Dan Sultan

Dan Sultan (b. 1983), Arrernte/Gurindji singer/songwriter, grew up in Melbourne. Sultan's father is Irish and his mother, of the Arrernte/Gurindji people of the Northern Territory, is a direct descendent of Vincent Lingiari, the Wave Hill stockman and land rights leader, and is part of the Stolen Generations, taken from her family at the age of seven. Sultan wrote his first song at age ten and as a teenager played open mic nights in Melbourne pubs. At 22 he released his debut album, Homemade Biscuits (2006), made with support from John Butler's Seed Fund. Included on it was the single 'Your Love is Like a Song', which won him the Deadly Award for Single of the Year in 2007. Sultan's second album Get Out While You Can (2009) reached number one on the independent Australian charts and in 2010 won him ARIAs for Best Male Artist and Best Blues and Roots Album; the Deadlys for Best Single and Best Male Artist; and the Australian Independent Record Label Association awards for Best Independent Artist and Best Independent Blues and Roots Album. Having appeared with Paul Kelly and others on the Kev Carmody tribute album Cannot Buy My Soul (2007) he made his screen debut in the 2009 film Bran Nue Day. The album Blackbird (2014), recorded at Blackbird Studios in Nashville, debuted at number four and won the ARIA for Best Rock Album. Sultan's subsequent releases include Killer (2017), Aviary Takes (2019) and Nali and Friends (2019), named Best Children's Album at the 2019 ARIAs.