Misplaced Pages

Thelma Plum
Thelma Plum performing in April 2023
Background information
Birth name	Thelma Amelina Plumbe
Born	(1994-12-21) 21 December 1994 (age 29) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Origin	Delungra, New South Wales, Australia
Genres	Folk
Occupations	Singer songwriter guitarist musician
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	2012–present
Labels	Footstomp Warner Music Australia
Website	thelmaplum.com

Thelma Amelina Plumbe (born 21 December 1994), known professionally as Thelma Plum, is an Aboriginal Australian singer, songwriter, guitarist and musician from Delungra, New South Wales. Her debut album, Better in Blak, was released on 30 July 2019 and peaked at number 4 on the ARIA Albums Chart.

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 was born on 21 December 1994 in Brisbane. She is a Gamilaraay woman from Delungra, New South Wales. 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 and in July 2012, won the inaugural Triple J's National Indigenous Unearthed Music competition and was nominated for a Deadly award 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 in 2014 and 2019, has toured around Australia and has been on rotation nationally on Triple J.

2018–2021: Better in Blak

Plum released her debut album, Better in Blak, in July 2019. The video for the single, "Better in Blak", was nominated for Film Clip of the Year at the National Indigenous Music Awards. 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 she received six nominations and won Best Cover Art for Emilie Pfitzner's work on her album.

The Better In Blak album became a collection of anthems for Blak women.

In January 2020, Plum became the highest ranking Indigenous artist ever in the Triple J Hottest 100, when "Better in Blak" charted at number 9. Two months later, she was diagnosed with COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In May 2020, Plum released a cover of Powderfinger's "These Days". In October, she performed at the 2020 AFL Grand Final.

2022–2023: Meanjin and When Rosie Met Monsters

In July 2022, Plum announced the forthcoming release of her third EP, Meanjin, alongside its second single "When It Rains It Pours".

Meanjin, is Plum's "love letter" to Brisbane and was written on her balcony in lockdown due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Plum's Meanjin EP won Album Of The Year at the 2023 National Indigenous Music Awards.

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.

2024: I'm Sorry, Now Say It Back

In November 2023, Plum released "We Don't Talk About It", the first new music in over twelve months. Her second studio album I'm Sorry, Now Say It Back was released in October 2024.

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Extended plays

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

Other charted songs

Awards and nominations

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.

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.

Australian Music Prize

The Australian Music Prize (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 Women in Music Awards

The Australian Women in Music Awards is an annual event that celebrates outstanding women in the Australian Music Industry who have made significant and lasting contributions in their chosen field. They commenced in 2018.

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. They commenced in 2005.

National Indigenous Music Awards

The National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMAs) is an annual awards ceremony that recognises the achievements of Indigenous Australians in music. Thelma Plum has won two awards.

National Live Music Awards

The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016.

Queensland Music Awards

The Queensland Music Awards (previously known as Q Song Awards) are annual awards celebrating Queensland, Australia's brightest emerging artists and established legends. They commenced in 2006.

Rolling Stone Australia Awards

The Rolling Stone Australia Awards are awarded annually in January or February by the Australian edition of Rolling Stone magazine for outstanding contributions to popular culture in the previous year.

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. It commenced in 2009.

