Emma Watkins | |
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![]() Watkins in 2018 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Emma Olivia Watkins |
Also known as |
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Born | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia [1] | 21 September 1989
Genres | Children's |
Occupation(s) |
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Instruments |
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Years active | 2010–present |
Labels | ABC Kids / ABC Music |
Formerly of | The Wiggles |
Spinoffs | Emma! |
Spouse(s) |
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Website | www |
Emma Olivia Watkins (born 21 September 1989) [2] is an Australian children's entertainer, singer, actress, and dancer, best known as a former member of the children's group the Wiggles from 2013 to 2021. She replaced Greg Page after the group's lineup changes and was the first female member of the group. Due to her popularity as a Wiggle, she received her own spinoff children's show called Emma!, which featured her in her yellow Wiggles outfit as a solo performer. She debuted her own children's entertainment character, Emma Memma, in 2022, releasing her first solo children's music album in September 2022. In early 2023, she released a book titled Hello, Emma Memma. An accompanying television series titled Emma Memma: Sing. Dance. Sign. is in development.
Watkins started ballet when she was four. She saw the Wiggles perform Irish dancing and later studied other styles of dance, including jazz, hip hop, tap and contemporary. She attended The McDonald College, a performing arts school, won a full scholarship at the Sydney Film School, and completed a certificate specialising in musical theatre at ED5 International in Sydney. Watkins earned a master's degree in Media Arts and Production at the University of Technology Sydney. She has taught dance to children since she was in high school. She has also performed in Bollywood films, learned drums and other percussion instruments, was crowned Miss Granny Smith Apples in 2009, and was learning Auslan, the Australian sign language, by 2012. [1] As of 2021, she was doing her PhD research on sign language and dance. [3]
In 2010, Watkins began performing with the Wiggles, first as Fairy Larissa and then as Wags the Dog, Dorothy the Dinosaur, and as a Wiggly Dancer. [1] [4] [5] She used her film skills during tours with the group, providing them with video and editing services. [1] In May 2012, the Wiggles announced that Watkins would become the first female Wiggle, replacing founding member Greg Page as the Yellow Wiggle. [4] The original members stated that they chose Watkins because she was the most qualified for the job, and commented that it was "a strategy for marketing the Wiggles into the next generation". [6]
Lisa Tolin of the Associated Press called Watkins a strong role model for girls, and reported that her fans came to concerts dressed like her and that they gave her homemade bows, which had become part of her signature look. [7] Because of her popularity, the company produced a new television series titled Emma!, featuring Watkins as a solo performer, which aired in 2015. [8] Up to 80% of the audience at Wiggles concerts would emulate her costuming and wear yellow; by 2021 it was estimated that 50% of the group's merchandising was specific to the "Emma" brand. [9]
In September 2019, it was announced that Watkins would host weekend afternoon programs on Sydney and Melbourne radio station smoothfm. [10] In October 2020, Watkins appeared in the music video for "Back 2 Back" by Samantha Jade. At the 2020 ARIA Music Awards in November, she joined an ensemble of Australian women singers to perform "I Am Woman" as a tribute to its singer and songwriter, Helen Reddy. [11]
It was reported through corporate filings that Watkins had acquired approximately 8% ownership of the Wiggles' brand as well as a company directorship in June 2018. [9] Watkins announced her departure from the Wiggles in October 2021 and was replaced by Tsehay Hawkins. [12] [13]
In early 2022, Watkins hinted at the introduction of a new children's entertainment character, Emma Memma, through her social media. [14] The new character was designed to incorporate elements of song, dance and sign language. [14] Toronto-based company Headspinner Productions announced their partnership with Watkins in July 2022 to debut the character in a new pre-school television series titled Emma Memma: Sing. Dance. Sign. [15] Watkins was appointed as an executive producer for the series, to be produced through her company Apricot Sea. [15] The series is expected to begin filming in early 2023 for release later in the year. [15] The character and its design were officially revealed in July; [16] music videos were subsequently released through YouTube. [15] In February 2023, Watkins released a book to go with her Emma Memma character, music and upcoming children's television series. The book was titled Hello, Emma Memma. [17] [18] [19]
During this period, Watkins competed on the fourth season of the Australian version of The Masked Singer as "Zombie" placing eighth. [20] [21] She also appeared as a celebrity contestant on the 2022 Lego Masters Australia Christmas special. [22] [23] Watkins provided the narration for the ABC children's series Reef School in 2022. [24] In June 2023, Watkins released another children's story book titled Emma Memma: How Are You? [25] as well as her first activity book that was called Emma Memma Sticker Activity Book. [26] Later that year, Watkins competed on the seventh season of The Amazing Race Australia with her sister, Hayley Watkins; tying equal first with Darren McMullen and nephew Tristan, and Alli Simpson and mother Angie. [27] In October 2023, she released her third kids story book, which was titled Emma Memma's Alphabet Day. [28] The book includes a fun little story involving Emma Memma as well as a page full of detailed illustrations presenting each letter of the alphabet in Auslan. [29] She also released her second activity book titled Emma Memma Craft Book. [30]
Watkins and fellow Wiggles performer Lachlan Gillespie were married on 9 April 2016 at Hopewood House in Bowral, New South Wales. [31] [32] On 3 August 2018, Watkins and Gillespie announced their separation. [33]
In April 2018, Watkins was forced to withdraw from several shows, suffering from pain caused by severe endometriosis. She underwent surgery after being diagnosed with Stage IV endometriosis. Her specialist, Professor Jason Abbott, believes that Watkins' speaking out about her diagnosis helped raise awareness of the condition. [34]
