Miss Kaninna
Indigenous Aboriginal musician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kaninna Langford (known professionally as Miss Kaninna) is an Australian singer and songwriter.[1]
Miss Kaninna | |
|---|---|
| |
| Background information | |
| Born | Kaninna Langford Australia |
| Genres | Hip-hop |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter, rapper |
| Years active | 2023-present |
Miss Kaninna released her self-titled debut EP in September 2024. In 2024, Australian Recording Industry Association announced that Miss Kaninna is the first independent Aboriginal woman to ever be nominated for a debut single at the ARIA Music Awards.[2]
Early life
Kaninna grew up on Bruny Island, Tasmania.[3][4] She had beginnings in musical theatre. At age 18, Kaninna was accepted into the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.[5] Feeling unsupported, Kaninna returned to Tasmania, telling The Music in 2023 "I was living away from home when I was 18 – like I'm from Bruny and then, all of a sudden, I moved to Perth, which is a massive jump. I just kind of fell out of love [with the course] and thought, 'Oh, this is not what I thought it was.'"[6]
In 2021, Miss Kaninna commencing singing backing vocals in community bands before meeting producer Finn Rees.[3]
She was cast as Cynthia in the 2022 national theatre tour of The Sapphires.[7][8] In 2022, Miss Kaninna debuted her solo music at Dark Mofo before relocating to Melbourne later that year.[7][3]
Career
2023-2025: Kaninna
In 2023, Miss Kaninna signed with Soul Has No Tempo and in April 2023, announced the release of debut single "Blak Britney", a song the artist described as "an anti-establishment anthem".[5] The song received rotation on triple j.[9]
In October 2024 Miss Kaninna released "Pinnacle Bitch".[10]
In June 2024, Miss Kaninna released "Push Up", a song about moving from Tasmania to Melbourne.[7]
In September 2024, Miss Kaninna released her self-titled debut EP. Upon release Miss Kaninna said "It took me a while to finally name the EP Kaninna. I had other names circling in my head but none of them really felt right. This being my first body of work as an artist I wanted to name it something I can be proud of and look back at in years time and still feel a connection to it. That's when I realised it had to be my name. Since releasing music, people often ask me 'what my real name is' which is so funny because my name is so unique that people must think it's made up."[4]
2026: Black Print
In January 2026, Miss Kaninna featured on a billboard in Times Square as part of Amazon Music's Artists to Watch, also appearing on Spotify's EQUAL billboard in February 2026.[11][12]
In February 2026, she gave away 20 physical copies of her single "Mob Ties" through a local record store, prior to the single's official release later in month.[13]
In June 2026, Miss Kaninna announced the forthcoming release of debut mixtape Blackprint, with the artist saying "We know we're the key to start of civilisation, we're literally the blueprint and we don't care if white people agree or not, we aren't gonna wait for you".[14]
Personal life
Langford is a Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung, Kalkadoon and Yirandhali woman.[2][15]
Her grandmother, Rosalind Langford, was a famous painter and renowned activist. Rosalind played an important role in starting the Aboriginal Information Service in the 1970s, the first Aboriginal organisation in Tasmania, and was its first State Secretary.[9][15]
Her mother, Ruth, work with the Indigenous Women's Legal Centre for women experiencing family violence. Ruth is the founder of Nayri Niara, an Aboriginal social enterprise that works to uplift local communities.[9][15] Ruth also performed in a funk-reggae band.[15]
In November 2023, Miss Kaninna appeared on an episode of Triple J's Hip Hop Show and delivered pro-Palestine comments, prompting complaints. On 13 December 2023, ABC Ombudsman Fiona Cameron found the Australian Broadcasting Corporation had breached its impartiality standards.[16][17]
Discography
Mix Tapes
Extended plays
Singles
Notes
- Kaninna did not enter the top 100 ARIA Album Charts, but peaked at number 5 on the ARIA Australian Artist HipHop/R&B Album Chart.[18]
Awards and nominations
AIR Awards
The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Miss Kaninna | Breakthrough Independent Artist of the Year | Won | [22][23] |
| Kaninna | Best Independent Hip Hop Album or EP | Won | ||
| Nick Herrera for Kaninna | Independent Mix, Studio or Mastering Engineer of the Year | Won | ||
| 2026 | "Backstreets" by Miss Kaninna Directed by Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore |
Independent Music Video of the Year | Nominated | [24] |
APRA Music Awards
The APRA Music Awards were established by the Australasian Performing Right Association 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.
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual award ceremony event celebrating the Australian music industry. They commenced in 1987.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | "Blak Britney" | Best Independent Release | Nominated | [26] |
| Best Soul/R&B Release | Nominated | |||
| Best Video | Will Hamilton-Coates for "Blak Britney" | Nominated | ||
| 2025 | Kaninna | Best Hip Hop/Rap Release | Nominated | [27] |
| Best Independent Release | Nominated | |||
| Dawg in Me Tour | Best Australian Live Act | Nominated |
J Awards
The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. They commenced in 2005.
Music Victoria Awards
The Music Victoria Awards are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2006.
National Indigenous Music Awards
The National Indigenous Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises the achievements of Indigenous Australians in music.
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.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Miss Kaninna | Best New Artist | Shortlisted | [34] |