Missy Higgins | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Higgins performing at Bluesfest 2022 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Melissa Morrison Higgins (1983-08-19)19 August 1983 (age 42) Melbourne, Australia |
| Genres | |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter, musician |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels | |
Spouse | |
| Website | missyhiggins |
Melissa Morrison "Missy" Higgins (born 19 August 1983) is an Australiansinger-songwriter and musician. Her most popular singles include "Scar", "Steer", and "Where I Stood". Her Australian number-one albums areThe Sound of White (2004),On a Clear Night (2007) andThe Ol' Razzle Dazzle (2012). In 2018, she released a greatest hits album calledThe Special Ones.
Higgins was nominated for fiveARIA Music Awards in2004 and won Best Pop Release for "Scar". In2005, she was nominated for seven more awards and won five. Nominated for many more, Higgins won her seventh ARIA in2007 and two more in 2012, including Best Adult Contemporary Album forThe Ol' Razzle Dazzle.
Alongside her music career, Higgins pursues interests inanimal rights and the environment, endeavouring to make her tourscarbon neutral. In 2009, she made her acting debut in the music feature filmBran Nue Dae and also performed on its soundtrack.
Melissa Morrison Higgins was born inMelbourne on 19 August 1983 to Christopher Higgins, an English-Australiangeneral practitioner, and Margaret (née Morrison), an Australianchildcare centre operator.[1][2] Her sister, Nicola, is seven years older and her brother, David, six years older.[2] Higgins learned to play classical piano from age six, following in the footsteps of Christopher and David, but realised she wanted to be a singer at about 12, when she appeared in anArmadale Primary School production ofAndrew Lloyd Webber's musicalJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.[3] Bored with practice, she gave up playing piano at that time.[4]
Hoping for more freedom, she urged her parents to send her toGeelong Grammar School, an independent boarding school that her siblings attended. At Geelong, Higgins took up the piano again, this time playingjazz and performing with her brother David's group on weekends.[5] Introverted by nature, Higgins found that piano practice helped her cope with living atboarding school.[4]
At 15, while attending Geelong Grammar'sTimbertop, she wrote "All for Believing" for a school music assignment, completing it just hours before the deadline.[6] The assignment earned an A and she performed her song in front of classmates. She approached a Melbourne record company and was told that they wanted more than one song.[4] She wrote more songs and worked with theKool Skools project, which enables students to record music.[7]
In 2001, Missy's sister Nicola entered "All for Believing" on her behalf inUnearthed, radio stationTriple J's competition for unsigned artists. The song won the competition and was added to the station's playlist.[8]
Two record companies showed an interest in Higgins—Sony andEleven.[4] She signed with Eleven, partly because they agreed that she would not be "made into a pop star"[9] and partly because they were happy for her to take time off for abackpacking holiday.[4] Higgins'smanager is Eleven's John Watson, who also managed rock bandSilverchair.[1] Watson later disclosed that "Missy's the only time in my career I knew after 90 seconds I really wanted to sign her."[10] The backpacking trip had been planned with a friend for years and the pair spent most of 2002 in Europe; while Higgins was travelling, "All for Believing" started to receive airplay onLos Angeles radio stationKCRW.[11] Such radio exposure attracted the attention of American record labels and, by year's end, an international recording deal withWarner Bros. had been negotiated.[12]
Higgins was the support act on a 2003 Australian tour by folk rock bandThe Waifs and rock bandgeorge.[12] She travelled to the US to work withJohn Porter, whoproduced her firstEP,The Missy Higgins EP,[13] which was released in November and entered theAustralian Recording Industry Association (ARIA)Singles Chart Top 50 in August 2004.[14]
