Born and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory, she rose to fame in 2006 on the fourth season of Australian Idol, where she was runner-up and subsequently signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia.

She has also toured with Beyoncé and Chris Brown, and performed at many notable events, including the Australian visits for Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, and US President Barack Obama.

[7] In the final eleven week, following her rendition of Kelly Clarkson's "Walk Away", judge Kyle Sandilands commented on Mauboy's weight, and said that if she wanted to succeed in the music industry, she should "lose the jelly belly".

"[22] In the final ten-week, Mauboy received the first touchdown of the season from judge Mark Holden for her rendition of Christina Aguilera's hit "Beautiful".

[27][36][37] Mauboy co-wrote eleven of the album's songs, which were produced by Audius Mtawarira, Israel Cruz, Jonas Jeberg, Cutfather, Adam Reily, Fingaz and Kwamé.

Davey Boy of Sputnikmusic gave the album three out of five stars and wrote that it was an "impressive debut which suggests that there could indeed be quality music to look forward to in the future, as she matures and gains experience".

Majhid Heath of ABC Online Indigenous gave the album two-and-a-half out of five stars, writing that it's a "non-cohesive mess of similar sounding, auto-tuned ravaged pop/R&B that diminishes the talent of this brilliant young songstress".

[27][83] At the 2013 NRL Grand Final on 6 October 2013, Mauboy performed the Australian national anthem, "Livin' la Vida Loca", with Ricky Martin, and a medley of "Something's Got a Hold on Me" and "Pop a Bottle (Fill Me Up)".

[86] To coincide with the 2014 Australia Day celebrations, Mauboy along with Dami Im, Justice Crew, Nathaniel Willemse, Samantha Jade and Taylor Henderson released a cover of "I Am Australian" which peaked at number 51.

[87][88] She appeared in an episode of Sesame Street on 20 March 2014, singing "Count the Kangaroos" in a clip which was filmed in Alice Springs with children from Yipirinya State Primary School.

[95] Mauboy performed at the ICC Cricket World Cup opening ceremony held on 12 February 2015 at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne.

[111][112] Original track "Fallin'" was released as the album's lead single; it peaked at number 11, became Mauboy's sixteenth top-twenty hit, and was certified platinum.

[115] She received six nominations at the 2017 ARIA Music Awards, including Best Female Artist and Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album for The Secret Daughter, Best Australian Live Act, and Song of the Year, Best Pop Release and Best Video for "Fallin'".

[124][125] In January 2009, she began a long-distance relationship with Themeli "Magoo" Magripilis, a soccer player and council worker of Greek descent, who was born and raised in Darwin.

[141][142] Alasdair Duncan from Rave magazine described Mauboy's second studio album Get 'Em Girls (2010) as "a more hard-edged take on R&B and pop than her debut, pumped full of hip hop beats, jagged synths and futuristic vocal effects.

[143] Kylie Northover of The Sydney Morning Herald noted that Mauboy's third studio album Beautiful (2013) featured "a mix of more dance-oriented tunes and her usual R&B sound".

[158][159][160] Ed Gibbs of The Sydney Morning Herald described her as a "wholesome girl-next-door",[161] while Holly Richards of New Idea noted that she "is renowned for her squeaky-clean image and family values".

Byrne noted that her "fashion choices have mirrored her rise in fame, with her style evolving from shy schoolgirl to confident diva, set to steal the sartorial spotlight".

[153] She has worn dresses designed by Dolce & Gabbana, J'Aton, Steven Khalil and Toni Matičevski,[164] and has appeared on the covers of fashion magazines in Australia, including Elle,[165] InStyle,[166] and Marie Claire.

[168][169] Mauboy's weight has been the subject of media interest, ever since her rise to fame on Australian Idol when judge Kyle Sandilands publicly told her to "lose the jelly belly".

"[161] Following the release of her single "Gotcha" in 2012, Miranda Cashin of Sunshine Coast Daily noted that it was "a return to the Mauboy [we knew] before the infamous 2010 sexed-up fist-pumping album, Get 'Em Girls".

[182] In November 2010, Mauboy made a guest appearance in the final episode of the mini-series Underbelly: Razor, and played the role of a nightclub singer named Gloria Starr.

[201] In April 2009, she teamed up with Bloom Cosmetics to create two designer collection nail polishes, which included shades of sangria red and metallic green.

[215] As an ambassador for the Foundation, Mauboy has made several hospital visits and performed at many of their annual fundraising events such as Wharf4Ward, which raises funds to build specialised youth cancer centres across Australia.

[215][216][217] In April 2009, sales from the nail polish bottles Mauboy created with Bloom Cosmetics were donated to Children's Hospital Foundations Australia to support the research into childhood illness.

[224][225] In December 2011, she performed free acoustic concerts across Australia as part of the Indian Pacific Outback Christmas train journey, an annual fund-raiser for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

[226] On 14 December 2012, she performed a free pop up show at Federation Square in Melbourne, as part of the Optus Carols for a Cause event, which raised funds for Kids Helpline and The Smith Family.

[230][231] In 2009, she became a spokesperson for the Indigenous Literacy Project (ILP), which aims to provide "books and learning materials to schools, libraries and women's centres in remote areas."

[232] In 2011, she worked with the Yalari organisation "that offers children from regional, rural and remote communities and towns across Australia the opportunity to get a first-class secondary education.

[238] Mauboy along with Guy Sebastian, Sheppard, Jon Stevens, Shannon Noll and Megan Washington were featured on Lee Kernaghan's 2015 charity single "Spirit of the Anzacs", which raised funds for Legacy and Soldier On.