On 5 April 2021, Watkins announced her engagement to Oliver Brian, a musician who worked with the Wiggles. They had begun dating in December 2019. [35] On 2 May 2022, she and Brian were married. [36]
Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
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AUS [37] | ||
Emma Memma |
| 35 |
Ballet Time |
| - |
Twirly Tunes |
| - |
Title | Details |
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Days of the Week |
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Year | Title | Role | Notes | References |
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2022 | The Masked Singer | Zombie | Season 4 | [20] [21] |
Reef School | Narrator | [24] | ||
Lego Masters Australia Christmas special | Herself | Christmas special | [22] [23] | |
2023 | The Amazing Race Australia | Herself | Season 7 | [27] |
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. |
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2023 | Emma Memma | Best Independent Children's Album or EP | Nominated | [38] [39] |
2024 | Ballet Time | Best Independent Children's Album or EP | Nominated | [40] |
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | Emma Memma | Best Children's Album | Won | [41] |
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.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
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2024 | Emma Watkins | Special Impact Award | Pending | [42] |
The Wiggles are an Australian children's music group formed in Sydney in 1991. As of 2022, the group members are Anthony Field, Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce, Tsehay Hawkins, Evie Ferris, John Pearce, Caterina Mete and Lucia Field. The Wiggles were founded in 1991 by Field, Murray Cook, Jeff Fatt, Greg Page and Phillip Wilcher. Wilcher left the group after their first album. Page retired in 2006 due to ill health and was replaced by understudy Sam Moran, but returned in 2012, replacing Moran. At the end of 2012, Cook, Fatt and Page retired and were replaced by Gillespie, Pryce and Emma Watkins. Cook and Fatt retained their shareholding in the group and all three continued to have input into its creative and production aspects, while engaging in occasional reunion performances. Watkins departed the group in 2021, with the group subsequently adopting an expanded line-up of eight members.
Christine Anu is an Australian singer-songwriter and actress of Torres Strait Islander origin. She gained popularity with the cover song release of the Warumpi Band's song "My Island Home" in 1995. Anu has been nominated for many ARIA Awards, winning several, as well as five Deadly Awards, among others. In August 2024 she released a new album and single of the same name, Waku: Minaral a Minalay.
Gregory John Page, is an Australian singer, musician and actor. He is best known as the original lead singer and a founding member of the children's band the Wiggles from 1991 to 2006 and then again in 2012.
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Australian children's musical group the Wiggles have released sixty-two studio albums, three live albums, eleven compilation albums, two extended plays, thirty-eight singles, two audiobooks, four karaoke albums, fourteen digital albums, two tribute albums, one remix album and thirteen other albums featuring solo group members or characters. Eighteen of the group's albums have been certified by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) as Gold, Platinum and double Platinum. Three of their albums have reached the top 10 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
This is a list of videos released by the Wiggles. Re-releases that combine two or more videos into one are not counted.
Wiggly, Wiggly Christmas, released in 1996 by ABC Music distributed by EMI. It is the Wiggles' seventh album and the group's first Christmas album. It was made into a video the following year.
Dana Stephensen is an Australian ballet dancer. She is a soloist of The Australian Ballet.
Lachlan Gillespie is an Australian children's entertainer, singer, musician, and actor. He is a member of the Wiggles and wears the purple skivvy.
The Wiggles characters are a group of characters who perform with the Wiggles, the Australian children's music group. Aside from the eight Wiggles, four secondary characters, along with a troupe of singers, actors, and dancers, appear in their television series, videos, and live concerts. These characters were developed in the 1990s and were originally played by group members and by Anthony Field's brother Paul Field, the band's manager. Later in the group's history, the characters were played by hired actors dressed in the characters' costumes.
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Surfer Jeff is an album by the Wiggles, released in 2012, by ABC Music, distributed by Universal Music Australia. The album won the ARIA Award for Best Children's Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 2012. It was the first album to feature Greg Page back in the group's line-up since 2006, as well as the last to feature the original Wiggles line-up.
Och Aye the G'nu is a 2017 children's album credited to Australian singer-songwriter, Jimmy Barnes and the Wiggles. It was first mentioned by Anthony Field in the Wiggles' 25th anniversary feature interview. The album was released in March 2017 and peaked at number 34 on the ARIA Charts.
Toni Watson, known professionally as Tones and I, is an Australian singer, songwriter, and record producer. She is best known for her breakout single "Dance Monkey", which reached number one in over 30 countries including her home country Australia. In 2019–20, "Dance Monkey" completed 24 weeks at number one on the Australian singles chart, beating Bing Crosby's all-time Australian record for his version of "White Christmas", which spent an equivalent of 22 weeks at the top in 1943. "Dance Monkey" was certified 19× platinum by ARIA for shipments of over 1,330,000 units by June 2023.
The Big Red Car Ride was a dark ride that takes 6 guests at a time on a 120-metre (390 ft) car journey through the Wiggles' house. The house features Wag's Kennel, Henry's Underwater Big Band, and Dorothy's rosy garden. The attraction opened with Wiggles World on 17 September 2005 and closed on 12 August 2020.
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Lachlan "Lachy" Gillespie, 29, and Emma Watkins, 25, have taken their wiggly romance one step further, with Gillespie popping the question over the weekend.