She toured Australia, supportingPete Murray andJohn Butler Trio.[15] Her four-track single "Scar" was released in July 2004 and debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Charts.[14][16] Her first album,The Sound of White, was released in September, and debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart.[14] Also produced by Porter, it sold over 500,000 copies.[17] She was nominated in five categories at theARIA Music Awards of 2004 for "Scar": Best Female Artist', 'Single of the Year', 'Best Pop Release', 'Breakthrough Artist – Single' and 'Best Video' (directed by Squareyed Films).[18] At the awards ceremony on 17 October, she received the award for Best Pop Release, beatingDelta Goodrem,The Dissociatives,Kylie Minogue and Pete Murray.[18] This was followed by her first national headline tour.[19] Her second single "Ten Days" was co-written with Jay Clifford (guitarist in US bandJump, Little Children) and was inspired by Higgins's 2002 break-up with her boyfriend before she travelled to Europe.[20] Released in November, it peaked at No. 12.[14]
On 29 January 2005, Higgins performed with other local musicians includingNick Cave andPowderfinger at theWaveAid fundraising concert in theSydney Cricket Ground.[21] The concert raised A$2.3 million for four charities supporting the victims of the2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.[22] In March Higgins performed at theMTV Australia Awards and won the prize for 'Breakthrough Artist of the Year'.[23] The following month she released her third single, "The Special Two", which was a radio hit and reached No. 2.[14] "The Special Two" was released and included hercover of theSkyhooks song, "You Just Like Me Cos I'm Good in Bed", recorded forTriple J's 30th anniversary. The song had been the first track played on Triple J when it launched (as Double J) in 1975.[24] In May, Higgins won the 'Song of the Year' and 'Breakthrough' awards for "Scar" from theAustralasian Performing Right Association (APRA).[25] She continued touring in mid-2005 and released her fourth single, "The Sound of White", in August.[14] In September she played a sold-out performance at the Vanguard in Sydney with the proceeds going to charity.[26] She was nominated for seven moreARIAs and in October won 'Album of the Year', 'Best Pop Release', 'Breakthrough Artist – Album' and 'Highest Selling Album' (all forThe Sound of White) and 'Best Female Artist' (for "Scar").[27] She teamed up with fellow ARIA award-winning singerBen Lee in late 2005 for a national tour.[28]
During 2006, Higgins lived inBroome, Western Australia for six months, away from the entertainment industry. The relaxed lifestyle helped her focus on writing new material.[29] The landscape made a big impression, "It was the first place I'd ever felt honestly connected with my country, with the physical land of my country" and inspired her to write "Going North".[30] She then toured the United States and South Africa, writing more material on the road.[31] In September she based herself in Los Angeles to record her second album,On a Clear Night, with producerMitchell Froom.[32][33] "Steer" was released on 14 April 2007, followed a fortnight later by its album on 28 April 2007, both debuted at No. 1 on their respective charts.[14]
In February, Higgins had contributed atribute song to the album,Cannot Buy My Soul, for notedindigenous singer,Kev Carmody, singing "Droving Woman" with musicianPaul Kelly and groupAugie March.[34] On 7 July, she participated in theLive Earth concert in Sydney, performing her own set before joining Carmody, Kelly and vocalistJohn Butler on stage for the song "From Little Things Big Things Grow".[35] Emily Dunn inThe Sydney Morning Herald wrote "[the song] could have been the event's anthem".[36]Rolling Stone's Dan Lander pointed out a highlight, when the "whole crowd sung along – all eleven verses."[37]
Higgins returned to Los Angeles to focus on the US market—she spent September and October touring—where she was still relatively unknown.[38] On 26 October, backed by theSydney Youth Orchestra, she headlined the annual Legs 11 concert, a breast cancer benefit held inThe Domain,Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.[39] Two days later Higgins performed at the2007 ARIAs where she was nominated for 'Best Pop Release', 'Highest Selling Album' and 'Highest Selling Single' (for "Steer") and won 'Best Female Artist' (forOn a Clear Night)—her seventh ARIA Music Award.[40] On 31 October, she was a guest at television music channelMAX's inaugural Concert for the Cure, a private concert for people affected by breast cancer. She sang headline act Powderfinger's "Sunsets" with front manBernard Fanning and joined in with the encore of "These Days".[41][42] She spent November and December on her For One Night Only Tour, taking in Cairns, Sydney and Perth.You Am I lead singer,Tim Rogers, joined her on some shows.[43]
