Amy Shark confirmed as headliner for NRL grand final

Indie pop darling and multi-ARIA Award-winning singer Amy Shark has been confirmed as the headline act for the NRL's grand final on October 25.

The news comes on the back of Shark's ARIA nominations for best female artist, best pop release and best Australian live act earlier this week.

Amy Shark will headline the entertainment for the NRL grand final.Credit: NRL Photos

Shark shot to fame in early 2017 when her breakthrough single Adore came second on the Triple J Hottest 100. Her debut album Love Monster topped the charts in 2018 and she has had a number of tracks in the top 40, including her latest single Everybody Rise.

The Queensland-born singer performed for NRL boss Peter V'landys last month at Sony Music headquarters, before being booked for the gig. She played a number of tracks from her upcoming album, including her next single C'Mon which will be released before the grand final and form part of a medley of songs she will perform on the night.

Shark has a long history with the NRL. Before her music career took off she was a video producer for the Gold Coast Titans where her husband, Shane Billings, used to be the chief financial officer. But her interest in the sport began long before that.

"You didn't really have an option to be a fan when you're from Queensland and your parents bring you up on that NRL milk," she said. "My parents went for Sydney teams because they are from Sydney, but I would go for the Broncos because they were the nearest team to home.

"They would go for NSW in [State of] Origin and I was the only one in a Queensland jumper getting stuff thrown at me."

The NRL has booked a mix of local and international acts to play the grand final pre-show over the years. Last year, Grammy winners OneRepublic entertained fans while in 2018 it was Sydney rockers Gang of Youths.

The social media response to performances can often be brutal, making the gig something of a poisoned chalice – but Shark says she is prepared for it.

"Unfortunately you cannot please everyone when it is such a big audience," she said. "It's the same whenever you do something that gains a lot of eyes, you are never going to please everybody.

"All you can do is go out there and be yourself, put on a good strong show, the rest doesn't matter."

What does matter to Shark is that she is one of the few female soloists who have been given a shot at the highly coveted gig.

"I think it's a great, big opportunity and I feel super honoured. I would look forward to any gig right now but to play to 40,000 at the stadium and a few a million people on TV is great," she said."I am glad they have picked a female pop artist to play at a super masculine game like this."

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