Artists

Long admired and respected for her powerful soaring voice at live shows and on recordings, singer songwriter Vanessa Amorosi has earned her place as being regarded as one of Australia’s most iconic female voices. Infused with soulful r&b and powerhouse rock delivery, Amorosi returns to Australia in 2019 with a new album ‘BACK TO LOVE’ (out Nov 2019) and has announced a number of live shows throughout the year.  Vanessa has also announced she will be appearing in Eurovision – Australia Decides 2020 where she will once again have the opportunity to showcase her power vocals to the world as she competes to appear at Eurovision 2020 in Rotterdam, Netherlands as Australia’s representative.   Vanessa captured the attention of the Australian public at a tender age with her anthemic breakthrough hit ‘Absolutely Everybody’, a Top 10 smash which stayed in the charts for six months, certified double platinum in Australia and charted through Europe. Her first album Power (2000) notched up six nominations at the ARIA awards and saw her sing “Heroes Live Forever” at the opening of the 2000 Sydney Olympics to great acclaim before a global TV viewing audience of billions. Singles such as “Shine”, “Perfect” and “This Is Who I Am” continued her hold on the charts, while the albums “Somewhere In The Real World” (2008) and “Hazardous” (2009) expanded her reputation as a singer who constantly delivered. Vanessa used her position to become involved in a number of community causes and charities, including Kids Help Line, The Variety Club and animal welfare. As a result she was nominated in 2003 for Australian of the Year. She went on to sell two million records. 2019 heralds Amorosi’s return to live performances and a renewed focus on music with more to come.

It’s been another massive year for Nollsie, with he and his wife Rochelle welcoming baby Colton to the clan back in December 2018. He’s also recently endured spinal fusion and disc replacement, but that didn’t get him down for long, getting back up and back on the road almost immediately. During his illustrious career, Shannon has donated over one million dollars to charity, a figure he continued to add to during his time in the jungle (I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here, in which he was the runner-up). In September of 2018, Shannon re-released a single called Lean on Me to help raise money for Drought Angels, an organisation who provide much needed help for farmers hit hard by the worst drought of our lifetime. Having grown up on the land, he understands the strain it can put on a family and jumped at the opportunity to lend his support. Undeniably, Shannon Noll has captured the hearts and minds of music fans around Australia and overseas with his raw, gifted rock voice, since coming runner-up on the first season of Australian Idol back in 2003. He has certified triple-platinum sales, numerous number #1 hits, five top 10 albums, 17 platinum and three gold accreditation, and boasts a reputation as the only Australian male artist in national chart history to have ever achieved ten consecutive top ten singles.

Adam Brand is one of Australia’s most popular and successful recording artists. A stellar career spanning twenty years has seen him nominated for multiple ARIA Awards, win 12 Golden Guitars, sell over 600,000 CDs & DVDs, as well as earn 3 platinum & 5 gold albums. A fan favourite, he has won a record 7 CMC OZ Artist of the Year awards. So what is it about this charismatic male artist originally from the suburbs of Perth that has made him so successful. Adam Brand’s songs resonate as much with people from the suburbs as they do with those from regional and rural Australia. But the real key to Adam’s popularity is that he conjures up different feelings in different people and these feelings remain with listeners long after the last note. These listeners then become loyal fans for life.

