Tim Omaji
Timomatic | |
|---|---|
| Born | Timothy Ugbedo Omaji September 9, 1987 Kaduna, Nigeria |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, dancer |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Known for | Contestant on So You Think You Can Dance Australia (2009), third place on Australia's Got Talent (2011), hit single "Set It Off" |
Timothy Ugbedo Omaji (born 9 September 1987), professionally known as Timomatic, is a singer-songwriter and dancer originally from Nigeria who established his career in Australia. He first rose to prominence as a contestant on the 2009 season of So You Think You Can Dance Australia, where he finished in seventh place. In 2011, he achieved third place on the fifth season of Australia's Got Talent. That same year, Omaji signed with Sony Music Australia and launched his debut single, "Set It Off", which climbed to number two on the ARIA Charts and earned a four times platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association.
Early life
Born in Kaduna, Nigeria, on 9 September 1987, Timothy Ugbedo Omaji moved to Australia with his family when he was just ten months old. His father’s academic career involved relocating throughout Australia. Omaji has three siblings and grew up in a musically inclined household. He began performing at the age of nine, initially playing percussion in a family band before emulating Michael Jackson’s singing and dancing during performances. His parents have since returned to Nigeria.
Omaji spent part of his youth in Darwin, Northern Territory, where he taught breakdancing prior to relocating to Canberra in 2003. At age fifteen, friends gave him the nickname "Timomatic" due to his hip-hop dance abilities. He took on roles as artistic director and choreographer for Canberra’s dance company Kulture Break, representing them internationally in countries such as the United States, China, and Singapore. After completing Year 12 at Narrabundah College, he briefly enrolled at the University of Canberra but left shortly after. In 2008, he completed a diploma in entertainment with a focus on vocal training at JMC Academy, aiming to enhance his musical talents.
2009–12: Reality competitions, Welcome, and Timomatic
In 2009, Omaji reached the final stages of the second season of So You Think You Can Dance Australia, finishing within the top eight contestants. The following year, he portrayed Tyrone Jackson in the Australian production of Fame the Musical, but withdrew due to a back injury and subsequently shifted his attention toward music creation. He began collaborating with DJ Poet, known for working with The Black Eyed Peas. In 2011, Omaji competed on season five of Australia's Got Talent, securing third place. He opted for this show over The X Factor to retain artistic control over his music and image.
Omaji independently released his debut album, Welcome, on 12 May 2011, an effort that began during his involvement with Fame. The album was promoted by the single "Save the Dancefloor", which came out on 1 August 2011. Later that year in October, he served as a supporting act for American rapper Flo Rida during his Australian tour. On 17 November 2011, Omaji signed with Sony Music Australia. Shortly after signing, he supported American hip hop group Salt-n-Pepa at Sydney's Enmore Theatre. His first single under Sony, "Set It Off", was released on 25 November and reached number two on the ARIA Singles Chart, achieving four times platinum status in Australia with sales exceeding 280,000 copies. The track also attained number fourteen on New Zealand charts and received gold certification there.
On 12 January 2012, Omaji secured an international publishing agreement with EMI. His follow-up single, "If Looks Could Kill", released on 23 March 2012, peaked at number eight on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified double platinum for sales of approximately 140,000 units. In May of that year, he supported Nicki Minaj during her Australian Pink Friday Tour. The third single from this period, "Can You Feel It", launched on 22 June 2012, reached number eighteen on ARIA and earned platinum certification with sales around 70,000 copies. In August 2012, Omaji joined Pitbull's Australian segment of the Planet Pit World Tour alongside artists Havana Brown and Taio Cruz.
His sophomore album titled Timomatic was released on 24 August 2012 and debuted at number three on the ARIA Albums Chart. On 3 October 2012, Omaji received his inaugural nomination for an ARIA Music Award, contending for Song of the Year with "Set It Off". He further expanded his international profile by performing at the globally televised Miss Universe 2012 pageant.
2013–2016: Further Singles, Return to Australia's Got Talent, and Reverting to Birth Name
On 5 June 2013, Omaji released his fifth single, "Parachute," which premiered during the 2013 State of Origin match. The track climbed to number 3 on the ARIA Singles Chart and earned double platinum certification. In New Zealand, it attained a peak position of number 22, maintaining a spot within the top 40 for five consecutive weeks. By August 2013, Omaji had rejoined Australia's Got Talent as a judge for its seventh season, sharing the panel with Dawn French, Geri Halliwell, Kyle Sandilands, and host Julia Morris. His sixth single, "Waterfalls," was released on 13 September 2013 and reached number 26 on the ARIA chart. Subsequently, Omaji’s debut extended play, The Rain Remixes, which included remixed versions of "Waterfalls" and "Parachute," became available on 11 October 2013. On 12 November 2013, he unveiled his seventh single, "Everything Is Allowed," premiering it during the finale of Australia's Got Talent.
