The legend herself is now seeing the recognition she deserves.
Jessica Mauboy is set to be the 2025 inductee into the National Indigenous Music Awards Hall of Fame, an honour reserved for First Nations musicians that have left a lasting impact on the Australian music scene. The National Indigenous Music Awards has been an annual celebration of First Nation’s musical work since 2004. Previous winners at this ceremony include Thelma Plum, King Stingray and Baker Boy.
When interviewed about the event and what the NIMA’s mean to her she responded with:
“The NIMAs, and what it holds in that space, opens doors and paves pathways … It’s more than an award show. For me, it’s a space where community, culture and creativity comes together,… It’s such a melting pot of diversity … All the performers and all the different First Nations people coming from community and from their language groups. And it’s such a space of recognition and acknowledgment.”
When asked about her career and the battles she’s faced to get to where she is now after growing up in Darwin Mauboy said:
“You’ve just got to start somewhere, It doesn’t always have to be the big stage. There are different places and different spaces… every stage is going to be different. Every audience is going to give something to you that is completely different… The deep reflection and focus on what truly matters in life is our family… I obviously miss my family and have been living away from them for a long time,… Particularly being a new mum … we really drew from those emotions. The impact of people coming into your life, and people going. And also just letting go of the past, moving on with grace and just embracing a new future,… I will never get over being an artist, and how amazing it makes me feel to make music and be creative,… Everything I know I’ve learnt from growing up in Darwin. The way, the culture, the body language and communication, the smell of the place… It taught me so much about never forgetting where I come from … I think it’s really shaped me into being respectful, being connected.”
