Stan Walker

Exhibiting rare staying power and versatility since winning Australian Idol in 2009, Stan Walker has set a shining example for young singers to come. Born in Melbourne in 1990 before being raised in New Zealand, Walker capped his Idol victory with the hit “Black Box”, a string-swept showcase of his soaring, R&B-inflected pop vocals. The accompanying debut album, Introducing... Stan Walker, saw him reinterpret the likes of Prince and The Carpenters with equal parts passion and discipline. Walker edged closer to dance-pop on 2011’s Let the Music Play, featuring the clubby anthem “Loud” and a romantic duet with Jessica Mauboy on “Galaxy,” while 2013’s aptly titled Inventing Myself saw him focus largely on original material penned with diverse co-writers. He finally got to tour with his musical hero, Beyoncé, that same year. On 2021’s spiritually rich Te Arohanui, Walker embraced his culture by singing primarily in the Māori language.