BIO
"Sometimes it's hard to dream when you grow up thinking dreaming is not for you."
Small town…big voice.
From invisible to invincible.
Royston Noell may be the Australian Idol, but to the 400 people in the remote Far North Queensland community of Mapoon, he's already a hometown hero.
The moment Royston Noell begins to sing, it seems obvious he was destined to be on stage.
This young man has a voice that doesn't come around very often - captivating, soulful, and born to take your breath away. It's a gift that carried him to the top, becoming the first Australian Idol in over a decade. But despite his talent, Royston Noell – a proud Thanakwith and Wagadagam man - wasn't sure this life he dreamed of could ever be his.
"Growing up in Mapoon isn't like growing up in the city; my people hunt and fish and live off the community," explains Royston.
With a population of just 400, Mapoon isn't the kind of place you'd expect to find Australia's next great voice. It's a small indigenous town with limited opportunities, especially for a young kid who doesn't fit the mould.
"I was so different to everyone else; other kids wanted to be footy players or go fishing, but I knew I wanted more. Sometimes it's hard to dream when you grow up thinking dreaming is not for you."
But fate has a funny way of figuring things out; Royston grew up singing in church and at school, but it wasn't until his teacher at Western Cape College, Miss Alex handed him a copy of High School Musical, he discovered a world where he could be himself.
"She gave me the gift; I had grown up around music and always loved singing as a young boy, it showed me there was space to explore myself, yet I didn’t believe I could actually be a singer until this moment."
Music became a way of surviving; after coming out as queer in a tight-knit First Nations community, Royston learned to find resilience in song.
"To avoid homophobic slurs and being bullied, for the most part I suppressed my love of singing until about year 10. During this time, I was changing as a person. The more I started accepting and embracing myself, the more I didn’t care what people thought and started singing all the time. Embracing who I was, my sexuality, my story."
With soulful vocals, a powerhouse presence and an attitude that unashamedly celebrates loving the skin you're in, Royston attracted comparisons to Sam Smith, Beyonce and Adele during his time on Australian Idol.
"Sam Smith helped me through my journey, and Beyonce has always inspired me; they're both artists who empowered me."
Now Royston is finding that his own rise to the top has empowered other young people with an important message: If you can see it, you can be it.
"I've received hundreds of messages from young kids telling me my journey as a queer First Nations artist has helped them," says Royston.
"You can't underestimate the power of seeing somebody on TV that either looks like you, or has had the same experiences as you; it makes you feel less alone."
Following his Idol victory, Royston released the winner's single Invincible, a ballad perfectly suited to his style and story: never give up and never back down.
"I'm unapologetically myself, I've grown a thick skin, but it's taken a journey - it's not something that just happened overnight, and that's what Invincible means to me," says Royston.
“But seeing what it means to my fans has been life-changing; they’ve been telling me the song really resonates with them and reminds themselves that they’re invincible too.”
“Life is hard, and I think people need to remember that. We wake up every day, and we keep doing it because we're invincible.”
If anyone knows the power of perseverance, it's Royston Noell. Having conquered Australian Idol and blown the country away with his voice, heart and story, the next chapter is set to begin with the release of his long-awaited debut EP.
“I have an entirely different aspect of life compared to your average Australian, and I would love to invite the world into my community, my life and my story through my music.”
It's the story of a First Nations superstar from a tiny town who dared to dream even when the odds were against him.
He's the boy from the community who put Mapoon on the map.
Royston Noell has arrived, and the world is ready.