Emma Donovan

Emma Donovan (born 1981) is an Aboriginal Australian singer and songwriter.

She is a member of the renowned musical Donovan family.

She started her singing career at age seven with her uncle's band, the Donovans.

Donovan was born in 1981 in Liverpool, a suburb of Sydney.

Her father, Neville Councillor, is from Geraldton in Western Australia, and is of Naaguja and Yamatji heritage.

Her mother, Agnes Donovan, is a Gumbaynggirr/Danggali woman from the Nambucca Valley on the north coast of New South Wales, where Emma was raised.

Donovan's musical singing career started at a young age.

Her grandparents Micko and Aileen Donovan, years before her birth, founded the Aboriginal country band The Donovans, which consisted of their five sons and daughter Agnes singing at local events.

Donovan's uncles still perform as the Donovan Brothers band.

At the age of seven, she began periodically singing with the Donovans.

Her family and mother Agnes encouraged and supported her singing, Agnes taking her to talent competitions around the country.

Agnes also helped develop Aboriginal showcases at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in the late 1990s, in which Donovan took part.

Donovan's family moved frequently, and she attended multiple schools in New South Wales and WA, with an extended time spent at North Newtown Primary.

In 1997, at age sixteen, Donovan was studying contemporary music at the Eora College for Performing Arts in Chippendale, New South Wales.

The school was founded to provide education for Indigenous students.

She began branching out from country music, exploring reggae and R&B as well.

In late 1999, Donovan formed the vocal acoustic band Stiff Gins with Nardi Simpson and Kaleena Briggs after meeting at the Eora College.

In 2000, she became a founding member of Stiff Gins, leaving the band three years later to release the solo album Changes in 2004.

They released their first EP, Soh Fa, on Sony Records in 2000.

Donovan co-wrote their second release, the full album Origins.

The group won two Deadly Awards; 2000 for Most Promising New Talent and in 2001 for Best Single Release for "Morning Star".

After touring both nationally and internationally, Donovan left the group in 2003 to work on solo material with industry professionals.

She has been nominated for multiple Deadly Awards including Female Artist of the Year, and performed at the opening of the 2004 Olympic Torch Relay.

Donovan appeared in the ABC series Dynasties in 2004, and was the subject of the 2005 SBS TV documentary Emma Donovan: Gumbainggir Lady.

Donovan has sung with and performed with Indigenous Australian musicians such as Frank Yamma, her cousin Casey Donovan, Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter, Kerriane Cox, Christine Anu, Tiddas, Yothu Yindi and Jimmy Little.

She has also performed with Paul Kelly, Ursula Yovich, and Shellie Morris.

In 2004, she was the subject of SBS documentary Gumbaynggirr Lady and opened the 2004 Summer Olympics torch relay.

Later that year, she toured in Greece for the Indigenous Australia Now exhibition prior to the 2004 Olympics.

In 2004, Donovan released her debut solo album Changes.

The Sydney launch of the album was well received.

The style was a blend of soul, gospel, and reggae, with country undertones.

In 2005, Donovan embarked on an Australian tour to promote the album.

In 2006 she performed at the Perth Festival of the Arts, the Australian Performing Arts market in Adelaide, the Waitangi Day Ceremony in New Zealand, and The Dreaming Festival in Queensland.

She also made a short tour to Paris.

In 2006, Donovan recorded three songs with longtime writing partner Yanya Boston, a drummer she had met while performing with the Stiff Gins.

She also worked with Rob Wolf and Adam Ventoura.

In 2007, Wendy Martin of the Sydney Opera House stated: "Emma is one of the most requested artists on Koori Radio 93.7FM since the release of her CD Changes, and is fast becoming one of the most popular live performers in Sydney."

She performs with the Black Arm Band and released a solo EP, Ngaaraanga, in 2009.

She won Best Female Artist at the 2009 BUMP Awards.

That year she also performed at the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts in Palau.