Beau Monga (born 14 April 1994) is a New Zealand singer/beatboxer from
Manurewa, who won the
second season of the New Zealand version of
''The X Factor''.
Early life
Monga was born in
South Auckland in 1994. He is the son of Betty-Anne and Ryan Monga of the group
Ardijah.
Musical influence
Monga cites his parents,
James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...
and
Michael Jackson as his main musical influences.
''The X Factor''
At his audition, Monga performed a version of "
Hit the Road Jack" using a
loop pedal. He received a standing ovation from all four judges and positive comments. As of 2022, his audition has received over 85 million combined views on
Facebook and
YouTube after going viral online.
After the elimination of Nofo Lameko on week 2 and
Stevie Tonks
Stephen Reuben Tonkin, known as Stevie Tonks, (born 1992) is a New Zealand singer from Christchurch, who came 4th on the second season of ''The X Factor'' (New Zealand). In the boys category he was mentored by Natalie Bassingthwaighte, and befor ...
in week 9, Beau was the final act on the boys category who progressed through to the grand final. Going into the grand final, Beau was also the only act in series 2 who never landed in the bottom two. He eventually won the series after beating Nyssa Collins and
Brendon Thomas and The Vibes in the grand final. He was initially mentored by
Natalia Kills, but he was replaced by former Australian judge
Natalie Bassingthwaighte
Natalie Bassingthwaighte (; born 1 September 1975) is an Australian recording artist, actress, and Celebrity, television personality. Born and raised in Wollongong, New South Wales, she began her career in musical theatre. She later pursued an ...
after Kills was removed from the show due to a
bullying controversy in the first live show. He is the first (and, to date, only) male winner of
The X Factor NZ
''The X Factor'' was a New Zealand television reality music competition, originating from the original UK series and based on the Australian ''The X Factor'' production format. The show began in 2013 and was open to anyone aged 14 and over. The ...
.
Discography
Digital releases from ''The X Factor''
Singles
Albums
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monga, Beau
The X Factor (New Zealand TV series) contestants
1994 births
Living people
21st-century New Zealand male singers
The X Factor winners