Jess Mauboy Wins Deadly, Joins Young Divas; No Word As To Whether Dandruff-Free Confidence Was Behind Her Rise To The Top

Congratulations are in order for last year’s Australian Idol runner-up, Jessica Mauboy, who last night won Artist Of The Year at the Deadly Awards.

It goes without saying that we thought Jess should have won over Damien “Not Even An Australian Citizen” Leith and his googly-eyed falsetto, but this should be a nice, if belated, vindication.

Perhaps fewer congrats are due, however, on the topic of Jess having also been announced – officially, as it was assumed for some time – as the newest Young Diva, following Ricki-Lee’s departure from the group (once referred to memorably by our friend and UK Correspondent, Will Fop, as “the bin of the Australian music industry”).

“They’re beautiful inside and they’ve had a lot of experience in performing around Australia, and they’ve inspired me a lot,” Mauboy said of her fellow Young Divas.

Their first gig together was an illustrious engagement that would make Barbra Streisand seethe with envy: a free Idol concert in Melbourne’s Fed Square.