Emily Wurramara

Emily Wurramara moved between Groote Eylandt and Bickerton Island (Milyakburra), two islands in the Gulf of Carpentaria off the coast of the Northern Territory, until she was six years old. Her father is of Filipino, Chinese, and Spanish descent, who grew up on the Philippine island of Negros. Her mother is a Warninidlyakwa/Greek/Italian/Turkish woman who grew up on the two islands.^[1]

Emily grew up in Brisbane after her family moved there when she was six.^[2][3] As a child, she wrote songs and poetry, and listened to Coloured Stone and Yothu Yindi on her grandparents' cassette player.^[1] She later listened to Billie Holiday, rapper Lauryn Hill, Beyoncé, and American country singer Alan Jackson.^[2]

Wurramara writes and sings in both English and Anindilyakwa, and plays six instruments, including piano and violin.^[2][3]

In 2016, she released her debut EP, Black Smoke, which was featured on triple j unearthed^[4] and earned her a Queensland Music Award. She followed it up with an album named Milyakburra in 2018 and toured nationally with Alice Skye.^[5] Milyakburra is named after the island of Milyakburra, sacred to Wurramara and her people. Family members feature on the album, including Wurramara's Uncle Enoch singing on track "Title" and her great-grandmother on "Carry Me Home". The album art is by her grandmother.^[6]

In November 2022, she collaborated with other First Nations artists Emma Donovan, DOBBY, Drmngnow, and Optamus to create a song in memory of Cassius Turvey, a Noongar-Yamatji boy who had died at the age of 15 the result of an assault by a random attacker when walking home from school in Perth, Western Australia. The song, titled "Forever 15",^[7] was played at Turvey's funeral on 18 November 2022 funeral^[8] and released three days later on 21 November 2022.^[7][9]

Wurramara appeared on the cover of Coles supermarket chain's Health and Beauty magazine for Winter 2023, alongside Noongar singer Bumpy.^[10]

In July 2024, Wurramara announced the release of her second studio album Nara. The album was released on 23 August 2024.^[11] The album was supported with a national tour,^[12] and won Best Adult Contemporary Album at the 2024 ARIA Awards.^[13] She is the first Indigenous woman to win in this category at the ARIA Awards.^[14]

Wurramara has a daughter, born in 2017.^[4]

On 2 May 2019, a fire at her home in Brisbane destroyed most of her belongings.^[15]