On a Clear Night, was released in the US on 26 February 2008, supported by a tour in March. Her ten-month stay in Los Angeles during 2008 promoted her songs for films and television shows.[32][44] Her first US single "Where I Stood" was featured in US series includingSmallville,Grey's Anatomy,Ghost Whisperer,One Tree Hill andSo You Think You Can Dance.[45] During 2008, Higgins supported theIndigo Girls and thenBen Folds on their respective US tours.[46] February and March 2009 saw her co-headlining a US tour with CanadianJustin Nozuka.[47] On 31 March 2009 she released "More Than This" which was recorded as part ofCovered, A Revolution in Sound, a Warner Bros. tribute album also released in March 2009.[48]
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Higgins started writing music for her third album in 2009.[49] After about seven years of touring and recording she took a break from the music industry to pursue other interests.[50] In 2010 she enrolled in a course in indigenous studies at theUniversity of Melbourne.[51] Her acting debut was as Annie in 2009 filmBran Nue Dae directed byRachel Perkins. The film is an adaptation of the 1990 musicalBran Nue Dae, "Australia's firstAboriginal musical".[52] Although Higgins would consider future acting projects, she had no plans to actively pursue it as a career.[49][53]
In July and August 2010, Higgins played several dates ofSarah McLachlan'sLilith Fair tour in the US.[54][55] At Lilith Fair, she met Australian musicianButterfly Boucher and they decided to work together. In 2011, Higgins travelled to where Boucher was living inNashville to record her third album, which is co-produced by Boucher and Brad Jones.[56] TitledThe Ol' Razzle Dazzle, the album was released on 1 June 2012.[57] Its first single, "Unashamed Desire", co-written with Boucher, was released on 23 April.[58] In November 2011, at theARIA Music Awards, Higgins performed a duet of "Warwu" withGeoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, from hisRrakala album.[59]
"The Ol' Razzle Dazzle" album debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart the week of 12 June 2012. It was Higgins' 3rd straight number one album. As of January 2019, Higgins ties Olivia Newton-John for the 3rd highest tally of Australian Number One albums by an Australian female artist. Only Delta Goodrem (with four Number 1 ARIA albums) and Kylie Minogue and Kasey Chambers (with five each) have achieved more.
In September 2014, Higgins released her fourth studio album,Oz, which features cover versions of Australian composers, including The Angels, Slim Dusty, Something For Kate, Warumpi Band, Paul Kelly andThe Drones. The album is also accompanied by a book of related essays, in which Higgins uses each of the recordings to reflect upon subjects such as music and love.[60] Higgins collaborated withDan Sultan for the recording of the Slim Dusty song "The Biggest Disappointment".[61]
Higgins explained in an October 2014 interview that she experienced a significant bout of writer's block following the completion of her second album and someone suggested an album of cover versions at the time, but she only revisited the idea during the conception ofOz. Higgins further explained:
I responded to all these songs on an emotional level, when I first heard them. I wanted songs I felt I could tell with my own voice, and interpret them authentically ... But it was important to maintain the emotional integrity and the heart of the song. It was a high priority to keep true to the songs.[61]
The album was co-produced by Jherek Bischoff, who previously worked withDavid Byrne, formerly ofTalking Heads, andAmanda Palmer.[62]
Oz debuted at number 3 on the ARIA Albums chart[63] and remained in the top five positions until 18 October 2014.[64]
The national Australian tour in support ofOz commenced on 20 September 2014 inCairns, Queensland, and ended in Melbourne in October 2014. Higgins was accompanied by Bischoff, and Australian artistDustin Tebbutt appeared as a special guest.[62]
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On 19 February 2016, Higgins released a new single titled, "Oh Canada",[65] in her response to thedeath of Alan Kurdi.
