Prayer Corby talks Australian Idol, Darwin’s under rated music scene and her greatest mentor – her dad

Humpty Doo musician and Australian Idol hopeful, Prayer Corby, believes her television debate has been years in the making – and that her discovery boiled down to a moment of pure fate.

Prayer performing with her father Doug at Noonamah Tavern. Picture: Facebook (Rich Kennison)

Humpty Doo’s Prayer Corby is hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow Territorian Jessica Mauboy by going deep into this season’s Australian Idol finals, after securing her ticket through.

Corby says she hopes to go one step further than Mauboy, who finished as runner up in season four, back in 2006.

Corby’s audition was televised on Tuesday night, where she battled early nerves to win rave reviews from the judges and secured her way through to the final 30.

The audition itself was held in October, and at the time, Corby was only “allowed to tell immediate friends and family” of her success until the episode finally aired.

Prayer with fellow contestants Kiani Smith and Olivia Britton. Picture: Instagram (@prayercorbyy)

Prayer with the golden ticket that got her through to the finals. Picture: Instagram (@prayercorbyy)

Speaking to the NT News, Corby said her audition may never have happened if it weren’t for one lucky encounter.

“I had been tossing up whether or not I wanted to audition in the first place,” she said.

“Then one of the show’s producers saw me at a gig, and messaged my Instagram and said ‘Hey, we saw you perform, we think you’d be a really great fit for the show’.

“So I chucked in an application, I did a few pre-auditions with some producers just to sort of get the feel of how I was gonna go with it.

“They came back a few months later and said ‘Yeah, you are good’, and they flew me over in October.”

Prayer Corby is a homegrown talent who grew up immersed in the music scene and performing from the age of six with her dad. Picture: SUPPLIED

Corby said that at 23 years old, she finally felt ready to take her talent to the masses – having previously been knocked back for other talent shows.

“I’ve never gotten through to the actual filming process of a show before,” she said.

“So, I didn’t want to get my hopes up about Idol.

“I honestly put those knock backs down to not being ready. The first time I ever tried to audition, I think it was The X Factor, and I would have been like 14 or 15.

“Then the next one after that was The Voice and I was about 16 and I just think I wasn’t ready at all, and I might have just been just a little bit too young.

“I am glad that I got in this year, even though it was definitely more daunting than I expected – I felt like if I’d been my younger self I definitely wouldn’t have handled it very well.”

The full final 30 for Australian Idol, 2024. Picture: Instagram (@prayercorbyy)

Corby said she was excited for the finals even if it was “a bit nerve racking”, and that she was thrilled to be representing the NT, especially Darwin and Humpty Doo.

“I don’t know how to explain how it feels (representing the area),” she said.

“I feel very honoured, I feel very privileged to be able to represent this place.

“There’s so much more talent in Darwin, that doesn’t really get as recognised as it should. So I do feel very grateful that I can represent a little bit of what Darwin has to offer.”

But if there’s one person she really wants to do proud, it’s her father Doug – the reason Corby is the musician she is today, she said.

“I grew up going to all my dad’s gigs,” she said.

“Whether it was sleeping under his kick drum as a little one at his band rehearsal, or at the actual gig in the corner with an orange juice, he is the reason I have always been around music.

“He is somebody I have looked up to a lot, musically and everything else. He is my biggest mentor in a lot of ways.

“From as long as I can remember, he’s been the person I’ve looked up to the most.”