London from June of that year to work with Samuel Dixon, an Adelaide-born English-based musician and producer, to record her second album, ''

'' (September 2014).Megan Washington – 'There There' on Facebook
/ref> The two met when she was touring in support of Sia and Dixon was in that artist's backing band. Washington wanted to incorporate a "late-60s, early-70s, gold lame Shirley Bassey sound with trumpets and James Bond-y melodies" for her album. Writing was completed in late 2012. She felt it was recorded in a "spirit of honesty". Washington provided a duet, "Ghosts", with Kate Miller-Heidke, on that artist's fourth studio album, ''

O Vertigo! ''O Vertigo!'' is the fourth studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke. The album was released on 14 March 2014 and peaked at number 4 on the ARIA Charts. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2014, the album was nominated for '' A ...

'' (March 2014). She had performed with Miller-Heidke at the Darwin Festival in 2012. Washington delivered a talk at the TEDxSydney event in May of that year: she explained how her stuttering hampers communication during conversation or speeches, but disappears when she sings. At the event she performed a new track, "To or not Let Go". Upon release of ''There There'', she described how the bold truthfulness that defined that talk was transferred across to the writing process for the album. Also in May 2014, she announced her involvement in an

art book Artists' books (or book arts or book objects) are works of art that utilize the form of the book. They are often published in small editions, though they are sometimes produced as one-of-a-kind objects. Overview Artists' books have employed a ...

by Iranian-New Zealander artist, Nabil Sabio Azadi, ''For You the Maker''. On Twitter she detailed how other contributors,

Rick Owens Richard Saturnino Owens (born November 18, 1962) is an American fashion designer from Porterville, California. In addition to his main line, Owens has a furniture line and a number of diffusion lines. Early life and education Richard Saturnino ...

and Limi Yamamoto, would also appear. Her second full-length album, was released through Universal Music, under her full name, which peaked at number five. Australian ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

''s reviewer, Darren Levin, rated it at four out-of five stars and explained, "'Do you want it back?' she asks the man she was supposed to marry, before devoting an entire verse to the awkward practicalities of an engagement gone sour. This man is not metaphorical, and neither is the marriage. Each song, says Washington, is connected to a real-life event – from the frank confession of infidelity on the raw ballad 'Begin Again' to 'Get Happy', where she falls in love over Eighties New Wave textures... On his album she's both fearless and direct." It provided singles, "Who Are You" (February 2014), " Limitless" (May) and "My Heart Is a Wheel" (September); a music video was created for the latter. She explained that "My Heart Is a Wheel" was inspired by

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

's "Runaway". Co-producer Dixon told the media that the album is her, "saying ... 'This happened and it's my fault.' She's putting her hand up and saying 'I stuffed up'" — he also praised the songwriter's courage. The singer-musician performed free "pop-up" shows in state capitals, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, in support of ''There There'' during the week of release. A national tour, in February 2015, followed.

2016–2019: Singles and touring

Washington released a single and music video, "Saint Lo", in November 2016. The song was supported heavily by

triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greater emphasis on broad ...

In September of the following year the singer performed live with the

Sydney Symphony Orchestra The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra that was initially formed in 1908. Since its opening in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has been its home concert hall. Simone Young is the orchestra's chief conductor and f ...

at the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...

. In 2018 Washington supplied the voice of Calypso, on the ABC Kids TV cartoon series, Bluey, as the title character's primary school teacher and also premiered another single, "Claws", in November 2018. ''Pilerats'' Hayden Davis observed, " tis a delicate, yet tall-standing return from

he singer He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...

who, in all the years since her last work, has clearly not lost her stride... the single unites ercatchy vocal pulse with a restrained production that glistens with its chiming melodies, something that she glides over the top of with ease." Her next single, "American Spirit", appeared in January 2019. A single, "Dirty Churches", was produced by Dave Hammer (

Lime Cordiale Lime Cordiale are an Australian pop rock group from Sydney, New South Wales, formed in 2009. The band consists of brothers Oli and Louis Leimbach, with additional members James Jennings, Felix Bornholt and Nicholas Polovineo. They released their ...

Thundamentals Thundamentals are an Australian hip hop group originating from the Blue Mountains region bordering the metropolitan area of Sydney. The members are currently Tuka, Jeswon, and Morgs. They have released five studio albums. History Band origin ...

