Dan Sultan
In-game article clicks load inline without leaving the challenge.
Daniel Leo Sultan is an Australian alternative rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, actor and author. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2010 he won Best Male Artist and Best Blues & Roots Album for his second album, Get Out While You Can (November 2009). At the 2014 ceremony he won Best Rock Album for Blackbird (April 2014), which had reached numberfour on the ARIA Albums Chart. In 2017, Sultan's record Killer was nominated for three ARIA awards: Best Male Artist, Best Rock Album, and Best Independent Release. Sultan's debut children's music album Nali & Friends was named Best Children's Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 2019.
Early life
Sultan is a Arrente/Gurindji man.
Sultan started playing guitar at four and wrote his first song at ten. His mother's friend gave him an "old, clapped-out electric guitar" and, when living in Fitzroy, he began singing at local pubs. In 2000 he met Scott Wilson, a guitarist, at a Williamstown pub's karaoke night and the pair began writing tracks together. Wilson later recalled "What struck me at first was that he could play piano and guitar and he was a great foil for what I was doing... After a while playing together he said, 'Can I sing this one?' I said, 'Do you know the words?'... [he had a] mighty voice. A lot of people can play guitar... Not many can sing like that."
Career
2006–2008: Homemade Biscuits
Sultan released his debut solo album, Homemade Biscuits on 13 March 2006, with most tracks written by Scott Wilson or co-written by Sultan and Scott Wilson. It was produced by Scott Wilson at Flowerpress Studios, Newport, and True Form Services, Spotswood. Other performers on the album were Lazare Agnekis, Neil Gray, Elijah Maiyah, Lochile McKlean and Ben Wicks. He received the financial assistance of John Butler's Seed program.
At the 2007 Deadly Awards, Sultan won the Single Release of the Year for "Your Love Is Like a Song", which was co-written with Wilson. He performed his self-written track, "Roslyn", at the National Sorry Day concert in May 2007, which describes his mother, a member of the stolen generation, removed from her family when she was six or seven.
Sultan and Wilson were invited by Paul Kelly to record a cover version of "This Land Is Mine", originally by singer-songwriter Kev Carmody, for a various artists tribute album of Carmody's work, Cannot Buy My Soul which was released in February 2007. They also performed at two concerts of the same name: the Sydney Festival in January 2008 and Queensland Music Festival in August 2009. In January 2008 Sultan's backing band consisted of Eugene Ball on trumpet, Ben Gillespie on trombone, Joshua Jones on bass guitar, Peter Marin on drums, Ash Naylor on guitar and Gina Woods on keyboards. Sultan and his band have performed at Australian music festivals.
2009–2013: Get Out While You Can
In November 2009, Sultan released his second studio album, Get Out While You Can, which peaked in the ARIA Albums Chart top100 in late May 2010 – six months after it was issued. It reached No.1 on the independent Australian charts and was a Triple J feature album. Sultan describes his music as "country soul rock'n'roll". At the ARIA Music Awards of 2010 he won Best Male Artist and Best Blues & Roots Album for Get Out While You Can. In October that year, he also won Best Independent Artist and Best Independent Blues & Roots Album at the Australian Independent Record Awards (AIR Awards).
2014–2018: Blackbird , Dirty Ground and Killer
In February 2014 Sultan supported Bruce Springsteen's Melbourne and Hunter Valley gigs on his Australian tour.
In April 2014, Sultan released his third studio album Blackbird, which reached No.4 on the ARIA Albums Chart and spent thirteenweeks in the Top50. At the ARIA Awards in November that year Blackbird won Best Rock Album. Also in November he released his first extended play, Dirty Ground, which reached the ARIA Albums top100. On 13 November 2015, Sultan released Open Live, a live album recorded at his sold-out National Theatre show of his Blackbird tour.
On 28 July 2017, Sultan's released his fourth studio album Killer, which was produced by Jan Skubiszewski. The album peaked at number 5 on the ARIA charts was nominated for three ARIA awards.
On 19 May 2018, Sultan released his collaborative EP titled Killer Under a Blood Moon which saw Sultan re-record songs from this Killer album with other Australian artists.
In June 2018, Sultan postponed the balance of a national tour after criticism of a live performance and issues with alcohol abuse.
