About Ella Marie

Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen, artist name Ella Marie, is a Sámi artist and activist from Deatnu/Tana in the far north of Norway. Through her music and public voice, she works to bring Sámi language, culture and Indigenous perspectives into the public conversation, insisting that Sámi histories are heard and their knowledge respected. Her work moves between the stage and the front lines of activism, where music and a deep drive for justice become part of the same story.

After winning Sámi Grand Prix in 2016, Ella Marie co-founded the band ISÁK. She spent seven years as the band’s front figure, helping bring Sámi language and yoik into the mainstream pop landscape. Known for her powerful live delivery of the yoik tradition and her energetic, passionate stage presence, she toured widely across Sápmi and internationally. The band reached over 245 million streams on Spotify through collaborations including the global hit “Sorry” with Alan Walker.

After several years with ISÁK, Ella Marie launched her solo career, developing a more personal and distinctive artistic voice. Her debut album Varra (2025) — meaning “blood” — confronts the legacy of colonialism and asks who carries responsibility for the wounds it has left behind.

Through years of activism to protect Sámi lands, Ella Marie has become recognized as one of the leading Indigenous voices and human rights defenders in the Nordics today, receiving the Sámi music award Áillohaš Music Prize in 2024, as well as several awards for activism, including the Zola Prize, the Bridge Builder Award and Fritt Ord’s Honour Award.

Although Ella Marie’s music carries clear messages about the assimilation of the Sámi people and the mourning of cultural loss, it is also a celebration of Sámi resilience and unity. In poetic and personal ways, she gives voice to the emotions many Indigenous people carry, while inviting her audience into a space where pride in Sámi language, culture and heritage stands at the center.