References

1. "Thelma Plum: On a Roll". The Weekly Review Eastern. 14 February 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
2. ^ "Thelma Plum announces debut album 'Better In Blak' with new video". Warner Music Australia. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
3. "'Around Here' at APRA search engine". APRA AMCOS. Retrieved 30 November 2019. Note: For additional work user may have to select 'Search again' and then 'Enter a title:' &/or 'Performer:'
4. @thelmaplum (21 August 2021). "Hot girls get vaxxed". Retrieved 1 September 2021 – via Instagram.
5. ^ Mathieson, Craig (8 July 2019). "Thelma Plum: 'I was lucky ... to take a bad situation and make something beautiful'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
6. ^ Shedden, Iain (27 July 2012). "Singer wants her indigenous culture to shine". The Australian. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
7. "Six of best in rosy debut", Gold Coast Sun - Central, 17 July 2013
8. ^ Fedele, Robert (13 June 2014). "Singer-songwriter Thelma Plum branches out". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
9. "Landing a Plum Role", Hobart Mercury, 2 May 2013
10. ^ "Music Plum Sound", The Cairns Post, 30 May 2013
11. ^ Fedele, Robert (16 June 2014), "Unearthed and on the road to stardom", The Age
12. NOEL MENGEL (25 September 2012). "Teen singer Thelma Plum in tune with her culture at the Deadlys". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
13. "Welcoming back in 2019". Womadelaide. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
14. MEL EVANS (15 November 2014). "Singer Thelma Plum loving life on the road during her national tour". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
15. ^ Gallagher, Allison (29 May 2019). "Thelma Plum announces debut album 'Better In Blak', National Tour dates & shares moving new video". Music Feeds. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
16. "National Indigenous Music Awards unveils 2019 Nominations". National Indigenous Music Awards. July 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
17. "Record Breaking Crowd for the 2019 National Indigenous Music Awards!". National Indigenous Music Awards. 13 August 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
18. "The 15 Australian female artists changing the game right now". Retrieved 30 October 2019.
19. ^ "ARIA Awards: 2019 Fine Arts & Artisan Winners Announced". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 10 October 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
20. ^ Howarth, Madison (12 August 2022). "Thelma Plum on her new EP 'Meanjin': "I've put so much into these songs… I feel very exposed, very vulnerable"". NME. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
21. "Thelma Plum has transformed trauma into Hottest 100 history". ABC. January 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
22. "Thelma Plum has been diagnosed with coronavirus". ABC. 15 March 2020.
23. ^ "Thelma Plum shares gorgeous cover of Powderfinger's "These Days"". ABC. 28 May 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
24. "All-Aussie music lineup announced for AFL's grand final at the Gabba". SMH. 12 October 2020. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
25. ^ "Thelma Plum Shares "When It Rains It Pours" Announces New EP & Tour Dates". Music Feeds. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
26. Morgan, Thomas (12 August 2023). "Budjerah wins Artist of the Year at star-studded 2023 National Indigenous Music Awards". ABC News. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
27. ^ "Thelma Plum Announces 'When Rosie Met Monsters' Double EP". Music Feeds. 3 November 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
28. ^ "Thelma Plum Returns With New Single We Don't Talk About It". Rolling Stone Australia. 14 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
29. ^ "Discography Thelma Plum". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
30. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. 30 September 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
31. "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 28 October 2024. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
32. "Rosie – EP by Thelma Plum on Apple Music". iTunes Australia. 15 March 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
33. "Rosie – CD by Thelma Plum at Sanity". Sanity. 15 March 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
34. McNamara, Justine (7 July 2014). "Review: Thelma Plum – Monsters EP – Music Feeds". Music Feeds. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
35. "Monsters — CD by Thelma Plum". Warner Music Australasia. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
36. "ARIA Chart Watch #562". auspOp. 1 February 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
37. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 6 June 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
38. "Father Said – Single by Thelma Plum on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 20 November 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
39. "Around Here – Single by Thelma Plum on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 13 February 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
40. "Thelma Plum – Dollar". AIRIT. 16 May 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
41. Beth, Sinead (13 June 2014). "Thelma Plum – How Much Does Your Love Cost?". SpeakerTV. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
42. "New: Thelma Plum – How Much Does Your Love Cost (Dugong Jr Remix)". Pilerats. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
43. "Thelma Plum – Monsters". AIRIT. 16 July 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
44. "Young in Love (The Remixes) – Single by Thelma Plum – Single by Thelma Plum on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 15 December 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
45. "Any Other Name (with Thelma Plum, Jimblah & Urthboy) – Single on Apple Music". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 30 May 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
46. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
