Kesha Oayda
Kesha Oayda | |
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| Origin | Jindabyne, Australia |
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| Years active | 2026–present |
Kesha Oayda is an Australian singer and songwriter who won the eleventh season of Australian Idol in 2026. She officially won the title in April 2026, taking home the $100,000 prize and recording studio package with Hive Sound Studios. Additionally Oayda will receive marketing and social media support from The Annex, and VIP tickets to events including the 2025 ARIA Music Awards and the Logie Awards of 2026.[1]
Early life
Oayda grew up in Jindabyne, Australia. After winning Idol in 2026 she said to a Snowy Mountains tourism site, "It was pretty special having skiing as a school sport from such a young age and spending whole days and weekends on the snow – that's something I never took for granted. It's such a rare opportunity, especially in Australia."[2]
Career
2026: Australian Idol
In 2026, Oayda auditioned for the eleventh season of Seven Network's singing competition Australian Idol with the song "Die with a Smile". Oayda was officially revealed to be the winner on 14 April 2026.[3]
| Round | Song | Original artist | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auditions | "Die with a Smile" | Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars | Through to top 30 | |
| Top 30 | Part 1 | "Somebody Like You" | Keith Urban | Advanced |
| Part 2 | "I Don't Care" | Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber | Advanced | |
| Part 3 | "If I can't Have You" | Shawn Mendes | Through to top 21 | |
| Top 21 | "Take Me to Church" | Hozier | Through to top 12 | |
| Top 12 (Movie Week) | Performance 1 | "Like a Prayer" | Madonna | Bottom 4 |
| Bottom 4 | "Lay Me Down" | Sam Smith | Saved. Through to top 10 | |
| Top 10 (Aussie Week) | "Hopelessly Devoted to You" | Olivia Newton-John | Through to top 8 | |
| Top 8 (Super Twist Week) | Performance 1 | "Physical" | Dua Lipa | Bottom 4 |
| Bottom 4 | "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" | Cyndi Lauper | Saved. Through to top | |
| Top 6 (Heroes and Tributes Week) | Performance 1 | "The Climb" | Miley Cyrus | Through to Grand Finale (top 3) |
| Performance 2 (head-to-head vs Tre Samuels) |
"Dancing Queen" | ABBA | ||
| Grand Finale (top 3) | Solo | "When We Were Young" | Adele | Through to top 2 |
| Celebrity Duet | "Shine" (with Vanessa Amorosi) | Vanessa Amorosi | ||
| Grand Finale (top 2) | Free choice | "Man I Need" | Olivia Dean | Winner |
| Audition song | "Die with a Smile" | Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars | ||
Oayda's The Idol Collection album was released on 17 April 2026, featuring ten songs she performed on the show and the top 12 performance of "All Night Long".[4] The album debuted at number 31 on the ARIA Album chart.[5]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS [6] | ||
| The Idol Collection |
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31 |
References
- ↑ Varvaris, Mary (15 April 2026). "Kesha Oayda Wins 2026 Season Of 'Australian Idol'". The Music (magazine). Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- ↑ "Growing Up with Altitude". Snowy Mountains. April 2026. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- ↑ Keszler, Sarah (15 April 2026). "Australian Idol winner Kesha Oayda shares insight on 'spectacular' win". 7News. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- ↑ The Idol Collection, 2025-04-11, retrieved 2025-04-20
- ↑ "Matt Corby makes magic". ARIA Charts. 24 April 2026. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- ↑ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 27 April 2026. Retrieved 10 May 2026.