Kyle Shilling has taken home the 2025 Mirrorball Trophy at the 2025 Dancing with the Stars grand finale, aired on August 4, becoming the first Indigenous winner on the show.

A proud Bundjalung man, Mr Shilling has cemented himself as a triple threat in the Australian entertainment scene – an Indigenous hip-hop musician known by the alias BLACX, an actor beloved for his role as ‘Mali Hudson’ in Home and Away, and now, an internationally recognised dancer following his Dancing with the Stars 2025 win.

Reflecting on his role as the first Indigenous winner of Dancing with the Stars, as well as being the first Indigenous main character in Home and Away, Mr Shilling is determined to keep paving the way for greater First Nations representation.

“It’s such an honour to be able to represent my people and our people in such a positive way,” he said.

“I just find that I’m pushing so much and I’m kicking these goals, but it just never feels like enough. So I’m going to continue to do as much as I can for our people, and on a bigger stage and in front of a bigger audience.

Mr Shilling described the victory as a “rewarding” resolution to weeks of intense practice and performance.

“It was a lot tougher than I thought it was going to be. It was gruelling hours, six to seven hours a day, rehearsal for five weeks straight, no days off,” he said.

“I think it was the second week of rehearsals, and I pulled my calf muscle. My leg ended up swollen, and I literally thought I was gonna have to pull out. But I just pushed through it – it’s that classic blood, sweat and tears.”
 

The powerful duo took home the trophy on August 4 (Image: Supplied) 

 
Reflecting on the moment he and dance partner, Lily Cornish, were announced as the winners, Mr Shilling said: “When I found out that I’d won, it was just – I mean, I’m still speechless about it, as it hasn’t even sunk in yet. I just haven’t been able to breathe since then. But it’s just been amazing.”

The pair scored a perfect 40 across the board for their final performance to Mo’ju’s Native Tongue, with a live didgeridoo performance by Mr Shilling. Mr Shilling credits his cultural heritage as the heart of the powerful finale.

“It’s a strength of mine, it’s my identity. And Lily wanted the opportunity to help me push that because she thinks we have such a beautiful culture, and she’s right – one of our biggest things is our performance and our dance. Performing is in our DNA structure.”

Speaking about the inspiration behind their final dance, Mr Shilling explained: “It was based on Earth and Water, and how those two together help each other continue to live and become stronger. And in a sense, it’s what we want as First Nations people in Australia with non Indigenous people. We want that in sync, moving forward element in life.”
 

The final performance set to Mo’ju’s Native Tongue (Image: Supplied) 

 
The performance received an outpouring of support, with Judge Helen Richey describing it as “one of the best performances” she’d seen of the show. Mr Shilling also pointed to online praise as a show of the performance’s international reach.

“I’ve received a lot of love and comments from people overseas in the UK and New Zealand and stuff. It’s just been amazing, the feedback, and to be able to showcase something that I believe so strongly in culturally, it was a cherry on top,” he said.

“It was the most satisfying way to take home that Mirrorball trophy – just the greatest way to end the season of Dancing with the Stars.”

To mark the victory, Mr Shilling was awarded $20,000 for his chosen charity, The Indigenous Literacy Foundation:

“I’ve been to communities where the education system doesn’t have enough. I’ve been to communities where English isn’t their first language – they speak up to three different Aboriginal dialects, and then they learn English at a later date,” he explained.

“So they’re struggling in these classrooms because it’s run by English-speaking teachers, and these kids feel a big disconnect.

“What the Indigenous Literacy Foundation will do is create programs and the right packages for these communities so that the kids can thrive in an education system in these communities that lack.”

Mr Shilling’s victory on Dancing with the Stars stands not only as a personal achievement, but also marks a win for First Nations communities – showcasing the power of First Nations performance and opening the doors for those after him.