Originally hailing from Perth, Lucy graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts with a Bachelor of Arts (Music Theatre). Lucy’s screen credits include ABC’s comedy Get Krack!n (Series 2) appearing as herself, Roxy in Sisters (Netflix), Chantelle “Tugger” Waugh in Doctor Doctor (Nine Network/Essential Media), Sophie Frances Cohen in The Letdown (Giant Dwarf/ABC TV/Netflix), Officer Hernandez in How To Stay Married (Princess Pictures), Katie Halloway in Now Add Honey (Gristmill), Cherry in Goddess (The Film Company/Wildheart Films), Michelle in Upper Middle Bogan (Gristmill/ABCTV), Judy in Here Come The Habibs (Jungle/ Nine Network), Nicola in The Moodys (Jungleboys/ABCTV), Bunny in Dripping in Chocolate (Southern Star/ UKTV), Cassie Bennett in Headland (Seven Network) and roles in All Saints, Rush and Elissa Down’s The Dripping Tap.   Lucy’s stage credits include the roles of Glinda the Good Witch in both the original Australian cast of Wicked (Gordon Frost Organisation) and the recent successful tour of The Wizard of Oz (GFO), as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde The Musical (GFO) for which she won a Helpmann and Sydney Theatre Award, Sybil Chase in Private Lives (Melbourne Theatre Company), Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street, Miss Dorothy in the Australian Premiere of Thoroughly Modern Millie, Lois Lane/Bianca in Kiss Me Kate and Laurey in Oklahoma! (all for The Production Company) as well as Cinderella in Into The Woods (The Capitol Theatre/ Rob Guest Endowment), Rikki Rose in Respect (Jim McPherson) and Mamma Mia! (Dainty/Louise Withers) in which she understudied and performed the role of Sophie. As a voice over artist, Lucy has created a number of audiobooks including Dame Mary Durack’s Kings In Grass Castles and children’s book titled Lucy The Good. Lucy’s radio show My Soundtrack has been the ABC’s most downloaded radio show for the past five summers. Her screen-writing debut Lift in which she also starred, premiered on Ten Peach in February 2019 and is currently available to be streamed on TenPlay. She can be heard on her self-titled debut album Lucy Durack, on which she also debuts as a songwriter as well as the album Witches, both available on iTunes and in ABC stores around the country.  Lucy was also seen as a judge on Channel 7’s Australia’s Got Talent in August.

Check back soon for updates on our 2019 performers - they're sure to rock you around the Christmas tree!

Welcome back to Carols - Todd McKenney! One of Australia’s most versatile performing artists, Todd McKenney is an award winning and critically acclaimed performer on stage and screen. As an actor and the leading man of song and dance in musical theatre productions and has entertained Australia for over 30 years from main stage to intimate venues. This year Todd stepped out on stage as Australia’s Greatest Showman in the title role of ‘P.T Barnham’ as well as leading the cast on some of the 7 Network’s major productions including ‘The Full Monty’, ‘The Real Full Monty’, ‘Mates on a Mission’ and the most recent ‘Ladies Night’ - a one night show that was dedicated to women’s health awareness, particularly breast cancer. Todd also appeared as a host / choreographer in ‘The Real Dirty Dancing’ a four episode spin off of the 1987 classic film the Dirty Dancing, which saw eight celebrities revisit the most memorable dancing moments from the original movie. It’s not surprising that Todd McKenney is a household name. Todd’s stage credit roll and career highlights include his most notable role of Peter Allen in the Australian hit production The Boy From Oz in which he performed over 1000 shows nationally and became one of the longest running and most successful musical productions in Australian history.  Todd’s first professional musical role was in 1983 in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Song and Dance. Todd’s career followed with lead and headline roles in Cats, 42nd Street, West Side Story, Crazy For You, Born Yesterday, Camelot, Pirates of Penzance, Cabaret, Strictly Ballroom, La Cage aux Folles, Singin’ In the Rain, Anything Goes, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Orpheus In the Underworld for Opera Australia, Annie the Musical, Grease and Anything Goes.   In 2018 he stepped into the stilettos and successfully took on the role of Frank N’ Furter in The Rocky Horror Show in Melbourne. As a dancer, his journey started at the age of three at his mother’s dancing school in Perth, training in jazz, tap, acrobatics and ballroom dancing. He represented Australia in ballroom and Latin American dancing, winning many international dance titles. Amongst his Australian awards for performance in musical theatre he has two ‘Mo Awards’, the ‘Variety Club Heart Award’, the ‘Glug Award’, the ‘Green Room Award’, two ‘Australian Dance Awards’ and a ‘Helpmann Award’. On Television he has shared his wisdom and honesty as the colourful and often controversial judge on the Channel 7 hit series ‘Dancing With the Stars’.  Todd has also appeared as a guest judge on ‘Australia’s got Talent’, hosted on a range of morning Television programs and appeared as an entertaining guest across all networks. On radio Todd co-hosted Sydney’s MIX106.5FM breakfast radio program with Sonia Kruger for two years and is a regular guest on the airwaves. On a personal level, Todd had the delight of becoming a father in 2007 and his daughter Charlotte is the light of his life.  Todd is also is a student of ‘Auslan’ sign language and has worked within the deaf community all around Australia and also works with The Children’s Tumour Foundation.  You can keep up to date with Todd McKenney’s Centre Stage Tours where he hosts ‘Dinner and a Show’ Todd style. Check this out at: www.toddstours.com