In May 2017, Higgins released "Torchlight", for the Australian drama film,Don't Tell.[66]
In October 2017, Higgins appeared in a revival of the 1996 musicalMiracle City byNick Enright andMax Lambert at theSydney Opera House, playing the role of Bonnie Mae.[67]
In February 2018, Higgins released the single "Futon Couch", the first single from her fifth studio album, calledSolastalgia, released in May 2018.[68]
In February 2018, it was announced that Missy Higgins would supportEd Sheeran's tour around Australia.[69]
In November 2018, Higgins released her first greatest hits album titledThe Special Ones.[70] A stand-alone single, "When the Machine Starts", was released in November 2020;[71] a second, "Edge of Something", was released in October 2021.[72]
In October 2019, new music by Higgins featured in the Australian television seriesTotal Control.[73] This would later serve as the basis of a mini-album, also titledTotal Control, that Higgins released on 4 March 2022.[74]
On 23 February 2024, Higgins released "You Should Run", the lead single from her forthcoming sixth studio album.[75] The album, titledThe Second Act, was released on 6 September 2024.[76][77] The album was written in the wake of the breakup of her marriage in December 2021, and the songs deal with the sadness associated with this event.[78]
Higgins grew up in the 1980s and 1990s listening to artists that her older siblings liked—Nicola playedMariah Carey andWhitney Houston, while David favouredQueen andKiss.[79][80] Departing for boarding school at age 13, she was exposed toalternative artists likeNirvana andHole and started teaching herself guitar and writing her own music.[80] She also began singing with David's jazz group on weekends. As an adult she prefersNina Simone andRay Charles to "poppy dance music".[80] She has citedPatty Griffin,Ron Sexsmith,Rufus Wainwright,Paul Kelly andSarah McLachlan as influences.[4][49][81] Material from her third album is influenced byambient music fromLow,Jon Hopkins, Icelandic bandSigur Rós and Estonian classical composerArvo Pärt.[49]
Higgins's songwriting grew out of a desire to express her emotions when she was at school, and her lyrics describe her feelings about her own life and relationships.[82][83] The piano was the first instrument she learned to play, and she continues to use it as well asdigital pianos, including aRoland RD-300SX, RD-700 and KR-15.[84][85] She also uses guitars extensively in her music—particularly when touring, due to their portable nature—and favours the Australian brandMaton.[85] On occasion, she playskeytar,xylophone andmelodica during performances.[30][86]
On 7 September 2012, Higgins recorded acover version ofGotye's "Heart's A Mess" for the "Like a Version" segment on Australian radio stationTriple J, explainingon-air that the song is her favourite Gotye composition. Higgins had travelled with Gotye previously and referred to him as "an incredible singer" in the interview prior to the rendition.[87]
In the 2020 Australian documentary filmSlim and I, directed byKriv Stenders, Higgins paid tribute to the influence on her life and career of acclaimed Australian country music singer-songwriter coupleSlim Dusty andJoy McKean. The film features interviews and covers of McKean songs by acclaimed contemporary artists including Higgins (The Biggest Disappointment),Keith Urban,Paul Kelly, andTroy Cassar-Daley.[88][89]
She has also been a creative inspiration for a number of Artists includingGretta Ray,Angie McMahon,G Flip andAmy Shark[90]
Higgins has been active and vocal about many issues including climate and environmental issues, animal welfare, female empowerment, refugees and Indigenous issues. These issues have been influential to her works throughout her career.
Higgins has been a longtime advocate for the environment and has actively participated in many environmental initiatives and events aimed at raising awareness on climate change and environmental issues. She is currently a patron of Green Music Australia, which aims to harness the cultural power of music to create a greener and safer planet.[91]
From her early tours such as herOn A Clear Night tour, Higgins has aimed for her tours to becarbon neutral,[92][93][94][95] and she was named one of Billboard magazine's 2007 Top 10 Green Artists.[96] She also contributed to Green Music Australia and Creative Victoria's 2022 initiative 'Sound Country: A Green Artist Guide' which aims to provide a practical framework for touring musicians to implement sustainable solutions.[97]
Higgins has also participated in many environmental fundraising and donation campaigns including theSierra Club's 2009 2% Solution Campaign where she made her song "Where I Stood" available for free to those who pledged to decrease their carbon output by 2% .[44][98][99] Higgins also donated royalties from her 2009 "More Than This"[100] to the Save the Kimberley organisation[101][102] focused on conservation of Western Australia'sKimberley Region; an area which Higgins is passionate about protecting from industrialisation.[103] In October 2012, Higgins also performed at two "Save the Kimberley" events held atFederation Square in Melbourne and The Esplanade in Fremantle, Western Australia;[104][105] march to protest against the proposed gas refinery construction at James Price Point accompanied the free concert and campaign supporters were photographed with banners and placards.[106]
