Antony and the Johnsons are a Mercury Prize-winning music act from New York City, New York, United States. The band is fronted by Anohni (f.k.a. Antony) who was born in 1971. During the mid 90s Anohni started solo; after originally producing songs with Blacklips Performance Cult and other late-night cabarets she had a number of songs to work with. In 1995 she assembled a backing group—the self-styled Antony and the Johnsons—and began to focus on the musical side of her performances. The group built up a cult following at hip New York clubs such as the Kitchen and Knitting Factory.