) and was promoted by three intimate gigs. Washington launched an online song featuring Climate change advocate

Greta Thunberg Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg (; born 3 January 2003) is a Swedish environmental activist who is known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change mitigation. Thunberg's activism began when she persuaded ...

late 2019, according to Junkee, she created a "Passionate and angry work of art".

2020–present: ''Batflowers'' and ''Hot Fuss''

In May 2020 Washington released a single and lyric video, "Dark Parts". The music video is hand drawn by Washington, featuring various animated characters from the track in a vertical format which

Rolling Stone Australia ''Rolling Stone'' Australia is the Australian edition of the United States' ''Rolling Stone'' magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture, published monthly. The Australian version of ''Rolling Stone'' was initially published in 197 ...

's Tyler Jenke claimed "there's truly nothing that Megan Washington can't do". ''NME'' announced in June the video clip for "Dark Parts" and her third studio album '' Batflowers'' was due on 28 August. She issued the album's second single, "Switches", which uses a visualiser containing a title character from the album artwork for ''Batflowers''. The album's third single, "Kiss Me Like We're Gonna Die", appeared in July, which she performed on ABC TV talk show, Q&A. The artist released a fourth single, "Achilles Heart", written with producer Rabitt (

Andy Grammer Andrew Charles Grammer (born December 3, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is signed to S-Curve Records. His debut album, '' Andy Grammer'', was released in 2011 and spawned the singles " Keep Your Head Up" and " F ...

Charlotte Lawrence Charlotte Sarah Lawrence (born June 8, 2000) is an American singer-songwriter and model. Early life Lawrence was born and raised in Los Angeles. She is the daughter of actress Christa Miller and television producer Bill Lawrence. Lawrence ...

), also in July. She gave a live rendition of the track on

which coincided with the announcement of her involvement in the 2020

Brisbane Festival Brisbane Festival is one of Australia's leading international arts festivals, and is held each September in Brisbane, Australia. Its presence dominates the city for three weeks in September and its line-up of classical and contemporary music, ...

. Also in 2020 Washington appeared in ''CrossBread'', a Christian Rock/Rap

mockumentary A mockumentary (a blend of ''mock'' and ''documentary''), fake documentary or docu-comedy is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on c ...

, which she co-wrote for ABC Listen radio"''CrossBread'' — A Comedy Musical - ABC Radio"
/ref> with Declan Fay and Chris Ryan (from ''King Kong: The Musical''). In the musical docucomedy, Washington and Ryan appear as a brother-sister duo gigging unsuccessfully in Melbourne sometime in 2015, until they start to get some unlikely success on the Christian Music Scene. Kate McLennan (from ''

Get Krack!n ''Get Krack!n'' is an Australian comedy series which was created by and stars comedians Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan. The series is a satire of breakfast television and features McCartney and McLennan playing versions of themselves hosting ''G ...

''), comedian

Aaron Chen Aaron Chen (born 1995) is a Chinese-Australian comedian from Sydney. Early life Aaron Chen was born in 1995. He went to North Sydney Boys High, where he started doing stand-up. Career In 2012, aged 15, Chen won Melbourne International C ...

, and

John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...

( ''Play School'' and ''Rake'') also have roles in this six-part show/podcast uploaded in June 2020. Washington's album ''Batflowers'' was released on 28 August 2020, which reached the ARIA Albums Chart top 30. Joseph Earp of ''

Junkee Junkee is an Australian popular culture and news website run by new media company Junkee Media. It covers various topics including film, university, food, TV, politics, travel, career, health and Internet culture. Its target demographic is 18- to ...

'' observed, "It is a breathless album, like the entirety of Washington's career condensed into one multi-coloured burst; a magnum opus, torn from somewhere very precious and important." At the

2020 ARIA Music Awards The 2020 ARIA Music Awards are the 34th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) and consist of a series of awards, including the 2020 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA Hal ...

it won Best Cover Art, it was also nominated for the 2020

Australian Music Prize The Australian Music Prize (often shortened to the AMP) is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. The award was made by Australian Music Pri ...

, and for the Reader's Award at the 2021 Rolling Stone Australia Awards The fifth single, "Batflowers" (August), was listed in the Top 40 Vanda & Young Global songwriting competition. ''

Russh ''RUSSH'' is a quarterly, independent Australian fashion magazine established in 2004. The magazine primarily focuses on fashion, art and music. In 2018, ''Russh'' was listed by '' StyleCaster'' as one of the "21 International Fashion Magazines ...