Higgins was among 21 artists to write and record music for the album 'Sounds for the Reef'[107] which raised funds for legal action against plans to turnQueensland'sAbbot Point into one of the world's largest coal ports and the decision to allow dredging near theGreat Barrier Reef.[108][109] The album's 21 songs were sold on theBandcamp website.[110][111]
Higgins also vocally protested against theAdani coal mine in 2017, writing an open letter to the former Australian Opposition LeaderBill Shorten and former Australian Attorney-GeneralMark Dreyfus, and donating time to narrating two campaign videos[112] and the #StopAdani Roadshow Opener.[113]
Climate change played a large role in the creation of the music[114] for her 2018 album 'Solostalgia', which was named for a kind of distress brought on by environmental changes close to home.[115] The album is also influenced by the feeling of climate grief and climate anxiety.[116]
Higgins has been a vegetarian for many years after being introduced to the idea by an ex-boyfriend[117] and wanted to do something for animals rights after reading 'Eating Animals' byJonathan Safran Foer. She helped promote the 2005People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)[118] advertising campaign and has supported their anti-fur stance.[44]
In 2012, Higgins voiced a series of radio advertisements organised by the groupAnimals Australia in a campaign to put an end to battery-hen egg production in Australia.[119][120] Higgins was one of numerous publicly known advocates for the 'Oscar's Law' campaign. The campaign, launched in 2010, protests against the existence of "puppy factories" in Australia, whereby animals are factory farmed. One of the campaign's slogans was "Break the Puppy Trade—Don't buy puppies from pet shops" and the list of notable advocates includedPaul Dempsey,Kate Ceberano andMick Molloy.[121]
Higgins has also performed at animal welfare and conservation related fundraising and awareness concerts.This includes kicking off Animal Australia's 2013 event 'Animal Matters' with a performance of 'Hidden Ones',[122][123] and performing atMelbourne Zoo's Twilights concert in 2012,[124] 2013[125] and the 2020[126] where proceeds from the event went to conservation efforts and aims to save threatened species.
In 2016, Missy Higgins released "Oh Canada", which was written from the perspective of the refugee father ofAlan Kurdi,[127][128] a two-year-old Syrian boy who drowned while fleeing to Europe. All of the song's net profits went to theAsylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC),[129] and Higgins performed the song during the ASRC telethon held on World Refugee Day.[129] In 2017 Higgins was announced as a new ASRC Ambassador[129] and in 2018 appeared on ABC's Q&A program and expressed her views on the Australian Government's treatment of asylum seekers.[130]
Higgins also featured in the 2022 documentary 'Scattered People: A Song Can Take You Home'[131][132] presented by the ASRC and Being Reel Films, along with other Australian Musicians.[131]
Rolling Stone Australia called Higgins's soundtrack for the second season of theABC dramaTotal Control an "outspoken fight for equality",[133] and the work was inspired byGrace Tame andBrittany Higgins and the2021 Australian Parliament House sexual misconduct allegations,[134] with themes of exploitation and female empowerment. The album was about taking control as a woman,[135] with songs like 'I Take It Back' which was written about reclaiming story, identity and power as a woman.[136]
In 2021, Higgins appeared on the panel ofABC'sQ&A Season Finale 'Power, Protests and Parliament' and discussed her views on the behaviour ofAustralian Parliament in relation to women in parliament, advice for young women who want to move into the music industry and the power imbalance of the music industry.[137]
Higgins also headlined the all-female festival tour Wildflower[138][139] in 2022 alongsideKate Miller-Heidke,Kasey Chambers,Sarah Blasko,Deborah Conway,Thornbird andAlice Skye in order to celebrate women and the return of the live scene.[138][140]
Generational strength has also been a motivator for Higgins, wanting to show her daughter how to be a strong, independent woman.[134][141]
Higgins undertook an Indigenous Studies[142] course at the University of Melbourne[143] and has been a supporter ofIndigenous Australian peoples. In 2007 she joined theOxfam Australia 'Close the Gap' campaign[144] and recorded a cover of 'Droving Woman' withAugie March on the tribute album toKev Carmody, an Aboriginal Australian singer-songwriter and musician. In 2008, Higgins collaborated on a re-release of the song "From Little Things Big Things Grow" along withTim Levison and others.[145] The song begins with a sample from the2008 Formal Apology to the Stolen Generations made by former Australia Prime MinisterKevin Rudd.[145]
When discussing theIndigenous Voice to Parliament, Higgins stated that First Nations people have never been treated as equals and have been oppressed as a people.[137]
Higgins mentioned that her albumTotal Control was partly inspired by strongFirst Nations women who she knew[135][133] and in an interview withRolling Stone Australia, Higgin's was quoted saying "Australian First Nations people have to cop so much every day and they're still surviving in a country that refuses to acknowledge our history.".[133]
Higgins has also been involved in other charitable works throughout her career.