2019–2022: Aviary Takes and Nali & Friends
In March 2019, Sultan released his fifth studio album Aviary Takes, which was preluded with the lead single "Love & Hate" released on 22 February 2019.
In April 2019, Sultan released his sixth studio and first children's album Nali & Friends. Produced by Jan Skubiszewski and released by ABC Music, Nali & Friends debuted at #1 on the Australian iTunes Children's charts, and was named Best Children's Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 2019.
Sultan published his first children's book, Nali (co-written with Rhys Graham), in December 2019.
2023: Signing with Unified and Dan Sultan
On 16 February 2023, it was confirmed that Sultan had signed with Unified Management, ahead of his single "Story", which was released on 23 February 2023.
In May 2023, Sultan announced the release of his self-titled seventh studio album, released on 18 August 2023. The album peaked at number 15 on the ARIA charts.
Other projects
Sultan made his screen debut in the 2009 feature film Bran Nue Dae, alongside Geoffrey Rush, Missy Higgins and Jessica Mauboy.
Sultan is a sometime member of Black Arm Band, a loose collection of various indigenous musicians. He was also involved in Paul Kelly's The Merri Soul Sessions project.
Personal life
Sultan married Bronnie Jane Lee and has two children.
On 28 February 2020, Sultan was charged with indecent assault by Victoria Police over a September 2008 incident in Melbourne. The charges led Sultan to withdraw from performing at the Perth Festival (which he was headlining), the Port Fairy Folk Festival (both scheduled to take place the following week), and the Parrtjima Festival in Alice Springs in April 2020. The charges were dropped by Victorian police and struck out during a hearing in Melbourne Magistrates Court in November 2020.
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| Homemade Biscuits | Released: 13 March 2006 Label: Dan Sultan (SULT001) Format: CD, digital download | — | |
| Get Out While You Can | Released: 6 November 2009 Label: Dan Sultan (SUL002) Format: CD, digital download | 90 | |
| Blackbird | Released: 4 April 2014 Label: Liberation (LMCD0238) Format: CD, digital download | 4 | ARIA: Gold |
| Killer | Released: 28 July 2017 Label: Liberation Format: CD, digital download | 5 | |
| Aviary Takes | Released: 15 March 2019 Label: Liberation Format: CD, digital download, streaming | 47 | |
| Nali & Friends | Released: 12 April 2019 Label: ABC Music Format: CD, digital download, streaming | 157 | |
| Dan Sultan | Released: 18 August 2023 Label: Liberation Music Format: CD, digital download, streaming | 15 | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Live albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Open Live | Released: 5 November 2015 Label: Liberation Format: digital download | — |
| Live at Tubowgule (Sydney Opera House) | Released: 20 March 2026 Label: Mushroom Format: LP, digital download | 59 |
Extended plays
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Dirty Ground | Released: 7 November 2014 Label: Liberation (LMCD0266) Format: CD, digital download | 66 |
| Killer Under a Blood Moon | Released: 18 May 2018 Label: Liberation (LRCD0002) Format: CD, digital download, streaming | 66 |
Singles
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Chart peak positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| "Your Love Is Like a Song" | 2006 | — | Homemade Biscuits |
| "Old Fitzroy" | 2010 | — | Get Out While You Can |
| "Letter" | — | ||
| "Running Away" (with The Verses) | — | non-album single | |
| "Under Your Skin" | 2013 | 110 | Blackbird |
| "The Same Man" | 2014 | 146 | |
| "Kimberley Calling" | — | ||
| "Dirty Ground" | — | Dirty Ground | |
| "Magnetic" | 2016 | — | Killer |
| "Hold It Together" | 2017 | — | |
