Malaysian singer and actor Nur Ernie Shahirah Zakri was born on June 23, 1992 in Kuala Lumpur and performs under the stage name Ernie Zakri. She got her first break after winning the Malaysian singing competition Bintang RTM in 2009 and, after honing her craft for the next two years, emerged on the scene in 2011 with her debut album, Sinaran, released on FMC Music. Conceived with Akir from the group Hyper Act, jer breakthrough came in 2015 via the single "Takkan Pudar," which was chosen as the theme tune for the Malaysian drama series Hati Perempuan. Several singles followed, but her next defining moment came in 2019 with her second duet single. "Takkan Terlerai" was made with Malaysian artist Syamel – whom she married in 2021 – and featured on the soundtrack to the 2019 movie Jebat. A skilled opera singer with an impressive vocal range, Ernie Zakri has often been referred to as the 'Malaysian Ariana Grande' and in 2021 won the Best Vocal Award at the 35th Song Champion Awards. She has worked as a teacher in parallel to her career as a singer, with Siti Nordiana and Siti Sarah Raisuddin among her students. In 2022, Ernie Zakri released a new single, "Victim".