47. English, Laura (1 February 2019). "Thelma Plum releases cathartic new single & video "Not Angry Anymore"". Music Feeds. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
48. "New Aus Music Playlist Additions 27/05/22". Music Feeds. 27 May 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
49. "The Brown Snake Single". Amrap. 12 August 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
50. "From Girl to Woman: Thelma Plum's 'Nobody's Baby' Explores Coming of Age". Rolling Stone Australia. 24 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
51. "THELMA PLUM Announces Sophomore Album 'I'm Sorry, Now Say It Back' + Releases New Single 'Freckles'". Good Call Live. 22 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
52. Davies, Hayden (5 June 2015). "Listen: Golden Features – No One feat. Thelma Plum". Pilerats. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
53. "Alice Ivy shares highly-anticipated new album "Don't Sleep" via Dew Process including latest single 'Ticket to Heaven' featuring Thelma Plum". The Partae. 18 July 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
54. Newstead, Al (7 August 2020). "First Spin: Briggs taps Thelma Plum for haunting collab "Go to War"". Triple J. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
55. Peak chart positions in New Zealand:
    • For "Don't Let a Good Girl Down": "NZ Hot Singles Chart Issue #4865". Recorded Music NZ. 21 July 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
56. "Tones and I Leads Nominations for 2020 Virtual APRA Awards". Noise11. 7 April 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
57. "2020 Awards". APRA. 7 April 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
58. "Nominees announced for the 2021 APRA Music Awards". APRA AMCOS. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
59. "These 20 songs are up for 2023 APRA Song Of The Year". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 25 January 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
60. "ARIA Awards: 2019 ARIA Awards Nominated Artists Revealed". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 10 October 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
61. "2019 ARIA Award Winners Announced". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 27 November 2019. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
62. Kelly, Vivienne (20 October 2021). "ARIA Awards nominees revealed: Amy Shark & Genesis Owusu lead the charge". The Music Network. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
63. Lars Brandle (12 October 2022). "Rüfüs Du Sol Leads 2022 ARIA Awards Nominees (Full List)". The Music Network. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
64. "AMP winner Sampa The Great creates history". Sydney Morning Herald. 6 March 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
65. "Congratulations to our 2019 Recipients & Finalists". women in Music Awards. October 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
66. "The J Award 2019". Triple J. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
67. "Announcement: National Indigenous Music Awards Finalists Unveiled". noise11. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
68. "2020 Finalists". NIMA. July 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
69. "Nominees and Performers Announced For National Indigenous Music Awards 2022". Music Feeds. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
70. "2022 NIMAs: Baker Boy Wins Two Awards, Archie Roach and Gurrumul Honoured". The Music Network. 6 August 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
71. Mary Varvaris (12 July 2023). "Budjerah & Wildfire Manwurrk Lead NIMA Finalist Nominations". The Music. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
72. "Here Are All the Winners from the 2023 National Indigenous Music Awards". Music Feeds. 12 August 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
73. "HERE ARE YOUR 2019 NATIONAL LIVE MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES!". NLMA. 22 October 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
74. "AND THE WINNERS OF THE 2019 NATIONAL LIVE MUSIC AWARDS ARE…". NLMA. 5 December 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
75. "Nominees Announced For The 2023 National Live Music Awards". The Music. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
76. "Genesis Owusu And Amyl & The Sniffers Win Big At The 2023 National Live Music Awards". The Music. 11 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
77. "About the Queensland Music Awards". Queensland Music Awards. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
78. "Emma Louise Sweeps 2013 Queensland Music Awards". Music Feeds. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
79. "Emma Louise, Ball Park Music Win Big At Queensland Music Awards 2013". Tone Deaf. 14 August 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
80. "Past Winners 2020". Queensland Music Awards. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
81. "Thelma Plum, Ball Park Music win top gongs at 2023 Queensland Music Awards". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
82. Barnes, Amelia (5 December 2011). "Rolling Stone Magazine Australia announces 3rd annual awards event". The AU Review. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
83. "Amy Shark, The Wiggles & Kylie Minogue Among 2023 Shure Rolling Stone Australia Awards Nominees". Rolling Stone Australia. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
84. "About the Vanda Young Global Song Writing Competition". APRA AMCOS. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
85. "Past Winners". APRA AMCOS. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
86. "Thelma Plum's "Better in Blak" Wins Vanda & Young Songwriting Comp". Billboard. 12 March 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2021.

External links

• Official website

• 1994 births
• Living people
• ARIA Award winners
• Australian women pop singers
• Australian women singer-songwriters
• Australian singer-songwriters
• Australian women guitarists
• Australian folk singers
• Gamilaraay
• Indigenous Australian musicians
• People from New England (New South Wales)
• Australian women folk singers