A global icon and true original, Disney’s Mickey Mouse will be bringing his characteristic exuberance and a touch of Disney magic to Carols again this year. An internationally accomplished entertainer, actor and dancer, he is capable of nearly anything, charming audiences of all ages over the past 90 years. He is often busy welcoming his guests at the Disney Parks, performing for fans, or spending time with his friends and we’re beyond excited to see his cheeky antics on the Carols stage again.

Singing from the age of 15, Mark Vincent has gone on to become one of Australia’s most beloved tenors, having released eight consecutive #1 ARIA Classical Crossover Albums, and having earned accolades both nationally and internationally. Vincent’s last album, A Tribute to Mario Lanza, contains the ground breaking ‘virtual duet’ of “Because You’re Mine” with the Hollywood legend. The ‘duet’ made headlines and received the patronage of Mario Lanza’s daughter, Ellisa Lanza Bregman, who gave permission for the re-recoding of the ‘virtual duet’ and said, “I’m pleased to allow my father’s recoded voice to be joined on this historic recording by the exciting young tenor, Mark Vincent.” Tribute debuted at #3 on the ARIA Album Charts, and at #1 on the ARIA Classical Crossover Charts. The album went on to be the highest selling ARIA Classical Crossover album of 2017. Turing his focus to Musical Theatre, in 2014 Mark Vincent made his debut in the Australian production of Dirty Dancing, which played 130 shows around the country. In June 2016, Dame Julia Andrews, DBE cast Mark in her production of My Fair Lady, which toured nationally with Opera Australia with rave reviews. Vincent concluded a stellar 2017 & 2018 with a national headline tour, followed by a sold-out tour of the UK with international soprano Katherine Jenkins, performing in iconic venues including Royal Albert Hall in London and with Tommy Fleming in Ireland, whilst preparing his debut album The Most Wonderful Time of the Year for the festive season. 2019 has been his biggest yet with many exclusive performances and tours across the globe. This included an invitation to perform with Susan Boyle at BBC Proms In The Park, Belfast in September which was televised across the UK, and performing with Katherine Jenkins at the grand Castello Odescalchi, near Rome. Additionally, Mark was a finalist in the national selection show Eurovision - Australia Decides in February releasing his new single This is Not the End through his record label Sony Music Entertainment Australia. In November, Mark along with Irish singing sensation Tommy Fleming, will be performing five exclusive shows across the East Coast of Australia. Aussie fans will have the rare opportunity to enjoy powerful and unique arrangements of songs ranging from classical crossover to contemporary classics such as “Nessun Dorma”, “Danny Boy”, “You Raise Me Up” and “Hallelujah” to name a few.

Jay Laga’aia is a much-loved actor and children’s entertainer. His film credits include Nim’s Island and Star Wars; television creditsinclude Fighting Season, Home and Away, Bed of Roses, Legend of theSeeker, Xena Warrior Princess and Play School. A gifted musician, Jay has written and recorded numerous albums includingfour ARIA nominated children’s albums with ABC for Kids; he’s performed hismusic with Queensland, Melbourne, Western Australia and SydneySymphony Orchestras and starred in the Sydney Opera House ClassicChristmas Concerts. Jay has filmed four seasons of his children’s television show Jay’s Jungle .He played the title role in Shrek The Musical at the Parramatta RiversideTheatre and has recently completed touring with the hilariousproduction Peter Pan Goes Wrong. Jay, a proud father of eight, is the Queensland Government’s ‘The EarlyYears Count’ ambassador and is a passionate advocate for early childhoodeducation and early literacy.