Biography
With a bold voice and signature delivery that belies her thirteen years, Jamia Simone Nash, known simply as "Jamia", is definitely a superstar on the rise. Since the ripe 'old' age of two, Jamia has been singing with incredible conviction and building a notable career as a successful multi-hyphenate -- singer, stage performer and actor -- rivaling pros with many more years of experience under their belts.
Jamia owned the stage on February 24, 2008, at the 80th Annual Academy Awards® ceremony when she performed the Oscar-nominated original song "Raise It Up" from the Warner Brothers' feature "August Rush," a movie for which she received critical acclaim in her feature film debut as "Hope." In the role, Jamia befriends star Freddie Highmore's character, a musically gifted, adopted boy searching for his real parents. Her inspiring lead performance of "Raise It Up" with the Impact Repertory Theater of Harlem not only won Jamia rave reviews, but also secured her place in the history books as the youngest African-American to perform on the prestigious worldwide telecast to date.
The song didn't score a statue but Jamia's appearance was a big win, widely regarded by critics as one of the evening's highlights. In the wake of her Oscar-night triumph, the Southern Christian Leadership Committee (S.C.L.C.) with its W.O.M.E.N. Drum Major for Justice Youth Award recently recognized Jamia. Before Jamia's worldwide television debut introduced her to viewers around the globe, she wowed national audiences with multiple appearances on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Good Morning America," and "The CBS Early Show," among others. Onstage, she's performed live for such luminaries as Aretha Franklin, John Travolta, Oprah Winfrey, the King of Jordan and the President of the United States, who dubbed Jamia 'the definition of the future;' sang the National Anthem during 2003 NBA All-Star Game festivities; and shared the stage with such superstars as Stevie Wonder, Celine Dion, Alicia Keys, Josh Groban and John Mayer, to name a few. At age five, Jamia's big break came when her rendition of the Michael Jackson classic "Who's Loving You?" on "Showtime at the Apollo" brought the legendarily tough crowd - known for booing performers off the stage - to its feet with admiration and rousing applause.
In addition to making a name as a sought-after performer, Jamia has been generating buzz in Hollywood for her budding acting career. Her breakout performance in 2006 as a 10-year-old Fantasia Barrino (2004 American Idol winner) in the hit Lifetime television movie "Life Is Not A Fairytale" drew the attention of television critics, including the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's Melanie McFarland. Other notable appearances include the UPN series "Half and Half," two appearances on ABC's "My Wife and Kids," the WB's "7th Heaven" and "Steve Harvey's Big Time." Behind the scenes, the Osborne Middle School student has also lent her signature vocals to the character "Uniqua" on the popular Nickelodeon animated series The Backyardigan's. On June 21, 2008 Jamia appeared at Atlanta's Phillips Arena in a star studded, two-hour musical event called "Songs of Soul and Inspiration" directed by Golden Globe, Emmy and Tony award-winning producer and choreographer Debbie Allen as part of AARP's 50th anniversary celebration. Jamia will be featured in an once-in-a-lifetime line-up of female vocalists, including Queen Latifah, Chaka Khan, Dionne Warwick, Yolanda Adams, Patti Austin, Shirley Caesar, CeCe Winans, Ann Nesby and Paris Bennett.
Jamia appears on CBS' "Young and the Restless," the #1 daytime soap opera on television. Cast as "Ana Hamilton," her recurring character plays opposite America's Next Top Model cycle 3 winner Eva Marcille as Jamia's mom.
Her father, James Nash, CEO of The Popular Entertainment Group, manages Jamia's skyrocketing career.
