Charismatic, groundbreaking and self-declared differently abled, Emmanuel Kelly is the Aussie singer-songwriter breaking new ground when it comes to representing the community. He spoke to Editor Melissa Holmes
Emmanuel Kelly has performed at two World Cup halftime shows, collaborated with the late, great Quincy Jones, and toured alongside Coldplay. Yet in his native Australia, he’s never been booked for a major event. “I’m still having to prove something to the media,” he says. “I don’t know why that’s the case.”
Emmanuel first captured global attention on The X Factor Australia in 2011. His voice and story – as a baby, he was found in a box on an Iraqi battlefield, and has limb difference owing to his mother’s exposure to chemical warfare – reached millions. Emmanuel argues that, while fellow reality show star Susan Boyle’s neurodivergence didn’t stop her being booked for major events in her home country, his existence as someone with missing limbs has symbolised something more confronting.
MASTER OF PIVOTING
“I became the inspiration that people needed,” he explains bluntly. Rather than fight this label, he initially embraced it. But now he’s chosen to flip it. “How about I turn inspiration and motivation into something that’s cool, that’s sexy, that’s different?” he asks.
Emmanuel admits: “I’m the master of pivoting. It’s not worth marching down the street and yelling, ‘Change this’, and ‘Change that’. Often enough, that works for five minutes, but it irritates the corporate world.” Instead, he says of his close friend Chris Martin: “If you’ve got superstars saying ‘I don’t care whether you think he works or not, I like him, and he’s performing with me’… I was very fortunate.” That pivot led to Emmanuel working with artists who saw him for his talent first.
Emmanuel’s bold, colourful music and performances have earned him a spot on the world’s stage, but he’s keen to break into the world of acting and film production. He’s launched an entertainment company – 0utlyer – with his fiancée Joanne Reay and Chris Martin. Their aim? To shift perceptions of disability through film, television, and sport. “We’re here to make this community sexy,” he says. “The moment this community feels confident in who they are, instead of having to try and prove themselves, the rest of the world sees it.”
OUTLIERS
The choice of the company’s name is intentional. Emmanuel rejects the term ‘disabled’ for its negative, disempowering connotations in favour of the word “outliers”. It’s a word he feels unites the entire community, including neurodivergent people, unpaid carers, and those with hidden conditions. Referring to a recent event meeting MPs at Westminster, he explains: “This community is an economic force, not a burden.”
“I don’t want to see an outlier ever say again, ‘No one’s given me the opportunity’. That’s gotta end.” Emmanuel’s advice to disabled people pursuing creative careers is direct: “You do belong. Stop even questioning that. But don’t expect it just to be handed to you. You have to fight.”