In September 2014, Omaji was honored with the Male Artist of the Year award at the Afro-Australia Music and Movie Awards. The following month saw the release of his eighth single "Delilah," featuring American rapper Pusha T; however, this track did not enter the charts.
In January 2015, he officially returned to using his birth name, Tim Omaji. In March that year, he supported Jessie J on her Australian tour. His ninth single, "Something Bout You," launched on 6 March 2015, marked his first release under the name Tim Omaji. Later that year, on 30 October, he released his tenth single titled "Go to Work."
2017–present: Stamina EP and Role on Dance Boss
In 2017, Timomatic resumed using his stage name for music releases, dropping two singles: "Swave" in April followed by "Do Want You Want" in July. He completed the year by issuing his second EP, Stamina, in December.
By April 2018, the Seven Network appointed Timomatic as one of three judges on their new dance competition series Dance Boss, alongside fellow judges Sharni Vinson and Adam Garcia, with hosting duties handled by Dannii Minogue.
Between October and November 2018, Timomatic took on the role of Sam Onatou in the Australian production of MADIBA The Musical – A Celebration of the Life of Nelson Mandela.
On 1 December 2021, he unexpectedly released his album Bittersweet, describing it as a heartfelt project blending R&B with Afrofusion influences.
In August 2022, Timomatic performed at Melbourne University’s law ball and also appeared in the Australian staging of Moulin Rouge, reverting to his birth name Tim Omaji for this production.
In 2023, he became an ambassador for BYD and portrayed Ike Turner in Australia's rendition of Tina – The Tina Turner Musical.
Discography
- Welcome (2011)
- Timomatic (2012)
- Bittersweet (2021)
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | So You Think You Can Dance Australia | Himself; Contestant | |
| 2012 | Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation | Himself; guest appearance | One episode |
| 2011, 2013 | Australia's Got Talent | Himself; Contestant and Judge | |
| 2018 | Dance Boss | Himself; Judge | |
| 2021 | Clickbait (miniseries) | Jimmy Akintola | One episode |
Concert tours
- As a supporting act
- Australian segment of Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday Tour (2012)
- Australian portion of Pitbull's Planet Pit World Tour (2012)
- Tour across Australia with Jessie J (2015)
- VCAA segment of Highvale Secondary College's Millenial Tour (2017)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Awarding Body | Category | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Poprepublic.tv IT List Awards | Australian Male Artist | Template:Nom |
| Breakthrough Artist of 2011 | Template:Nom | ||
| 2012 | ARIA Music Awards | Song of the Year for "Set It Off" | Template:Nom |
| Channel [V] Awards | [V] Oz Artist of the Year | Template:Nom | |
| 2013 | APRA Music Awards | Most Played Australian Work ("Set It Off") | Template:Won |
| ARIA Music Awards | Song of the Year ("Parachute") | Template:Nom | |
| Best Video ("Parachute") | Template:Nom | ||
| MTV Europe Music Awards | MTV Europe Music Award for Best Australian Act | Template:Nom | |
| Channel [V] Awards | [V] Oz Artist of the Year | Template:Nom | |
| Poprepublic.tv Awards | Favourite Australian Male Artist | Template:Nom | |
| Favourite Single of 2013 ("Waterfalls") | Template:Nom | ||
| 2014 | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Aussies' Favourite Homegrown Talent | Template:Nom |
| Logie Awards | Most Popular New Talent (Australia's Got Talent) | Template:Nom | |
| World Music Awards | World's Best Male Artist | Template:Nom | |
| World's Best Song ("Parachute") | Template:Nom | ||
| World's Best Video ("Parachute") | Template:Nom | ||
| Afro-Australia Music and Movie Awards | Male Artist of the Year | Template:Won | |
| 2024 | APRA Music Awards | Most Performed R&B / Soul Work for "Falling" by Dean Brady (Dean Brady, Jacob Farah, Jerome Farah, Kara-Lee James, Tim Omaji, Rahel Phillips) |
Template:Nom |
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1987 births
- APRA Award winners
- Australia's Got Talent contestants
- Australian male dancers
- Living people
- Nigerian emigrants to Australia
- Singers from Sydney
- So You Think You Can Dance Australia contestants
- People educated at Narrabundah College
- 21st-century Australian singers
- 21st-century Australian male singers
- Australian male singer-songwriters
- 21st-century Australian singer-songwriters