All proceeds from her 2015 charity show at Sydney's 'The Vanguard' were donated[146] to the One In Five Foundation, a Melbourne charity supporting research into mental health.[146]
In 2020, along withTim Minchin, Higgins gave her support to theFred Hollows Foundation[147] with the collaborative song "Carry You" which was adapted to the foundation's 2020 campaign to encourage people to carry onFred Hollows's legacy of ending avoidable blindness.[148][149] She also performed the song with Minchin at the streamed charity concertMusic from the Home Front which paid tribute to theAustralian and New Zealand Army Corps and workers on the frontline ofCOVID-19 pandemic responses.[150][151] Proceeds from the album of the same name went towards the music crisis charity Support Act.[152]
In 2022, Higgins headlined theNine Network telethon concert in support of the Children's Hospital Foundation,[153][154] raising funds for medical research, equipment and support services for young patients and their families. Higgins also joined theAustralian Red Cross eventAustralia Unites: Red Cross Flood Appeal along with other Australian artists[155][156][157] in order to raise funds for victims of the2022 eastern Australia floods.
Higgins has been a patron of multiple mental health charities since 2003. She described her younger self asintroverted, and that she had "experienced various degrees of depression" from childhood onwards.[13][158] Prescribedantidepressant medication while in high school, she learned to channel low moods into songwriting, calling music her "emotional outlet".[2][79] In a 2006 interview she said that her songs were "coming from more of a happier place".[159] While recording her second album, she discovered a passion forrock climbing, as a "meditative pursuit"[160][79]
From 2004 to 2007, Higgins's sexual orientation was the subject of media speculation based partly on interpretations of her lyrics and her interviews. In an October 2007 interview with Australian lesbian magazineCherrie, she was asked if she fell under themoniker of "not-so-straight" girls. She replied "Yeah, definitely. ... I think sexuality is a fluid thing and it's becoming increasingly more acceptable to admit that you're that way."[161] In November 2007, herMyspace page and website reported, "I've been in relationships with both men and women so I guess I fall most easily under the category 'Bisexual'."[162][163][164] In 2024 it was revealed that she had had a relationship with her female tour manager during those early years.[78]
In 2013, Higgins began a relationship with Broome playwright and comedian Dan Lee.[165][166] Higgins gave birth to a son in 2015.[167] Higgins and Lee were married in March 2016,[168][169] and she gave birth to a daughter in August 2018.[170]
In early 2022, Higgins and Lee separated amicably.[171] The songs on her 2024 album,The Second Act, were written during and following the breakup. She spoke at some length about her career and relationships onAustralian Story in August 2024.[78]
On 26 July 2025, "Scar" was voted to 4th place inTriple J'sHottest 100 of Australian Songs.[172]
TheAPRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA).[173] Higgins has won two awards from twelve nominations.[174][175]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | "Scar" (Missy Higgins,Kevin Griffin) – Missy Higgins | Song of the Year[174] | Won | |
| "Ten Days" (Missy Higgins, Jay Clifford) – Missy Higgins | Song of the Year[176] | Nominated | ||
| Missy Higgins | Breakthrough Award[175] | Won | ||
| 2006 | "The Special Two" (Missy Higgins) – Missy Higgins | Song of the Year[177] | Nominated | |
| Most Performed Australian Work[177] | Nominated | |||
| "Ten Days" (Missy Higgins, Jay Clifford) | Most Performed Australian Work[177] | Nominated | ||
| 2013 | "Everyone's Waiting" (Missy Higgins and Daniel Wilson) | Song of the Year[178] | Shortlisted | |
| "Set Me On Fire" (Missy Higgins, Butterfly Boucher and Daniel Wilson) | Shortlisted | |||
| 2017 | "Oh Canada" | Song of the Year[179] | Shortlisted | |
| 2020 | "Carry You" (Tim Minchin) – Missy Higgins | Best Original Song Composed for the Screen[180] [181] | Nominated | |
| "Edge of Something" (Higgins,Antony Partos,Matteo Zingales) – Missy Higgins | Nominated | |||
| "Arrows" | Song of the Year[182] | Shortlisted | ||
| 2021 | "Carry You" (Tim Minchin) – Missy Higgins | Song of the Year[183] | Nominated | |
| 2022 | "Bloody Game" fromTotal Control | Best Original Song Composed for the Screen[184] | Nominated | |
