Thelma Amelina Plumbe (born 21 December 1994), known professionally as Thelma Plum, is an

Aboriginal Australian Aboriginal Australians are the various Indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands, such as Tasmania, Fraser Island, Hinchinbrook Island, the Tiwi Islands, and Groote Eylandt, but excluding the Torres Strait Islands ...

singer, songwriter, guitarist and musician from

Delungra Delungra is a small town on the Gwydir Highway, from Inverell and from Bingara in Inverell Shire, New South Wales, Australia. At the , Delungra and the surrounding area had a population of 647. The urban centre had a population of 285. Delun ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. Her father is renowned lore-man Paul Winanga-li Gii Spearim. Her debut album, ''

Better in Blak ''Better in Blak'' is the debut studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Thelma Plum, released on 7 July 2019 through Warner Music Australia. ''Better in Blak'' achieved commercial success, peaking at number 4 on the ARIA Albums Chart, an ...

'', was released on 30 July 2019 and peaked at number 4 on the

ARIA Albums Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

. Plum has received various accolades, including for Best Cover Art at the 2019 ARIA Music Awards for Dennis Pfitzner's artwork.

Early life

Thelma Amelina Plumbe Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' &/or 'Performer:' was born on 21 December 1994 in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

. She is a

Gamilaraay The Gamilaraay, also known as Gomeroi, Kamilaroi, Kamillaroi and other variations, are an Aboriginal Australian people whose lands extend from New South Wales to southern Queensland. They form one of the four largest Indigenous nations in Au ...

woman from

Delungra, New South Wales Delungra is a small town on the Gwydir Highway, from Inverell and from Bingara in Inverell Shire, New South Wales, Australia. At the , Delungra and the surrounding area had a population of 647. The urban centre had a population of 285. Delung ...

. Plum graduated from the Music Industry College, Brisbane and spent most of her early life in that city.

Career

2012–2017: Triple J Unearthed and early EPs

In May 2012, Plum uploaded the tracks "Blackbird" and "Father Said" onto

Triple J Unearthed Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio in Australia, radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greate ...

and in July 2012, won the inaugural Triple J's National Indigenous Unearthed Music competition and was nominated for a

Deadly award The Deadly Awards, commonly known simply as The Deadlys, was an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. The event was held from 1995 to 2013. Description T ...

for Most Promising New Talent.. "Father Said" was released in November 2012 as her official debut single. Plum released her debut extended play, ''Rosie'', in March 2013 and followed with her second EP, ''Monsters'' (July 2014). By that time she had relocated to Melbourne. Plum appeared at

Womadelaide WOMADelaide is an annual four-day festival of Music, Arts and Dance, which was first held in 1992 in Botanic Park, Adelaide, South Australia. One of many WOMAD festivals held around the world, it is a four-day event that presents a diverse selec ...

in 2014 and 2019, has toured around Australia and has been on rotation nationally on

Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greater emphasis on broad ...

2018–2021: ''Better in Blak''

Plum released her debut album, ''

'', in July 2019. The

video Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) syst ...

for the single, "

", was nominated for Film Clip of the Year at 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 ...

. In October 2019 she came at No. 7 in ''Happy Mag'''s list of "The 15 Australian female artists changing the game right now." At the

ARIA Music Awards of 2019 The ARIA Music Awards of 2019 are the 33rd 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 2019 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA ...

she received six nominations and won Best Cover Art for Emilie Pfitzner's work on her album. In January 2020, Plum became the highest ranking Indigenous artist ever in the

Triple J Hottest 100 The Triple J Hottest 100 is an annual music listener poll hosted by the publicly-funded, national Australian youth radio station, Triple J. Members of the public are invited to vote for their favourite Australian and alternative music of the y ...

, when "Better in Blak" charted at number 9. Two months later, she was diagnosed with

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. In May 2020, Plum released a cover of

Powderfinger Powderfinger were an Australian rock band formed in Brisbane in 1989. From 1992 until their break-up in 2010, the line-up consisted of vocalist Bernard Fanning, guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug, bass guitarist John Collins and drumme ...

's "

These Days These Days may refer to: Music Albums * ''These Days'' (Bon Jovi album), and the title song (see below) ** These Days Tour, a 1995–1996 tour by Bon Jovi in support of the above album * ''These Days'' (Crystal Gayle album), 1980 * ''These ...

". In October, she performed at the 2020 AFL Grand Final.

2022: ''Meanjin'' and ''When Rosie Met Monsters''

In July 2022, Plum announced the forthcoming release of her third EP, ''

Meanjin ''Meanjin'' (), formerly ''Meanjin Papers'' and ''Meanjin Quarterly'', is an Australian literary magazine. The name is derived from the Turrbal word for the spike of land where the city of Brisbane is located. It was founded in 1940 in Brisbane ...

'', alongside its second single "When It Rains It Pours". In November 2022, Plum announced the forthcoming release of ''When Rosie Met Monsters'', compiling the EPs ''Rosie'' and ''Monsters'' together on vinyl, CD and cassette.

