Jack Vidgen
Jack Vidgen | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 17, 1997 Sydney, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist, television personality |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Known for | Winner of the fifth season of Australia's Got Talent |
Jack Vidgen (born 17 January 1997) is an Australian vocalist and television figure who gained prominence as the teenage winner of the fifth season of Australia's Got Talent. Following his victory, he secured a contract with Sony Music Australia and launched his first single, Yes I Am, along with a debut album sharing the same title in August 2011. The album entered the ARIA Albums Chart at number three and achieved gold certification. His sophomore album, Inspire, released in April 2012, reached number 23 on the ARIA Albums Chart. In 2019, Vidgen participated in season 8 of Australian The Voice, where he was eliminated during the Semi-finals. Additionally, he appeared on America's Got Talent: The Champions and Australia's seventh season of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.
Early life
Born to Steve Vidgen and Rachel Hayton, Vidgen performed at various events across Sydney between 2007 and 2010, such as Schools Spectacular, Eisteddfod, and community Christmas carol gatherings. He is a self-taught pianist and guitarist and attended Balgowlah Boys High School. After securing victory on Australia's Got Talent in 2011, he transitioned to distance learning to dedicate more time to his musical pursuits.
2011: Australia's Got Talent
In 2011, Vidgen auditioned for the fifth season of Australia's Got Talent by performing Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing". His rendition received a standing ovation from both judges and audience members, amassing over 23 million views on YouTube. He was often compared to Justin Bieber in Australia, attracting considerable attention both domestically and internationally, including recognition from celebrity blogger Perez Hilton.
During the first semi-final, Vidgen delivered a powerful performance of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from Dreamgirls, earning another standing ovation and commendations from the judges. Winning the public vote allowed him to advance to the finals, where he sang Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain". Judge Dannii Minogue praised his vocal ability, and Vidgen secured the public vote to move into the grand final.
For the grand final performance, Vidgen presented an original track titled "Yes I Am". Although there was some controversy regarding co-writing credits, Vidgen clarified that he authored the lyrics but not the music composition. On 2 August 2011, he was declared the winner of the season, receiving a prize of $250,000.
2011–2014: Record deal, Yes I Am and Inspire
Following his win on Australia's Got Talent, Vidgen signed with Sony Music Australia. His debut single, Yes I Am, was digitally released on 3 August 2011 and reached number 35 on the ARIA Singles Chart. The gospel soul-influenced song was co-written with former Australian Idol vocal coach Erana Clark and producer A2. This track was featured on his debut album of the same name. Released on 19 August 2011, the album contained covers performed during his time on the show produced by musical director Chong Lim, alongside two original songs. It debuted at number three on the ARIA Albums Chart and received gold certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments exceeding 35,000 copies.
Vidgen’s second album, Inspire, came out on 27 April 2012 and included covers of songs by artists such as Michael Jackson, Bill Withers, and Beyoncé. It peaked at number 23 on the ARIA Albums Chart but did not match the commercial success of his debut release. His follow-up single, "Finding You," penned by Ilan Kidron of The Potbelleez, was released digitally on 10 July 2012; Vidgen showcased this song during an appearance on Australia's Got Talent the next day. By 2014, Vidgen had parted ways with Sony Music Australia.
2019–2020: Participation in The Voice and Australia Decides
On 2 June 2019, Vidgen made his television comeback on The Voice Australia. Selecting Guy Sebastian as his mentor, he progressed to the semi-final stage before being eliminated.
| The Voice song choices and outcomes (2019) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | Song | Original Artist | Outcome |
| Audition | "Hello" | Adele | Advanced to The Knockouts |
| The Knockouts | "Love the Way You Lie (Part II)" | Rihanna ft. Eminem | Progressed to Battle Rounds |
| Battle Rounds | "Say Something" | A Great Big World | Moved on to live shows |
| Live show 1 | "Rise Up" | Andra Day | Saved by Coach |
| Live show 2 | "Dusk Till Dawn" | ZAYN ft. Sia | Saved by Public Vote |
| Semi-final | "You Are the Reason" | Calum Scott | Eliminated from competition |
In December 2019, Vidgen took part in Eurovision – Australia Decides with the song "I Am King I Am Queen," co-written alongside Andrew Lowden, finishing in eighth place.
2020–present: Appearances on America's Got Talent and other shows
In January 2020, Vidgen appeared on season two of America's Got Talent: The Champions, though he did not advance to the semi-finals. A year later, in January 2021, he competed in the seventh season of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! Australia, where he was the first contestant eliminated. In October 2021, performing under the alias "Kebab," he participated in The Masked Singer (Australian season 3), ultimately placing fourth.
During 2022, Vidgen joined a celebrity challenge on the sixth season of Australian Ninja Warrior. He secured the $10,000 prize for the Trish MS Research Foundation by being the only celebrity to conquer the warped wall. Later that year, he became a contestant on the Australian version of The Challenge, named The Challenge: Australia, but was eliminated in episode two alongside teammate Audrey Kanongara.
Personal life
Vidgen is openly gay. In March 2014, he underwent surgery to remove a lesion located behind his eye. During the Christmas period of 2024, Vidgen entered drug rehabilitation for the fifth time.
Filmography
| Television Appearances | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Show Title | Network | Role | Notes |
| 2011 | Australia's Got Talent | Seven Network | Contestant | Template:Win |
| 2019 | The Voice (Australian TV series) | Nine Network | Template:Eliminated | |
| 2021 | I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (Australian TV series) | Network 10 | Template:Eliminated | |
| 2021 | The Masked Singer (Australian TV series) | Contestant as "Kebab" | Template:Eliminated | |
| 2022 | Australian Ninja Warrior | Nine Network | Guest competitor | Template:Win |
| 2022 | The Challenge: Australia | Network 10 | Contestant | Template:Eliminated |
Studio albums
| Album Title | Release Information | Australia | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes I Am |
|
3 |
|
| Inspire |
|
23 |
Singles
| Year | Track Title | Highest Chart Positions |
Associated Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | |||
| 2011 | "Yes I Am" | 35 | Yes I Am |
| "And I Am Telling You (I'm Not Going)" | — | ||
| 2012 | "Finding You" | — | Template:Non-album single |
| 2019 | "I Am King I Am Queen" | — | Australia Decides 2020 |
| 2020 | "I Have Nothing" | — | Template:Non-album singles |
| 2021 | "Pray" | — | |
| "Love Me Lonely" | — | ||
| "Goodbye" | — |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Category | Award Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards | Aussie Musos | Template:Nom |
| IT List Awards | Single of 2011 ("Yes I Am") | Template:Nom | |
| Album of 2011 (Yes I Am) | Template:Nom | ||
| Australian Male Artist | Template:Nom |
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1997 births
- 21st-century Australian LGBTQ people
- 21st-century Australian male singers
- Australia's Got Talent winners
- Australian child singers
- Australian gay musicians
- Australian LGBTQ singers
- Gay singers
- Living people
- Participants in American reality television series
- People educated at Sydney Distance Education High School
- Singers from Sydney
- Television personalities from Sydney
- People from the Northern Beaches