Ella Hooper is an award-winning entertainer with a quality that sets her apart from others – authenticity. On her career path, from a humble country upbringing through to award-winning ‘popstar’ and household name, Ella has walked the talk. Her honesty and enthusiastic approach to life results in her broad appeal across all age ranges from all walks of life.
Having spent more than 20 years in the spotlight with her band Killing Heidi, Ella is now building on her credits as radio host, TV presenter, women’s rights advocate, teacher, mentor, public speaker, content creator and respected pop culture vulture, in addition to embarking on a solo career as a singer/songwriter. In 2023, Ella released her own album, Small Town Temple, written in her hometown of Violet Town, which showcases Ella’s deeply personal songwriting gift.
Now three albums deep into a celebrated solo career, Ella has evolved across synth folk, rock, country and Americana. Known for her genre-bending approach, she seamlessly adapts her sound while maintaining her distinctive voice and authentic storytelling.
Ella is a people-person whose charm, intelligence and wit make her an excellent communicator. She’s adaptable and understands people – particularly young women trying to make their way in the world.
In 2024, Ella served as a band leader on ABC’s raw and candid series, Headliners, mentoring a group of young musicians with disabilities. Over seven weeks, she guided the band to prepare for a live performance at one of Australia’s most iconic festivals, Mundi Mundi Bash in Broken Hill, highlighting her ability to inspire and elevate emerging talent while celebrating diversity and inclusion in music.
In April 2021, Ella was announced as host of the new music podcast Front & Centre, exclusive to the LiSTNR app, where she interviewed the biggest names in music and shared their stories. She was also heard on Triple M 90’s digital station as a workday host, playing all her favourite tracks from that decade.
Ella was also able to showcase her amazing vocal ability and sense of fun in 2021 as a contestant on The Masked Singer. Her character “Baby” lasted until the final week of the series and was a much-loved contender, as Ella brought her vibrance and versatility as a performer to the stage.
Ella has showcased her quick wit and music knowledge on ABC’s Spicks and Specks reunion and was a panelist on the former Channel 10 program, The Project. In 2019, she stepped out of her comfort zone to appear on Seven Network’s All New Monty: Ladies Night, raising awareness of women’s health issues.
One of Ella’s great loves is radio. For three years, she hosted Austereo’s Aus TOP 20 Countdown and won the Best Newcomer Award at the ACRAs for her program on Austereo’s digital channel Radar.
Since being the youngest and first ever female to win the APRA Songwriter of the Year award in 2000, Ella has continued to win the respect and friendship of her peers, which brings a very personal dimension to her music knowledge. A winner of five ARIA awards (including most popular), Ella’s loyal fan base has evolved and grown with her over the years. Her broad range of interests means she is comfortable tackling any topic live on radio, and Ella’s expanding social media profile keeps her in touch with issues that matter.
Ella is also an accomplished MC and keynote speaker on themes ranging from ‘unlikely success’ through to youth self-esteem or the big picture ‘doing things differently.’ Her personal experiences reinforce the motto ‘you dream, you believe, you create, you succeed’.
Naturally, Ella is a passionate advocate for women’s issues and was honoured to join the board of the Victorian Women’s Trust – a highly respected feminist fundraising and research organisation. Ella was drafted to the inaugural Victorian Government’s Creative State Task Force alongside other creative industry leaders to act as a conduit between the music industry and government/corporate sectors.
Ella has always been passionate about giving back and mentors many young female performers – a position APRA formalised by assigning young female artists to help guide, give feedback and advice to, fostering connections both with and for them.
Ella Hooper is a rare breed – a multi-faceted entertainer with the unique ability to cross genres and topics.
