Royston wins 2023 Australian Idol

Around two million votes were cast and counted for the grand finale of the Seven Network national singing show, with 23-year-old Royston winning out over West Australian teenager Phoebe Stewart and 20-year-old Melbourne singer Josh Hannan.

Royston’s family and friends were cheering him at the finale event and from his home community of Mapoon on the Cape York Peninsula.

“I just want to say thank you so much to everyone who voted for me,” Royston told the live audience after winning.

“Thank all this mob up here (in the audience), all my family and friends for coming. Everyone who’s been voting. I don’t know what else to say. Thank you so much!”

The second-year QUT Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music) student has impressed the show’s high-profile judges, Meaghan Trainor, Harry Connick Jr, Amy Shark and Kyle Sandilands, week after week since his audition song, I’m Not the Only One.

On Sunday night live grand finale show, he performed three times, including his new single Invincible.

Royston is a Thanakwithi and Badu Island man from the remote Queensland community of Mapoon, near Weipa on the Cape York Peninsula.

His supporters at the grand finale included his brother, with the show making regular crosses to the Mapoon community watching and cheering him on.

The head of the QUT School of Creative Practice (which is home to the university's music degree), Professor Damian Candusso, congratulated Royston and said the win was fantastic for the young singer.

“Roston’s professional music career is now well and truly underway … Not only will he now be a household name, but being awarded a recording contract with Sony Music is such a significant and life changing accomplishment,” Professor Candusso said.

During the finale, multiple Grammy award-winner judge Harry Connick Jr praised Royston’s performances and heart, while Meaghan Trainor and Amy Shark said they could imagine attending his choir-backed concerts, post-Idol.

“It’s going to be fun to watch your career, it’s going to be really cool – I’m proud of you man,” Connick Jnr said.

The show narrowed the final three down to two - Royston and Phoebe - before revealing Australia had voted Royston their 2023 Idol winner.

After graduating high school, Royston attended the Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts, then moved to Melbourne in 2019 to work with a management team and do gigs around the city.

In 2020, he relocated back to Queensland during the pandemic and completed a business administration traineeship in Cairns.

But then the lure of music proved too strong again, so he applied for QUT’s music degree and started uni in 2022.

“There’s a lot of QUT musos and the music students who are all supporting me during Idol, as well as everyone back in Mapoon,” Royston said.

“All the elders are really proud of me. I’m so glad I get to represent my community.

“It’s so important for young people and kids to see someone who looks like them on TV. Even if I change one little kid’s heart and mind, that’s my job done.”

Royston’s musical journey has also had the support of QUT’s film students.

Four film students made the music video for his debut single last year, as part of a university assignment for their experimental film unit.  The When I Fall Apart official music video has had more than 13,000 views on YouTube since its release in November.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film, Screen and New Media) students involved were:

• Calvin Ko – Director/Camera
• Kaylia McGarry – Editor/Creative Director
• Kerrick Peh (now graduated) – Camera Assistant/Screenplay
• Felicity Sayer – Producer/First Assistant Director
  
   

“It was so much fun filming – I’ve never done a music video before,” Royston said.

“We filmed in the QUT film studios in Z Block at Kelvin Grove, which was really cool, and at some student accommodation.”

Royston also lived in student accommodation during his first year of uni, thanks to the QUT Indigenous Australian Student Accommodation Program. The 12-month transition support program is subsidised by the university and Student One.

He said the first year of his music degree and the accommodation program were both great.

“QUT’s been amazing – last year it was full on, I haven’t studied for a while, but I was up for the challenge,” he said.

“That accommodation program was so amazing and I’m so glad I was a part of it – just being around other mob and seeing what everyone else was up to.”

During Idol, Royston has also paid tribute to one of his own idols – fellow talent show alumnus Jessica Mauboy, who performed during Sunday night’s grand finale.

“Jessica Mauboy was my inspiration, she was a black fella like me – I’m just trying to follow in those footsteps, I hope I make her proud,” he told Seven back on his audition episode.

Royston grew up singing in church and at school, and has also given a big Idol shout-out to his Year 2 teacher at Western Cape College, Miss Alex, who encouraged his singing as a child.

She made a surprise appearance on Idol last week, during the live round where the contestants dedicated a song to someone influential in their life.

“I had no idea at all – I’m so glad she was in the building where I got to dedicate that performance [The Climb] to her,” Royston said.

People can follow Royston on his fast-growing social channels – TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook – where he’s been sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of Australian Idol.

Main image at top - As it happened: Royston and Phoebe during the live winner announcement (images courtesy of Seven Network broadcast of Australian Idol grand finale).

QUT Media contacts:
- Mechelle McMahon, media@qut.edu.au
- After hours, 0407 585 901 or media@qut.edu.au