Miiesha Elizabeth Rose Young, known

mononym A mononym is a name composed of only one word. An individual who is known and addressed by a mononym is a mononymous person. A mononym may be the person's only name, given to them at birth. This was routine in most ancient societies, and remains ...

ously as Miiesha, is an Australian singer-songwriter from the Aboriginal community of

Woorabinda, Queensland Woorabinda is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Aboriginal Shire of Woorabinda, Queensland, Australia. It is an Aboriginal Australians, Aboriginal community. In the , the locality of Woorabinda had a populatio ...

. She was the recipient of New Talent of the Year at the 2020 National Indigenous Music Awards and won the

ARIA Award for Best Soul/R&B Release The ARIA Music Award for Best Soul/R&B Release, is an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards, which recognises "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", since 1987. It is handed out by the Australian Recordin ...

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 ...

Early life and education

Miiesha Elizabeth Rose Young is an

Aṉangu Aṉangu is the name used by members of several Aboriginal Australian groups, roughly equivalent to the Western Desert cultural bloc, to describe themselves. The term, which embraces several distinct "tribes" or peoples, in particular the Nga ...

Torres Strait Islander Torres Strait Islanders ( ) are the Indigenous Melanesians, Melanesian people of the Torres Strait Islands, which are part of the state of Queensland, Australia. Ethnically distinct from the Aboriginal Australians, Aboriginal peoples of the res ...

woman from Woorabinda in

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

Career

Miiesha is inspired by the sounds of

RnB RNB may refer to: * Nankai Broadcasting (''R''adio ''N''ankai ''B''roadcasting), a broadcasting station in Ehime Prefecture, Japan * Russian National Library * RNB Global University, in Bikaner, Rajasthan, India * "RNB" (song), a song by Young Dol ...

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

and

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

, and the power of

spoken word poetry Spoken word is an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a 20th-century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of recitation ...

. Mieesha's career was launched after performing as one of the Kulgoodah dancers, who won the Dance Rites competition in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

in 2017. The competition had founded by head of Indigenous programming at the Sydney Opera House

Rhoda Roberts Rhoda Ann Roberts (born 1960) is an Australian theatre and arts director, arts executive, television presenter, and actor. She was head of Indigenous programming at the Sydney Opera House from 2012 until 2021, among many other roles. She is a ...

a few years prior.

2019–2020: ''Nyaaringu''

Miiesha made her debut single "Black Privilege" in June 2019. In May 2020, Miiesha released her debut album titled, '' Nyaaringu''; a project of 9 songs tied together through the common themes of her life, her community and her people. Her late Grandmother's interludes provide a thread between the tracks, highlighting the passing down of knowledge from Elders through the generations.

Triple J Triple J is an Australian government-funded national radio station founded in 1975 as a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). It aims to appeal to young listeners of alternative music, and plays far more Australian conten ...

's Unearthed picked up album singles "Black Privilege" and "Drowning". The album peaked at number 28 on the ARIA Charts and won the

at the

2021-present: ''Smoke & Mirrors''

On 14 May 2021, Miiesha released "Damaged", which Miiesha said is her "most personal song yet". It won Song of the Year at the National Indigenous Music Awards 2021. On 16 July 2021, Miiesha released "Made for Silence". In September 2021, Miiesha announced a double-EP project titled ''Smoke & Mirrors'', with the first part scheduled for release in November 2021. In a press release, the EPs explore "broken family dynamics, searching for love and healing from two perspectives", with the first centred around "survival" and the second on "looking back and understanding". The single "Still Dream" was released on 4 March 2022 from the forthcoming EP ''Mirrors''. On 3 June 2022, ''Smoke & Mirrors'' was released on CD and LP, combining both EPs.

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

Other appearances

Awards and nominations

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards are several award ceremonies run in Australia 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) to recognise composing and song writing skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually. ! , - ! scope="row" rowspan="2",

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

, Miiesha Young Miiesha , Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year , rowspan="2" , rowspan="2", , - , " Twisting Words" , Most Performed R&B / Soul Work , - ! scope="row" rowspan="1",

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 ...

, "Made for Silence" , Most Performed R&B / Soul Work , , rowspan="1", , - ! scope="row" rowspan="1",

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 ...

, "Still Dream" , Most Performed R&B / Soul Work , ,
, -

ARIA Music Awards

The

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 ...

is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of

Australian music The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions o ...

. As of

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

, Miiesha has received 5 nominations and Best Soul/R&B Release. ! , - ! scope="row" rowspan="5",

, rowspan="3", '' Nyaaringu'' , Best Female Artist , , rowspan="5", , - , Best Soul/R&B Release , , - , Breakthrough Artist , rowspan="4" , - , rowspan="2", IAMMXO ( Mohamed Komba) for ''Nyaaringu'' ,

Producer of the Year The Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical is an honor presented to record producers for quality non-classical music at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in ...

, - , Engineer of the Year

Australian Music Prize

The

Australian Music Prize The Australian Music Prize (often shortened to the AMP) is an annual award of $50,000 ($30,000 from 2005 to 2023) 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 ...

(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. They commenced in 2005. ! , - !

, ''Nyaaringu'' , Album of the Year , ,

J Awards

The

J Awards The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards, established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J, and which also extend to sister stations, Triple J Unearthed and Double J. The awar ...

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

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is ...

's youth-focused radio station

. They commenced in 2005. ! , - ! scope="row",

, ''Nyaaringu'' , Australian Album of the Year , ,

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 ...

recognise excellence, innovation and leadership among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians from throughout Australia. They commenced in 2004. ! , - ! scope="row" rowspan="3",

, Herself , New Talent of the Year , , rowspan="3", , - , ''Nyaaringu'' , Album of the Year , rowspan="2" , - , "Drowning" , Film Clip of the Year , - ! scope="row" rowspan="2",

, Herself , Artist of the Year , , rowspan="2", , - , "Damaged" , Song of the Year , , - ! scope="row" rowspan="1",

, "Made for Silence" , Song of the Year , , , - ! scope="row" rowspan="2",

, ''Smoke & Mirrors'' , Album of the Year , , rowspan="2", , - , "Skin Deep" , Song of the Year , , -

National Live Music Awards

The

National Live Music Awards The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are annual Australian music awards, established by Heath Media in 2016. They were preceded by the AU Live Music Awards in the previous two years. The awards are given in categories that recognise the best ...

(NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016. ! , - ! scope="row",

, Herself , Queensland Act Voice of the Year , ,

Queensland Music Awards

The

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 ...

(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) ! , - ! scope="row" rowspan="3" , 2021 , rowspan="3", "Twisting Words" , Indigenous Award , , rowspan="3", , - , Soul / Funk / R&B Award , , - , Remote Award , , - ! scope="row", 2022 , "Made for Silence" , Soul / Funk / R&B Award , , , - ! scope="row", 2023 , "Still Dream" , Soul / Funk / R&B Award , ,

Rolling Stone Australia Awards

The

Rolling Stone Australia Awards The ''Rolling Stone Australia'' Awards are awarded annually in January or February by the Australian edition of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine for outstanding contributions to popular culture in the previous year. The awards initially commenced i ...

are awarded annually in January or February by the Australian edition of ''

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. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' magazine for outstanding contributions to popular culture in the previous year. ! , - , 2021 , Miiesha , Best New Artist , , , -

References

{{Authority control 21st-century Australian women singers 21st-century Australian singers APRA Award winners ARIA Award winners Australian contemporary R&B singers Australian women pop singers Australian women singer-songwriters Indigenous Australian musicians Living people Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century Australian singer-songwriters