| "Kingdom" | — | ||
| "Forever Now" (with Isabella Manfredi) | — | non-album single | |
| "Killer" (featuring Camp Cope) | 2018 | — | Killer Under a Blood Moon |
| "Reaction"(featuring Meg Mac) | — | ||
| "Love & Hate" | 2019 | — | Aviary Takes |
| "Nali" | — | Nali & Friends | |
| "Bwindi" | — | ||
| "Every Day My Mother's Voice"(with Paul Kelly) | — | Songs from the South: 1985–2019 | |
| "Tarred and Feathered" | 2021 | — | |
| "Story" | 2023 | — | Dan Sultan |
| "Won't Give You That" | — | ||
| "Wait Love" | — | ||
| "Took the Children Away" | — | Mushroom: Fifty Years of Making Noise (Reimagined) | |
| "Ringing in My Ears" | — | Dan Sultan | |
| "Fortress"(with Julia Stone) | — | ||
| "Do You See Me" | 2024 | — | |
| "Needing Love" | 2026 | — |
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Chart peak positions | Certifications | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS digital sales | ||||
| "Running Away" (with Verses) | 2010 | — | Seasons | |
| "January 26" (with A.B. Original) | 2016 | — | ARIA: Gold | Reclaim Australia |
| "I Never" (Strings version) (The Bamboos featuring Dan Sultan) | 2019 | — | By Special Arrangement | |
| "Gadigal Land" (with Midnight Oil featuring Joel Davison, Kaleena Briggs & Bunna Lawrie) | 2020 | 5 | The Makarrata Project | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Other appearances
| Title | Artist | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "This Land is Mine" | various artists | 2007 | Cannot Buy My Soul |
| "For My People" | Direct Influence | 2010 | War in My Kitchen |
| "Bran Nue Dae" | various artists | Bran Nue Day | |
| "Seeds That You Might Sow" | |||
| "Nyul Nyul Girl" | |||
| "Black Girl" | |||
| "Shark Attack"(with The Break) | He Will Have His Way | ||
| "Just Keep Walking" | INXS | Original Sin | |
| "Deanna" | various artists | 2012 | Straight to You – Triple J's Tribute to Nick Cave |
| "There Is a Kingdom"(with Kram & Lisa Mitchell) | |||
| "Get Ready for Love" | |||
| "Rattle Snake" | Way of the Eagle | 2013 | Rattle Snake |
| "Hold Back the Night" (with Ella Hooper) | various artists | RockWiz Volume 4 | |
| "With a Little Help from My Friends" (with Ella Hooper) | |||
| "Rumble, Young Man, Rumble" | Hilltop Hoods | 2014 | Walking Under Stars |
| "The Biggest Disappointment" | Missy Higgins | Oz | |
| "Don't Let a Good Thing Go" | Paul Kelly | The Merri Soul Sessions | |
| "When the Saints Go Marching In" | various artists | 2015 | Saints Unplugged |
| "Manjana" (with Emma Donovan) | Archie Roach | 2016 | Charcoal Lane: 25th Anniversary Collection |
| "The Wheels on the Bus" | Play School | Famous Friends: Celebrating 50 Years of Play School | |
| "Australia" | The Wiggles | 2018 | Wiggle Pop |
| "It's Important" | Damien Dempsey | Union | |
| "You're the One That I Want" | Delta Goodrem | I Honestly Love You | |
| "Fitzroy Crossing" | various artists | 2019 | Deadly Hearts 2 |
| "Into My Arms" | various artists | 2020 | Songs for Australia |
| "Change the Date" (with Gurrumul Yunupingu) | Midnight Oil | The Makarrata Project |
Notes
Awards and nominations
AIR Awards
The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | himself | Best Independent Artist | Won | |
| Get Out While You Can | Best Independent Album | Nominated | ||
| Best Independent Blues and Roots Album | Won | |||
| 2014 | Blackbird | Won | ||
| 2017 | "January 26" (with A.B. Original) | Best Independent Single/EP | Won | |
| 2018 | Killer | Best Independent Blues and Roots Album | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Killer Under a Blood Moon | Nominated | ||
| 2024 | Dan Sultan | Best Independent Blues and Roots Album or EP | Won |
APRA Awards
The APRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), "honouring composers and songwriters".
