Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish singer, songwriter, actor and television and radio presenter. He debuted in 1993 alongside Keith Duffy, Michael Graham, Shane Lynch, and Stephen Gately, as the co-lead singer of Irish pop group Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999 and he has recorded eleven albums. He gained worldwide attention when his single "When You Say Nothing At All" was featured in the film Notting Hill and reached number one in several countries. Keating currently hosts a breakfast show on Magic Radio.
"Carol of the Bells" is a popular Christmas carol, which is based on the Ukrainian song called "Shchedryk.” The music to “Carol of the Bells” was taken from the original Ukrainian song written by Mykola Leontovych while the English-language lyrics were written by Peter Wilhousky.
"Winter Wonderland" is a song written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith. Due to its seasonal theme, it is often regarded as a Christmas song in the Northern Hemisphere. Since its original recording by Richard Himber, it has been covered by over 200 different artists.
Irish pop singer Ronan Keating has released twelve studio albums, one compilation album and thirty-two singles. His solo career started in 1999 and has spawned nine albums. He gained worldwide attention when his single "When You Say Nothing at All" was featured in the film Notting Hill and peaked at number one in several countries. As a solo artist, he has sold over 20 million records worldwide alongside the 25 million records with Boyzone.
"When You Say Nothing at All" is a country song written by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz. It was a hit song for four different performers: Keith Whitley, who took it to the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart on December 24, 1988; Alison Krauss, whose version was her first solo top-10 country hit in 1995; Irish singer Frances Black, whose 1996 version became her third Irish top-10 single and brought the song to the attention of Irish pop singer Ronan Keating, whose 1999 version was his first solo single and a number-one hit in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and New Zealand.
"If Tomorrow Never Comes" is a song by American country music artist Garth Brooks. Written by Brooks and Kent Blazy, it was released in August 1989 as the second single from his album Garth Brooks and also appears on The Hits, The Limited Series and Double Live. This was his first number-one single on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. It is also sometimes referred to as his signature song. "If Tomorrow Never Comes" was named Favorite Country Single in the American Music Awards of 1991.
Frances Rose McIver is a New Zealand actress. She played Olivia "Liv" Moore in The CW supernatural comedy-drama series iZombie (2015–2019), Summer Landsdown the Yellow Ranger in Power Rangers RPM (2009), and Amber Moore in the romantic comedy film A Christmas Prince (2017) and its two sequels The Royal Wedding (2018), The Royal Baby (2019).
The MTV Australia Awards 2008 is the new title for the Australian MTV Awards previously known as the MTV Australia Video Music Awards. The show was held at Australian Technology Park in Redfern, Sydney on 26 April 2008 and aired live on MTV Australia and Fox8 on the Foxtel, Austar and Optus platforms in Australia and 28 April on Sky Digital in New Zealand.
The discography of Guy Sebastian, an Australian singer, consists of nine studio albums, one compilation album, one live album, three EPs and 54 singles, including six as a featured artist and four charity singles. Sebastian won the first series of Australian Idol in 2003, and gained a record deal with Sony BMG. He has released ten albums which peaked in the top six of the ARIA Charts, including three which reached number one. The first seven achieved either platinum or multi-platinum certification. He has also released twenty three top twenty singles in Australia, with fourteen reaching the top ten, including six number ones. Sebastian is the only Australian male artist in Australian chart history to achieve six number-one singles, and is third overall for all Australian acts with only Kylie Minogue and Delta Goodrem having achieved more. He has also reached the top ten of the New Zealand charts with an album and six singles, including two number ones. Sebastian has sixty-nine platinum and seven gold certifications in Australia, the highest number for an Australian Idol contestant. "Battle Scars", a collaboration with Lupe Fiasco, spent 20 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 71 and achieving platinum certification. It also reached number 2 in Norway.
Songs for My Mother is the fifth studio album released by Boyzone frontman and Irish singer/songwriter Ronan Keating. The album was released on 16 March 2009 on Polydor Records, and is his first album to be released since the reunion of Boyzone.
Stan Walker is an Australian-born New Zealand singer, actor, and television personality. In 2009, Walker was the winner of the seventh season of Australian Idol. He subsequently signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia. In December 2009, Walker released his debut studio album, Introducing Stan Walker, which included the hit single, "Black Box". The album debuted at number three on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). It also appeared on the New Zealand Albums Chart at number two and was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ).
Winter Magic is a Christmas album by Christchurch, New Zealand soprano Hayley Westenra. The album was called Christmas Magic in some territories, and was released in Japan as Winter Magic: Fuyu No Kagayaki – Koibito Tachi No Pure Voice. The album features traditional Christmas songs and more contemporary Christmas songs.
Duet is the seventh studio album by Irish singer-songwriter and Boyzone frontman Ronan Keating. It was produced by Greg Wells and features collaborations with Australian, New Zealand and international artists. It was released only in Australia and New Zealand on 12 November 2010.
Altijan Juric, best known by his stage name Altiyan Childs, is an Australian singer-songwriter. He was the winner of the second season of The X Factor Australia in 2010, and subsequently signed with Sony Music Australia.
Christmas traditions in New Zealand—like those in Australia—incorporate traditional Christian, British and North American Christmas traditions, including biblical and winter iconography, as well as modern and local customs. As New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere, the holiday falls during the summer months, so it is often celebrated outdoors with barbeques, picnics, and trips to the beach. New Zealand Christmas dishes include summer fruits and vegetables, a variety of locally-produced meats and seafood, and pavlova dessert. Pōhutukawa are displayed as well as the traditional Northern European tree. Christian church celebrations are held on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with carols and hymns sung in both English and Māori.
Julian Dennison is a New Zealand actor. He debuted in the 2013 film Shopping, for which he won the English Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actor. He is known for his roles as Ricky Baker in Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), the highest-grossing New Zealand film in history, as Russell "Firefist" Collins in Deadpool 2 (2018), and as Belsnickel in The Christmas Chronicles 2. In 2021, Dennison starred as Josh Valentine in Godzilla vs. Kong. and in 2023 he played the lead role in Uproar as Josh Waaka.
Marlon Williams is a New Zealand singer-songwriter, guitarist and actor based in Lyttelton, New Zealand. Primarily known as a solo artist, he works and tours with his backing band The Yarra Benders and first came to attention as front-man of The Unfaithful Ways and for his collaborative work with musician Delaney Davidson.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is a 2016 New Zealand adventure comedy-drama film written and directed by Taika Waititi, whose screenplay was based on the book Wild Pork and Watercress by Barry Crump. Sam Neill and Julian Dennison play "Uncle" Hector and Ricky Baker; a father figure and foster son who become the targets of a manhunt after fleeing into the New Zealand bush. Carthew Neal, Leanne Saunders, Matt Noonan, and Waititi produced the film.
Mainard Larkin is a rapper and recording artist.
Uproar is a 2023 New Zealand coming-of-age drama comedy film directed by Paul Middleditch and Hamish Bennett, and starring Julian Dennison, Minnie Driver and Rhys Darby. The screenplay was written by Bennett and Sonia Whiteman. It relates the story of a 17 year-old boy who is forced to clamber off the fence he has actively sat on all his life to stand up for himself, his family and his future. Uproar was released to critical acclaim.
