Maori singer Keala Settle's song wins Golden Globe

Maori singer Keala Settle attends The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel. Photo / Getty

A hit song performed and inspired by a Maori artist has just won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture.

The award went to the song This Is Me from the recent musical release The Greatest Showman starring Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams and more.

The song is performed in the film by Broadway star Keala Settle, who is of Maori descent and who still has family in New Zealand.

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who co-wrote the music and lyrics, accepted the award and thanked Settle for her work on bringing it to life.

"Keala performed the song and her story inspired the song...so we thank you," they said.

In a previous interview with the Herald, Settle spoke about her struggles to fit in as someone with Maori, American, Pacific Island and European heritage.

It was that struggle which saw her nail her performance of This Is Me and land the scene-stealing role in the film.

This Is Me won over original numbers from Mudbound (by Mary J Blige), The Star (by Mariah Carey), Ferdinand (by Nick Jonas), and Coco (sung by Miguel).

The Greatest Showman is also up for Best Original Picture—Musical or Comedy, and Best Actor (for Jackman).