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Extended plays

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

Other charted songs

Awards

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually. Plum has been nominated for two awards. , - , rowspan="2", 2020 , "Better in Blak" , Song of the Year , , - , herself , Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year , , - , 2021 , , herself , , Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year , , , -

ARIA Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. Thelma Plum won an award from six nominations in 2019. ! , - , rowspan="6", 2019 , Emilie Pfitzner for Thelma Plum - ''

'' , Best Cover Art , , rowspan="6", , - ,

Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore is an Australian filmmaker. She won an Australian Women in Music Award. She features women in her music videos. Her videos have been nominated for the ARIA Award for Best Video and J Award Music Video of the Year honor. ...

for Thelma Plum – "

" ,

ARIA Award for Best Video The ARIA Award for Best Video, is presented at the annual ARIA Awards, which recognise "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", since 1987. It is handed out by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), an o ...

, , - , rowspan="4", ''Better in Blak'' , Album of the Year , , - , Best Female Artist , , - , Best Pop Release , , - , Breakthrough Artist , , - , 2021 , Thelma Plum – Homecoming Queen Tour , Best Australian Live Act , , , - , rowspan="3", 2022 , rowspan="2", ''Meanjin'' , Best Solo Artist , , rowspan="3", , - , Best Pop Release , , - , ''The Meanjin Tour '' , Best Australian Live Act , , -

Australian Music Prize

The

Australian Music Prize The Australian Music Prize (often shortened to 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. The award was made by Australian Music Pri ...

(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. , - , Australian Music Prize 2019 , ''Better in Blak'' , Album of the Year , , -

Australian Women in Music Awards

The

Australian Women in Music Awards Australian Women in Music Awards (commonly known informally as AWMA) is an annual awards ceremony and conference celebrating the contributions of women in all areas of the Australian music industry. The two-day program includes forums, a show ...

is an annual event that celebrates outstanding women in the

Australian Music Industry Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

who have made significant and lasting contributions in their chosen field. They commenced in 2018. , - , 2019 , Thelma Plum , Songwriter Award ,

J Awards

The

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 and which are judged by the music and on-air teams from radio stations Triple J, ...

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

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...

's youth-focused radio station

. They commenced in 2005. , - ,

J Awards of 2012 The J Award of 2012 is the eighth annual J Awards, established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. The announcement comes at the culmination of Ausmusic Month (November). For the fifth year, three aw ...

, herself , Unearthed Artist of the Year , , - , rowspan="2",

J Awards of 2019 The J Award of 2019 is the fifteenth annual J Awards, established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio stati ...

, ''Better in Blak'' , Australian Album of the Year , , - , "Better in Blak" , Australian Video of the Year , , -

National Indigenous Music Awards

The

(NIMAs) is an annual awards ceremony that recognises the achievements of Indigenous Australians in music. Thelma Plum has won two awards. , - , 2013 , Thelma Plum , Best New Talent , , - , 2015 , "How Much Does Your Love Cost?" , Song of the Year , , - , rowspan="2", 2019 , ''

'' , Album of the Year , , - , "

" , Song of the Year , , - , rowspan="2", 2020 , Thelma Plum , Artist of the Year , , - , "Homecoming Queen" , Song of the Year , , - , rowspan="2", 2022 , Thelma Plum , Artist of the Year , , - , "Backseat of My Mind" , Song of the Year , , -

National Live Music Awards

The

National Live Music Awards The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse and successful live industry, celebrating the diversity and success of the Australian live scene – recognising the best vocal talents and musicians alongside ...

(NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016. , - , rowspan="2",

National Live Music Awards of 2019 The National Live Music Awards of 2019 are the 4th annual National Live Music Awards. The nominations were announced on 22 October 2020 and the awards ceremony was held on 4 December 2020. For the first time ever, all State and Territory catego ...

, rowspan="2", herself , Live Voice of the Year , , - , Queensland Live 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 a ...

(previously known as Q Song Awards) are annual awards celebrating

Queensland, Australia ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

's brightest emerging artists and established legends. They commenced in 2006. (wins only) , - , 2013 , "Rosie" , Indigenous Song of the Year , , - , 2020 , ''Better in Blak'' , Album of the Year , , -

Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition

The

Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition The Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition is an annual competition that "acknowledges great songwriting whilst supporting and raising money for Nordoff-Robbins" and is coordinated by Albert Music and APRA AMCOS. The competition awards a ...

is an annual competition that "acknowledges great songwriting whilst supporting and raising money for Nordoff-Robbins" and is coordinated by

Albert Music Albert Music, formerly J Albert and Son, is an Australian company with an estimated worth in 2009 of more than A$209 million. The company has major interests in music publishing and production and it earns significant royalties through its su ...

and

APRA AMCOS 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 ...

. It commenced in 2009. , - , 2013 , "Breathe in Breathe Out" , Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition , style="background:tan;", 3rd , - , 2020 , "Better in Blak" , Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition , style="background:gold;", 1st

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Plum, Thelma 1994 births Living people ARIA Award winners Australian women pop singers Australian women singer-songwriters Australian women guitarists Australian folk singers Gamilaraay Indigenous Australian musicians People from New England (New South Wales)