Fred Leone

DIRECTOR
Board member since 2025
Fred Leone is a respected Butchulla Songman with Aboriginal, Tongan and South Sea Islander heritage. A cultural custodian and musical innovator, Fred is one of a handful entrusted with preserving and performing Butchulla language and song. He’s toured globally for over a decade, sharing stages with Public Enemy, Tinariwen, and Xavier Rudd, and recently represented Australia at Eurovision 2024 as a guest artist with Electric Fields. His debut solo project Yirinda (2024) received critical acclaim, debuting on the ARIA Charts and NPR. Fred is a Sidney Myer Creative Fellow, NAIDOC Brisbane Music Award recipient, and founder of Impossible Odds Records—Queensland’s first Indigenous internationally distributed record label. His multifaceted career includes roles as Indigenous Arts Development Manager at QPAC, Head of Indigenous Languages at State Library of QLD, and curator of major national events. Fred currently serves on the Music Australia Board and continues to shape Australia’s cultural landscape with integrity and innovation.