Gabriella Cilmi

• Genre: Adult Alternative

About

Gabriella Cilmi hasn't been in this business (or for that matter, this world) long, but she's made some pretty significant headway: Growing up in the suburbs of Melbourne, Cilmi started singing with bands at age twelve, including a stint fronting a Led Zeppelin cover band. In 2004, she got discovered by a Warner rep when she gave an impromptu performance of "Jumping Jack Flash" at a street fair. At age thirteen, she was wooed by major labels and offered at least four deals. And then, at age sixteen, this Italian-Australian phenom released her debut album, Lessons to Be Learned, in Australia and scored herself no less than six ARIA awards. Lessons was released stateside the following year, in 2009.

- Rachel Devitt