MELBOURNE — Nissan Australia and New Zealand are proud to have supported trailblazing artist Emmanuel Kelly during his historic performances as a supporting act for Coldplay's recent Australia and New Zealand tour dates for Music of the Spheres World Tour.
Kelly made history late last year by supporting Coldplay, one of the world's biggest bands, as a differently-abled artist.
Nissan provided Kelly with Nissan X‑TRAIL compact SUVs across Melbourne, Sydney, and Auckland to facilitate his transportation needs throughout the tour.
During his time in Australia and New Zealand, Kelly also filmed segments for his documentary Dream Fever, which chronicles his ground breaking journey in the music industry. The project sees Kelly collaborating closely with Coldplay's front man Chris Martin, who executive produced Kelly's up-coming album DREAM FEVER, which will be released alongside the film.
In 2022, Martin and Kelly co-founded Outlyer Entertainment, a production company that aims to empower and further authentic representation of people with disabilities both on and off-screen.
Kelly's personal story is inspiring. Abandoned as a baby in war-torn Iraq, Kelly was rescued from an orphanage and brought to Australia for life-changing surgery. Despite facing significant challenges, Kelly has since forged a successful music career.
"Emmanuel's journey shows the power of perseverance and is simply inspiring," said Nissan Oceania, Vice President & Managing Director, Andrew Humberstone.
"At Nissan, we believe in creating opportunities and supporting individuals who break barriers. Emmanuel's remarkable talent and determination perfectly align with our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion," Humberstone stated.
Nissan's partnership with Kelly also reflects Nissan's ongoing global DEI strategy, which focuses on creating an inclusive environment where everyone can maximize their potential regardless of background or ability.
For more information about Nissan's commitment to diversity and inclusion, click this link here.
About Emmanuel Kelly
Born in war-torn Iraq with underdeveloped limbs and scoliosis due to chemical warfare, Emmanuel Kelly was found abandoned on a battlefield as an infant. Kelly and his brother and Paralympian, Ahmed, were later adopted by Australian humanitarian, Moira Kelly AO.
Emmanuel's 2011 X-Factor Australia audition of John Lennon's Imagine captivated global audiences and led to collaborations with Coldplay's Chris Martin. Emmanuel recently released singles supporting his 2024 EP No Zodiac and co-founded Outlyer Entertainment with Martin to promote authentic representation of differently-abled people. His journey as Coldplay's opening act for their Australia/New Zealand tour was captured in the docu-series Dream Fever, which is due for global release in the coming months.
About Nissan
Nissan is a global automotive manufacturer committed to innovation and DEI principles. With a diverse workforce and commitment to inclusion, Nissan continues to create vehicles and technologies that enrich people's lives while working toward a more inclusive society. Nissan Australia and New Zealand were recently awarded the coveted Great Place to Work Certification.