Marty Kristian (born Martins Vanags on 27 May 1947) is a German-born, British-based musician. He grew up, and started his musical career, in Australia, as a solo artist. He is a singer-song writer-guitarist and, in the 1970s, he became a heartthrob as a founding member of the New Seekers (1969–74, 1976–2002).
Martins Vanags was born in Leipzig, Germany in 1947 to Latvian-born parents, Paul and Rute "Ruth" Vanags. His father died before he turned one-year-old and he migrated to Australia with his mother in 1950. He attended Northcote High School for secondary education and then started a course in architecture at Melbourne University. He left after a year when his widowed mother became ill and worked as a trainee draughtsman to support her.
Kristian played with local bands in his spare time – his breakthrough came when he appeared on TV pop music series, The Go!! Show. His debut single, "We Didn't Ask to Be Brought Here", a cover version of Bobby Darin's 1965 hit, was issued in 1966. In August he performed Bob Dylan's "One Too Many Mornings" on The Go!! Show.

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