Anthony Callea - Anthony Callea [2004]

Anthony Cosmo Callea (born 13 December 1982 in Melbourne) is an ARIA Award-winning Australian singer songwriter who rose to prominence in the 2004 season of Australian Idol when he became runner up. Anthony's debut single "The Prayer" holds the record as the fastest selling single of all time in Australia.[citation needed] Callea has accumulated a string of awards including an Aria Award, Channel V Artist of the Year, Pop Republic Artist of the Year, MTV Viewers' Choice Award, Variety's Young Entertainer of the Year, MO Award and a Gospel Music Award and is known for his powerful trained voice and his versatility in a range of genres in releases and live performances. All but one of the tracks on his second album A New Chapter were co-written by Callea, and his albums, singles and DVD have all achieved Top 20 status.

Callea was immediately signed to Sony/BMG Records, and his first single,"The Prayer" was released in December 2004. It debuted on the ARIA Singles Chart at number one, and remained there for five consecutive weeks. Within seven weeks, it was reported it had become the highest-selling Australian single at that time, as it was certified four times platinum, selling in excess of 280,000 copies.[1] His next single, the double A-side "Rain / Bridge over Troubled Water" spent two weeks at number one. His self-titled album debuted at number one on the week of 4 April 2005, and remained at the top of the chart for three weeks. His third single "Hurts So Bad" debuted at number ten on the ARIA Charts, while the album's final single, "Per Sempre (For Always)" debuted at number five.

Callea's DVD Live in Concert was released on 7 November 2005. It debuted at #3 in the ARIA DVD Chart and awarded Platinum status.