Jem Irene Cassar-Daley (born 14 February 2001) is an Australian indie pop singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of country music singer

Troy Cassar-Daley Troy Cassar-Daley (born 18 May 1969) is an Australian country music songwriter and entertainer. Cassar-Daley has released thirteen studio albums, two live albums and five compilation albums over 30 years, including the platinum-selling '' The ...

and TV presenter Laurel Edwards and is a Maltese, European Australian, and

Gumbaynggirr The Gumbaynggirr people, also rendered Kumbainggar, Gumbangeri and other variant spellings, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. Gumbathagang was a probable clan or sub-group. The traditional lands of th ...

Bundjalung woman.

Early life and education

Cassar-Daley was born on 14 February 2001. Her parents are Laurel Edwards, a television presenter, radio announcer and singer, and

, a country music singer-songwriter and musician. Note: source incorrectly shows artist's first name as "Gem". She is a Gumbaynggirr Bundjalung woman and has a sibling. In 2022 Cassar-Daley explained that she had been "sung to in the womb" and that '' The Sound of White'' by

Missy Higgins Melissa Morrison "Missy" Higgins (born 19 August 1983) is an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. Her most popular singles include "Scar", " Steer", and " Where I Stood". Her Australian number-one albums are '' The Sound of White'' (2004 ...

was the first album she bought, "I love her (Higgins) and still do." When Cassar-Daley was young she was inspired by

Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani Shelton ( ; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer. Stefani rose to fame as a member and lead vocalist of the band No Doubt, whose hit singles include " Just a Girl", " Spiderwebs", an ...

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

and Fergie. She was also a fan of

One Direction One Direction, often shortened to 1D, were an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group consisted of Niall Horan, Zayn Malik (until his departure in 2015), Liam Payne, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson. The group sold o ...

. Other musical influences include Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac and Missy Higgins. After graduating from high school in 2018, Cassar-Daley went on her first tour with her father, playing 70 dates in a year.

Career

2021–present: ''I Don't Know Who to Call''

Cassar-Daley released her debut single "Letting Go" in July 2021. Her seven-track debut extended play, ''I Don't Know Who to Call'' appeared in May 2022. It includes previous singles "Letting Go", "Changes", "Like it More" and "Oh No". In September of that year the artist issued a mini-documentary of the same name to explain the origins of the EP's tracks. For the doco she worked with James Angus, Ali Barter, Jen Boyce, Tom Eggert and Tia Gostelow. At the 2022

Queensland Music Awards The Queensland Music Awards (commonly known as QMA and known as the Q Song Awards from 2006 to 2010) are annual awards celebrating Queensland's emerging artists. They commenced in 2006. Each year, the QMA Song of the Year is immortalised in ...

Cassar-Daley joined her father on stage to perform a cover of Brisbane band Mop and The Dropouts' 1982 anthem "Brisbane Blacks" in honour of the band receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award. In November 2024, Cassar-Daley joined King Stingray for a cover of " Oysters in My Pocket" (Like a Version). The single was released in December 2024.

Discography

Extended plays

Awards and nominations

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as

AIR Awards The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. History The inaugural 2006 awards were held at Blacket Hot ...

) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. ! , - , rowspan="2",

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

, Jem Cassar-Daley , Breakthrough Independent Artist of the Year , , rowspan="2", , - , ''I Don't Know Who to Call'' , Best Independent Pop Album or EP , , - ,

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

, "King of Disappointment" , Independent Song of the Year , , , - , rowspan="1",

2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...

, "Big Container" , Independent Song of the Year , , rowspan="1", , -

APRA Music Awards

The

APRA Music Awards The APRA Music Awards in Australia celebrate excellence in contemporary music, honoring songwriters and publishers who have achieved artistic excellence and outstanding success in their fields. Several award ceremonies are run in Australia b ...

were established by

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) in 1982 to honour the achievements of songwriters and music composers, and to recognise their song writing skills, sales and airplay performance, by its members annually. ! , - ,

, Jem Cassar-Daley , Emerging Songwriter of the Year , , , -

Australian Women in Music Awards

The Australian Women in Music Awards is an annual event that celebrates outstanding women in the

Australian Music Industry The Australian music industry refers to the collection of individuals, organisations, businesses and activities that are involved in the creation, production, distribution and promotion of music in Australia. The music industry encompasses a wide r ...

who have made significant and lasting contributions in their chosen field. They commenced in 2018. ! , - ,

, Jem Cassar-Daley , Emerging Artist Award , ,

National Indigenous Music Awards

The

National Indigenous Music Awards The National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMA), also known as the NT Indigenous Music Awards from 2004 to 2008, are music awards presented to recognise excellence, innovation and leadership among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians in ...

is an annual awards ceremony that recognises the achievements of Indigenous Australians in music. The award ceremony commenced in 2004. Electric Fields have won one award from four nominations. ! , - , rowspan="2",

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

, Jem Cassar-Daley , New Talent of the Year , , rowspan="2", , - , ''I Don't Know Who to Call'' , Album of the Year ,

Queensland Music Awards

The

(previously known as Q Song Awards) are annual awards celebrating

Queensland, Australia Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, ...

's brightest emerging artists and established legends. They commenced in 2006. (wins only) ! , - , 2022 , Letting Go" , Indigenous Award , , , - , rowspan="2", 2024 , rowspan="2", "King of Disappointment" , Song of the Year , , rowspan="2", , - , Pop Award ,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cassar-Daley, Jem Indigenous Australian musicians Living people 2001 births