Kate Ceberano

Catherine Yvette Ceberano (/səˈbrɑːnoʊ/ or /sɛbəˈrɑːnoʊ/, born 17 November 1966) is an Australian singer and actress. She performs in the rock, soul, jazz, and pop genres, as well as in film and musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar. Her single "Bedroom Eyes" received a platinum sales certification in 1989. Ceberano was the artistic director of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in 2012, 2013, and 2014. A Member of the Order of Australia, she has also won many awards, including AIR Awards, Mo Awards, and ARIA Awards. At the 2026 ARIA Music Awards, she was inducted in the ARIA Hall of Fame. Catherine Yvette Ceberano was born in Melbourne, Australia, to an American father of Filipino descent and an Australian mother. Her father is karate master Tino Ceberano, from Hawaii. Her maternal forebears were some of the earliest settlers and government officials in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. Ceberano first came to prominence as lead singer for I'm Talking in 1984 with her first top 10 single "Trust Me". I'm Talking are acknowledged as the band "who pioneered New York-style art pop in Australia during the Jurassic Period of Pub Rock". The group was managed by Ken West, now known for being a co-founder of the Big Day Out events. The group's debut album, Bear Witness, included three top ten singles, two top twenty singles and achieved a platinum sales certification. Ceberano won the Most Popular Female Performer award at the 1986 Countdown Awards. After the debut album, the group broke up and Ceberano went solo. It was then, in the late 1980s, that she earned a reputation for her soul, jazz and pop repertoire. Radio stations labelled her as having "one of the greatest voices our music industry has ever produced". Ceberano's first solo album was the live recording Kate Ceberano and her Septet, released in March 1987. In September 1987, Ceberano represented Australia at the 1987 ABU Popular Song Contest with the song "Time Can't Keep Us Apart", written by Allan Zavod, winning the contest. In 1988, she collaborated with Wendy Matthews on the album You've Always Got The Blues, which was the soundtrack to the ABC Television show Stringer. The album peaked at No. 7 on the ARIA charts and earned her a nomination for the ARIA Award for Best Female Artist in 1988. In 1989, Ceberano released her album Brave, which sold triple platinum. The album was the 20th highest-selling album in Australia in 1989 and spawned four singles, including "Bedroom Eyes", which became the fifth highest-selling single in Australia in 1989 and the highest-selling single by an Australian artist that year. Two tracks, "Young Boys Are My Weakness" and "Obsession", were recorded with Phil Harding and Ian Curnow at PWL Studios, with Harding recalling, "for us to work with such a great singer was an unusual treat." At the 1989 ARIA awards, she won the ARIA Award for Best Female Artist and ARIA Award for Highest Selling Single for "Bedroom Eyes". In 1990, Ceberano contributed "Nature Boy" to The Crossing soundtrack. At the end of 1990, she received three Mo Awards for Jazz Performer, Female Rock Performer and Contemporary Concert Performer of the Year. In 1991, Ceberano released Think About It! in 1991. In 1992, she joined the cast of the Australian national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar, taking the role of Mary Magdalene. The album was the highest-selling album in Australia in 1992, certified four times platinum. Three singles were released from the album, including "Everything's Alright" (with John Farnham and Jon Stevens), which peaked at No. 6 on the ARIA charts. Ceberano won a Logie Award for Most Popular Music Video in 1993 for "Everything's Alright". "I Don't Know How To Love Him" was the second single and won Ceberano another nomination for Best Female Artist in 1993. Ceberano followed this success with a late-night cabaret show on ABC-TV called Kate Ceberano and Friends (1993–1994). The album from the program was certified gold and peaked at No. 19 in 1994. Ceberano travelled to New York and recorded a number of songs which were to appear of an album with the working title of Globe. The album was scrapped by label Elektra Records. However, a number of recordings from this session appears on her 1996 album Blue Box which also went gold. She was nominated for another Best Female Artist at the ARIA Music Awards of 1995. In 1997 she co-wrote and released "Pash", a pop song which went platinum. The album Pash went to No. 5 on the ARIA charts, was certified gold and the first album to bear Ceberano's songwriting credit on every track. In 1999, Ceberano released her first greatest hits collection, True Romantic: The Best of Kate Ceberano. The album included 16 hits from her career to date, along with two new singles, "I Won't Let You Down" and "True Romantic". The album peaking in at No. 9 on the ARIA Album Charts and was certified double platinum. Ceberano was part of two major Australian tours that year – the John Farnham I Can't Believe He's 50 tour and her own greatest hits Australian tour (supported by Vika & Linda and Vanessa Amorosi). In the early 2000s, Ceberano relocating to Los Angeles and signed with Chicago Kid Records, which released her single "Yes" in 2002. As Ceberano wrote in her autobiography, she wrote an album titled The Girl Who Ruled The World, which was ultimately declined by her Australian record company. Returning to Australia, Ceberano signed with an Australian manager and released her 2003 studio album The Girl Can Help It, which peaked at number 115 on the ARIA charts. In 2007, Ceberano saluted the 1980s with her cover album Nine Lime Avenue, which was recorded in three weeks while she was on television show Dancing with the Stars. The album was a commercial success, peaking at No. 4 and gave Ceberano her first top 5 album since 1989's "Brave". Ceberano toured in late 2007 before recording another cover album, released in 2008, titled So Much Beauty, which peaked at No. 9 in Australia. Ceberano released three albums in 2009: the first is a collaborative jazz album that was recorded with Mark Isham, titled Bittersweet, which earned Ceberano a nomination at the 2009 ARIA awards; the second, an indie album with Dallas Cosmas, titled Dallas et Kate; and in November, Ceberano released her first Christmas album, simply titled Merry Christmas, which was certified gold. In 2010, Ceberano was crowned Queen of Moomba, while Molly Meldrum was crowned King. Ceberano launched a studio album in August 2013, recorded in London and titled Kensal Road, it was her first album of new material in ten years. The album was preceded by the single release "Magnet" and Ceberano toured nationally in October 2013. On 6 May 2016, her 3-disc Anthology album was released. On 15 April 2018, Ceberano performed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony. On 17 October 2018, Ceberano confirmed that she will reunite with I'm Talking, who will return to the stage in 2019 for to support Bryan Ferry's Australian tour. "I never, ever thought I'm Talking would reform and I'm a very optimistic person. The band split due to external pressures. So this reunion feels really good. Everything's amicable, we're all getting along. You learn a lot in hindsight. After 30 plus years things take on a treasured hue. You're not tired of the songs. They actually sound awesome. We are a time capsule." In 2019, Ceberano released Tryst with Paul Grabowsky. The album won the ARIA Award for Best Jazz Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 2019. In February 2021, Ceberano released Sweet Inspiration, her 17th studio and 28th career album. It includes ten cover versions and two original tracks. In May 2023, Ceberano released My Life is a Symphony with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Throughout 2025, Ceberano toured the Australian Made Live, which was extended into 2026. The live album Australian Made Live was released in August 2025. As of June 2026[update], she is one of only four Australian artists alongside AC/DC,