'' launched the ''Live at

The Tivoli The Tivoli is an indoor theatre, music venue and event space located in Brisbane, Australia with a standing capacity of 1,560. It has been known as the Tivoli Restaurant and Theatre as well as the Tivoli Theatre, and is now nicknamed The Tiv. ...

'' series which was recorded at Washington's shows in September 2020 where

The Australian ''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition, ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964.Bruns, Axel. "3.1. The active audience: Transforming journalism from gatekeeping to gatew ...

noted of her voice: "That jaw dropping instrument in her throat was enough to send everyone off on a high". In early 2021, Washington released a cover of Powderfinger's " My Happiness" as a promotional advertisement for

Brisbane, Australia Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

. In 2022 she performed her EP ''Insomnia'' at

Sydney Festival Sydney Festival is a major arts festival in Australia's largest city, Sydney that runs for three weeks every January, since it was established in 1977. The festival program features in excess of 100 events from local and international artists an ...

a decade on from the original performance. In December 2022, Washington released ''Hot Fuss'', a covers album offering the singer's take on

The Killers The Killers are an American rock band formed in Las Vegas in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After going through a number of short-term bass players and drummers in t ...

' 2004 album of the same name.

Personal life

Washington moved from Brisbane to Sydney and followed with a relocation to Melbourne later in 2007. She explained, "I knew I had to move out of home, move to Melbourne and grow up." Washington had a brief domestic relationship with Tim Rogers (of

You Am I You Am I are an Australian alternative rock band, fronted by its lead singer-songwriter and guitarist, Tim Rogers. They formed in December 1989 and are the first Australian band to have released three successive albums that have each debuted ...

). However, " tended before they made ''The Boy Castaways''." She described how, "He's a great performer and I guess whatever history we share I've never been able to see him work, so it was amazing to see how good he is." She also reflected on her acting aspirations, "I had always acted through high school and at uni, and there was a time when I thought that was what I wanted to do, but then I got bitten by the jazz bug and here we are." After the release of her debut album, Washington relocated to

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York City, in August 2011, which fulfilled a long-held goal. However, she recounted in 2014 that she was "dreadfully unhappy there", as she was unable to find any "meaning" in the constant "partying and drinking" that she engaged in and conceded "I would have been dreadfully unhappy" regardless of location at that time. She explained that she no longer sought therapy through her music, due to a relationship with a "good therapist": "My art doesn't have to play that role any more and probably my next record will be a disco record about trying to find a car park." In 2017, Washington announced her marriage to Nick Waterman, and the couple have a child.

Discography

* '' I Believe You Liar'' (2010, as Washington) *''

'' (2014, as Megan Washington) *'' Batflowers'' (2020, as Washington) *''Hot Fuss'' (2022, as Meg Washington)

Awards and nominations

APRA Awards

The

APRA Music Awards The APRA Music Awards in Australia are annual awards to celebrate excellence in contemporary music, which honour the skills of member composers, songwriters, and publishers who have achieved outstanding success in sales and airplay performan ...

are presented annually from 1982 by the

(APRA), "honouring composers and songwriters". ! , - ,

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...

, , '' I Believe You Liar'' (Megan Washington) , , Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year , , , , , - ,

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

, "Holy Moses" (Megan Washington / Jarrad Kritzstein) , Song of the Year , , , -

ARIA Music Awards

The

are presented annually from 1987 by the

Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replac ...

(ARIA). Washington/Megan Washington has won three awards from thirteen nominations. ! , - ! scope="row" rowspan="6",

, rowspan="4" , '' I Believe You Liar'' ,

, , rowspan="6", , - , Best Female Artist , , - , Best Adult Alternative Album , , - , Breakthrough Artist – Release , , - , ''I Believe You Liar'' – John Castle , Engineer of the Year , , - , " How to Tame Lions" , Single of the Year , , - ! scope="row" rowspan="2" ,

, rowspan="2" , "Holy Moses" , Best Female Artist , , rowspan=2", , - , Best Pop Release , , - ! scope="row",

, ''

'' , Best Female Artist , , , - ! scope="row" rowspan="2" ,

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...

, rowspan="2" , ''

'' , Best Female Artist , , rowspan="2", , - , Best Adult Contemporary Album , , - ! scope="row" rowspan="2" ,

, Adam Dal Pozzo, Megan Washington and Michelle Pitiris for ''Batflowers'' , Best Cover Art , , rowspan="2" , , - , "Just Jesus" (featuring Chris Ryan) , Best Comedy Release , , -

Australian Jazz Bell Awards

The

Australian Jazz Bell Awards Australian Jazz Bell Awards, also known as the Bell Awards or The Bells, are annual music awards for the jazz music genre in Australia. They were named in honour of Australian jazz pianist, composer and band leader, Graeme Bell (1914–2012), a ...

