Grammy-award winning rapper and LGBTI advocate Macklemore will perform his popular marriage equality anthem, Same Love, at Australia’s Rugby League grand final.

Macklemore is performing in the pre-show of the National Rugby League grand final. The teams playing are Melbourne Storm and the North Queensland Cowboys on Sunday 1 October.

As one of the biggest sporting events in Australia, more than 4 million people are expected to watch the NRL final on TV.

The rapper will be sending an important message to Australians who are currently in the middle of a postal survey on marriage equality. Aussies are voting in a voluntary, non-binding survey which asks whether they think the law should be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry.

Same Love

Released in 2012 the pro-LGBTI song went to number one in several countries around the world.

It was nominated for a Grammy with Macklemore performing the song live at the 2014 Grammys alongside singers Mary Lambert and Madonna. Queen Latifah officiated the weddings of 33 same-sex and heterosexual couples during the liv performance.

The Same Love video received the 2013 MTV Video Music Award for Best Video with a Message.

The Seattle based rapper spoke of the influence his gay uncles had on him growing up in a 2013 interview.

‘I have hella gay uncles,’ Macklemore told DJ Angie Martinez. ‘On my dad’s side, out of his four brothers, two of those brothers are gay.’

‘And they have their respective partners, and I consider them my uncles as well.’