| 2023 | "Edge of Something" | Song of the Year[185] | Shortlisted | |
| 2025 | "The Second Act" | Song of the Year | Nominated | [186] |
| Most Performed Alternative Work | Nominated |
TheARIA Music Awards are presented annually from 1987 by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Higgins has won eleven awards, including a hall of fame induction.[187][188]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "Scar" | Single of the Year | Nominated |
| Best Female Artist | Nominated | ||
| Breakthrough Artist – Single | Nominated | ||
| Best Pop Release | Won | ||
| "Scar" – Squareyed Films | Best Video | Nominated | |
| 2005 | The Sound of White | Album of the Year | Won |
| Best Female Artist | Won | ||
| Highest Selling Album | Won | ||
| Breakthrough Artist – Album | Won | ||
| Best Pop Release | Won | ||
| The Sound of White – Cathie Glassby | Best Cover Art | Nominated | |
| "The Special Two" | Single of the Year | Nominated | |
| Highest Selling Single | Nominated | ||
| 2006 | If You Tell Me Yours, I'll Tell You Mine | Best Music DVD | Nominated |
| 2007 | On a Clear Night | Best Female Artist | Won |
| Best Pop Release | Nominated | ||
| Highest Selling Album | Nominated | ||
| "Steer" | Highest Selling Single | Nominated | |
| 2008 | "Peachy" | Best Female Artist | Nominated |
| 2012 | The Ol' Razzle Dazzle | Nominated | |
| Album of the Year | Nominated | ||
| Best Adult Contemporary Album | Won | ||
| "Everyone's Waiting" –Natasha Pincus | Best Video | Won | |
| 2013 | "Set Me on Fire" | Best Female Artist | Nominated |
| 2018 | Solastalgia | Best Adult Contemporary Album | Nominated |
| 2022[189] | Total Control | Nominated | |
| 2024[190] | The Second Act Tour 2024 | Best Australian Live Act | Won |
| Herself | Hall of Fame | inducted | |
| 2025[191] | The Second Act | Album of the Year | Nominated |
| Best Solo Artist | Nominated | ||
| Best Adult Contemporary Album | Won | ||
| Best Video | Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore for Missy Higgins – "Craters" | Nominated |
TheAustralian Women in Music Awards is an annual event that celebrates outstanding women in theAustralian Music Industry who have made significant and lasting contributions in their chosen field. They commenced in 2018.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025[192][193] | Missy Higgins | Songwriter Award | Won |
| Artistic Excellence Award | Nominated |
TheEG Awards (known asMusic Victoria Awards since 2013) are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2006.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007[194] | Missy Higgins | Best Female | Won |
| 2014[195][196] | Nominated |
TheHelpmann Awards is an awards show, celebrating live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry groupLive Performance Australia since 2001.[197] Note: 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Missy Higgins | Best Performance in an Australian Contemporary Concert | Nominated | [198] |
| Best Australian Contemporary Concert | Nominated | |||
| 2017 | Missy Higgins Orchestral Concert Series 2016 | Nominated | [199] |
TheJ Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by theAustralian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio stationTriple J. They commenced in 2005.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Missy Higgins | Double J Artist of the Year | Won | [200][201] |
TheMTV Australia Video Music Award were presented annually from 2005 to 2009 byMTV Australia.[23][202]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Missy Higgins | Best Female | Nominated |
| Best Breakthrough | Won | ||
| Supernova Award | Nominated | ||
| 2006 | "The Special Two" Missy Higgins | Best Female Artist | Nominated |
TheMelbourne Prize for Music is a financial prize, founded in 2004 by Simon H. Warrender, and awarded to music every three years.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Missy Higgins | Melbourne Prize Trust | awarded | [203][204] |
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.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | The Second Act | Best LP/EP | Shortlisted | [205] |
| Missy Higgins | Best Live Act | Shortlisted |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link){{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)) Note: [on-line] version established atWhite Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd in 2007 and was expanded from the 2002 edition.
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|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |