King Stingray
King Stingray, April 2023
Background information
Origin	NortheastArnhem Land, Australia
Genres	Indie rock pop-rock surf rock
Years active	2020–present
Labels	Bargain Bin Records,Cooking Vinyl Australia (2021–present)
Members	Roy Kellaway Dimathaya Burarrwanga Campbell Messer Lewis Stiles Ngalakan "Billy" Wanambi
Past members	Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu Yimila Gurruwiwi

King Stingray is an Australianrock band fromNortheast Arnhem Land in theNorthern Territory. With a sound self-described as "Yolŋusurf rock", the band perform songs with lyrics in both English andYolŋu Matha. As of December 2025^[update], the band consists of co-founding guitarist Roy Kellaway, vocalist and guitarist Dimathaya Burarrwanga, bassist Campbell Messer, drummer Lewis Stiles, and vocalist Ngalakan "Billy" Wanambi.

King Stingray released their debut single, "Hey Wanhaka", in October 2020, and theirself-titled debut album on 5 August 2022. Its follow-up,For the Dreams, was released on 8 November 2024. The band has both won and been nominated numerous awards, includingARIA Awards,AIR Awards, andNational Indigenous Music Awards.

Most members of the band are from northeastArnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia.^[1]

Several of the band's founding members have known one another since childhood, and have deep roots in eastArnhem Land music history. Former lead vocalist Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu is the nephew ofDr M. Yunupiŋu, and guitarist Roy Kellaway is the son ofStuart Kellaway, who were both founding members ofYothu Yindi.^[2] The pair grew up together on the same street in the community ofYirrkala – along with their neighbour and future bandmate Dimathaya Burarrwanga, the grandson ofWarumpi Band frontmanGeorge Burarrwanga.^[3][4][5] Through speaking various dialects within their community, both Yunupiŋu and Burarrwaŋa each learned how to speak a total of 17 languages.^[6] The trio, joined by bassist Campbell Messer, ultimately formed King Stingray in 2020.^[7] They signed toThe Chats' Bargain Bin Records that same year.^[7]

The band's debut single, "Hey Wanhaka", written by Yunupiŋu and Kellaway, was released in October 2020.^[2][7] In January 2021, King Stingray released "Get Me Out"; a song described byDouble J as "a tribute to the importance of home".^[8] According to a press statement, the song was written following a family member of the band getting lost inMelbourne when they were on tour with Yothu Yindi. The band said: "She had no phone, [and] Yolŋu style, she navigated her way back to us miraculously and we now laugh about it."^[9] Dan Condon from Double J wrote at the time that the song was "as catchy as it is stirring, and will no doubt help this new band continue to win the hearts of a broad range of music lovers."^[8] A few months later, Lewis Stiles joined the group as their official drummer, cementing the band's best-known line-up.^[10]

In August 2021, the band signed withCooking Vinyl Australia (a partner ofSony Music^[11]) and released "Milkumana", a song described bytriple j as being "about the power of passing on knowledge". The music video was filmed in the band's hometown of Yirrkala, and features tribal elders Mangatjay and Malŋay Yunupiŋu.^[12][13] In January 2022, both "Milkumana" and "Get Me Out" charted in thetriple j Hottest 100 at number 56 and 46, respectively.^[14]

In March 2022, King Stingray released "Camp Dog". The title refers to the dogs that wander the streets of Yirrkala.^[15] The following month, the band supportedMidnight Oil at the latter's final headlining show in Sydney on theirResist tour.^[16] In May 2022, King Stingray released the single "Let's Go" and announced theirdebut self-titled album. The album was released on 5 August 2022.^[17] In July 2022, King Stingray were featured on the cover ofNME Australia for an in-depth interview feature about their debut album, conducted by Torres Strait Islander journalist and former triple j newsreaderRhianna Patrick.^[6] In the same month, they did aLike a Version cover ofColdplay's "Yellow" using a combination of the original English lyrics as well asYolŋu Matha.^[18]

In October 2022, King Stingray released a cover ofMen at Work's "Down Under" as part of a new campaign forTourism Australia.^[19] Around this time,yidaki player Yimila Gurruwiwi became a full-time member of the band, expanding them to a six-piece.^[20][21] The band generated support from Australian Prime MinisterAnthony Albanese at the end of 2022, who chose "Get Me Out" as his favourite song of 2022 and wore a King Stingray t-shirt onAusmusic T-Shirt Day that same year.^[22]

In June 2023, King Stingray released "Lookin' Out".^[23] August 2023 saw the band win threeAIR Awards: Best Independent Rock Album or EP, Independent Album of the Year, and Breakthrough Artist of the Year.^[24] They were also winners at the 2023National Indigenous Music Awards and, along withWildfire Manwurrk, were the only groups to win more than one. King Stingray picked up the Film Clip of the Year and Song of the Year awards, both for "Let's Go".^[25] In December 2023, they performed as part of the ABC's New Year's Eve concert onSydney Harbour.^[26]

The group's second studio album,For the Dreams, was released in November 2024. Prior to its release, the band released several singles from it: "Through the Trees", "Best Bit", "Cat 5 (Cyclone)" and "Light Up the Path". The album notably featured Burarrwanga taking lead vocals on several songs, and assuming the role of co-frontman. That same year, the band appeared on theBluey albumRug Island with a new original song, "Octopus",^[27] and also returned to the ABC studios for their secondLike a Version – this time coveringRoyel Otis' "Oysters in My Pocket" with guest vocalistJem Cassar-Daley.^[28] This followed a successful tour in theUnited States, where they supported fellow Australian rock bandKing Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard.^[29]

In March 2025, the band announced that founding member Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu was officially no longer part of the band, having been absent from shows and press photos since the year prior with no acknowledgment.^[30] Fellow Yolŋu musician Ngalakan Wanambi, the grandson of Yirrkala artistNaminapu Maymuru-White,^[31] was simultaneously announced as their new vocalist. From late March to early April 2025, the band undertook theFor the Dreams national tour in various major cities across the country, with support fromBeddy Rays andThe Belair Lip Bombs.^[32][33] Later that year, Gurruwiwi also quietly departed from the band.

• Roy Kellaway – guitar, backing vocals (2020–present)
• Dimathaya "Dima" Burarrwanga – guitar, backing vocals,yiḏaki,bilma (2020–present), lead vocals (2024–present)
• Campbell Messer – bass, banjo, backing vocals (2020–present)
• Lewis Stiles – drums, backing vocals (2021–present)
• Ngalakan "Billy" Wanambi – yiḏaki, backing and lead vocals, bilma (2025–present)

• Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu – lead vocals, bilma (2020–2025; inactive 2024–2025)
• Yimila Gurruwiwi – yiḏaki, backing vocals (2022–2025)

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally asAIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.

TheAPRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by theAustralasian Performing Right Association (APRA), "honouring composers and songwriters". They commenced in 1982.^[52]

TheARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres ofAustralian music.

TheAustralian 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. It exists to discover, reward and promote new Australian music of excellence.^[69]

TheEnvironmental Music Prize is a quest to find a theme song to inspire action on climate and conservation. It commenced in 2022.^[72]

TheJ Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by theAustralian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio stationTriple J. The J Awards commenced in 2005.

TheNational Indigenous Music Awards recognise excellence, innovation and leadership among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians from throughout Australia. They commenced in 2004.

TheNational Live Music Awards (NLMAs) commenced in 2016 to recognise contributions to the live music industry in Australia.

TheRolling Stone Australia Awards are awarded annually in January or February by theAustralian edition ofRolling Stone magazine for outstanding contributions to popular culture in the previous year.^[92]

TheVanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition is an annual competition that "acknowledges great songwriting whilst supporting and raising money forNordoff-Robbins" and is coordinated byAlbert Music andAPRA AMCOS. It commenced in 2009.^[94]

• 2020 establishments in Australia
• APRA Award winners
• ARIA Award winners
• Australian surf rock groups
• Indigenous Australian musical groups
• Musical groups established in 2020
• Musical groups from the Northern Territory
• Yolngu

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