, (also known as the Bell Awards or The Bells), are annual music awards for the jazz music genre in Australia. They commenced in 2003. , - , 2008 , ''Night Light'' , Best Australian Jazz Vocal Album , , -

Country Music Awards (CMAA)

The

Country Music Awards of Australia The Country Music Awards of Australia also known as the Golden Guitar Awards (originally named Australasian Country Music Awards) is an annual awards night held in January during the Tamworth Country Music Festival, in Tamworth, New South Wales ...

(CMAA) (also known as the Golden Guitar Awards) is an annual awards night held in January during the

Tamworth Country Music Festival The Tamworth Country Music Festival is an annual Australian music festival held for 10 days from Friday to Sunday in mid to late January each year, sometimes including Australia Day, in Tamworth, New South Wales. The festival is the second bigg ...

, celebrating recording excellence in the Australian country music industry. They have been held annually since 1973. , - , rowspan="2", 2016 , , rowspan="2", "

Spirit of the Anzacs "Spirit of the Anzacs" is the first single from Lee Kernaghan's 2015 album of the same name. The charity single features Guy Sebastian, Sheppard, Jon Stevens, Jessica Mauboy, Shannon Noll and Megan Washington. It was released on 22 January 2 ...

"
(with

Lee Kernaghan Lee Kernaghan OAM (born 15 April 1964) is an Australian country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. Kernaghan has won four ARIA Awards and three APRA Awards, and has sold over two million albums, and as of 2021, has won 38 Golden Guitars at ...

Guy Sebastian Guy Theodore Sebastian (born 26 October 1981) is an Australian singer and songwriter who was the winner of the first ''Australian Idol'' in 2003, judge on Australia's ''The X Factor'' from 2010 to 2012 and again from 2015 to 2016, and coach ...

, Jessica Mauboy,

Jon Stevens Jon Stevens (born 8 October 1961) is a New Zealand singer, best known for his work with Noiseworks and ''Jesus Christ Superstar''. Biography 1980–1986: career beginnings and ''Jezebel'' Stevens was born in Upper Hutt, New Zealand, and is ...

Shannon Noll Shannon Noll (born 16 September 1975) is an Australian singer-songwriter who first came to prominence as runner-up of the first season of ''Australian Idol'' in 2003, which led to him being signed to Sony BMG. He has released five top ten albu ...

and Sheppard) , , Vocal Collaboration of the Year , , , - , Video clip of the Year , , , -

J Awards

The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-owne ...

's youth-focused radio station

. They commenced in 2005. , - , rowspan="2" , J Awards of 2010 , ''Believe You Liar'' , Australian Album of the Year , , - , "Sunday best" (directed by Mairi Cameron and Stephen Lance) , Australian Video of the Year , , - ,

J Awards of 2020 The J Awards of 2020 were the sixteenth annual J Awards, established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. The eligibility period for releases took place between November 2019 and October 2020. T ...

, herself , Double J Artist of the Year , , -

Rolling Stone Australia Awards

The Rolling Stone Australia Awards are awarded annually in January or February by the Australian edition of ''

'' magazine for outstanding contributions to popular culture in the previous year. ! , - , 2012 , Megan Washington , Best Female , , , - , 2021 , Megan Washington , Rolling Stone Reader's Award , , , -

Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition

The

is an annual competition that "acknowledges great songwriting whilst supporting and raising money for Nordoff-Robbins" and is coordinated by

Albert Music Albert Music, formerly J Albert and Son, is an Australian company with an estimated worth in 2009 of more than A$209 million. The company has major interests in music publishing and production and it earns significant royalties through its su ...

and

APRA AMCOS APRA AMCOS consists of Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS), both copyright management organisations or copyright collectives which jointly represent over 100,000 songwri ...

. It commenced in 2009. The prize included a cash grant of $50,000. , - , 2009 , "How to Tame Lions" , Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition , style="background:gold;", 1st , -

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Washington, Megan 1986 births Living people People from the National Capital District (Papua New Guinea) Musicians from Brisbane APRA Award winners ARIA Award winners Australian women pop singers Australian indie pop musicians Australian indie rock musicians Australian singer-songwriters People with speech impediment Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University alumni 21st-century Australian singers 21st-century Australian women singers Australian women singer-songwriters