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | "Letter" (Dan Sultan, Scott Wilson) | Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2014 | "Under Your Skin" (Dan Sultan, Alexander Burnett, Pip Norman) | Song of the Year | Shortlisted | |
| 2015 | "Kimberley Calling" (Dan Sultan) | Nominated | ||
| "The Same Man" (Dan Sultan, Pip Norman) | Rock of the Year | Nominated | ||
| "Under Your Skin" (Dan Sultan, Alexander Burnett, Pip Norman) | Nominated | |||
| 2018 | "Hold It Together" (Dan Sultan, Alexander Burnett) | Song of the Year | Shortlisted | |
| 2019 | "Every Day My Mother's Voice" (with Paul Kelly) for The Final Quarter | Best Original Song Composed for the Screen | Won | |
| 2020 | "Every Day My Mother's Voice" (with Paul Kelly) | Song of the Year | Shortlisted | |
| 2021 | "Gadigal Land" by Midnight Oil featuring Dan Sultan, Joel Davison, Kaleena Briggs & Bunna Lawrie | Won | ||
| 2024 | "Story" | Song of the Year | Shortlisted |
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. Sultan has won 4awards from 18nominations.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Get Out While You Can | Best Male Artist | Won | |
| Best Blues & Roots Album | Won | |||
| Best Independent Release | Nominated | |||
| 2014 | Blackbird | Album of the Year | Nominated | |
| Best Male Artist | Nominated | |||
| Best Independent Release | Nominated | |||
| Best Rock Album | Won | |||
| Blackbird Album Tour | Best Australian Live Act | Nominated | ||
| 2017 | Killer | Best Male Artist | Nominated | |
| Best Rock Album | Nominated | |||
| Best Independent Release | Nominated | |||
| 2018 | Killer Under a Blood Moon | Best Male Artist | Nominated | |
| Best Adult Contemporary Album | Nominated | |||
| 2019 | Aviary Takes | Best Blues & Roots Album | Nominated | |
| Nali & Friends | Best Children's Album | Won | ||
| 2023 | Dan Sultan | Best Solo Artist | Nominated | |
| Best Adult Contemporary Album | Won | |||
| Best Independent Release | Nominated |
The Deadly Awards
The Deadly Awards, commonly known simply as The Deadlys, was an annual celebration of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. The ran from 1995 to 2013.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | himself | Most Promising New Talent | Won |
| 2007 | "Your Love is Like a Song" | Single of the Year | Won |
| 2010 | himself | Artist of the Year | Won |
| "Letter" | Single of the Year | Won |
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.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | himself | Double J Artist of the Year | Nominated |
Music Victoria Awards
The Music Victoria Awards, are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2005 (although nominee and winners are unknown from 2005 to 2012).
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | himself | Best Indigenous Act | Nominated | |
| 2014 | Blackbird | Best Album | Won | |
| Best Male Artist | Won | |||
| 2015 | himself | Best Indigenous Act | Nominated | |
| 2017 | himself | Best Male | Nominated | |
| Best Aboriginal Act | Nominated |
National Indigenous Music Awards
The National Indigenous Music Awards recognise excellence, innovation and leadership among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians from throughout Australia. They commenced in 2004.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | himself | Act of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2014 | himself | Artist of the Year | Nominated | |
| Blackbird | Album of the Year | Won | ||
| Cover Art of the Year | Won | |||
| "Under Your Skin" | Film Clip of the Year | Nominated | ||
| "The Same Man" | Song of the Year | Won | ||
| 2015 | himself | Artist of the Year | Won | |
| "Dirty Ground" | Film Clip of the Year | Nominated | ||
| Song of the Year | Nominated | |||
| 2016 | himself | Artist of the Year | Nominated | |
| Open LIVE – Live from the National Theatre, Melbourne | Album of the Year | Nominated | ||
| 2017 | himself | Artist of the Year | Nominated | |
| "Magnetic" | Film Clip of the Year | Nominated | ||
| "January 26" (with A.B. Original) | Won | |||
| Song of the Year | Won | |||
| 2018 | "Kingdom" | Nominated | ||
| Killer | Album of the Year | Nominated | ||
| 2019 | Avairy Takes | Nominated | ||
| 2024 | Dan Sultan | Album of the Year | Won |
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.
Screen Music Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | "Every Day My Mother's Voice" (with Paul Kelly) | Best Original Song Composed for the Screen | Won |
South Australian Music Awards
The South Australian Music Awards (previously known as the Fowler's Live Music Awards) are annual awards that exist to recognise, promote and celebrate excellence in the South Australian contemporary music industry. They commenced in 2012.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result (wins only) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | "January 26" (A.B. Original featuring Dan Sultan) | Best Song | Won | |
| Best Video | Won |
External links
- 7 March 2009 at theWayback Machine