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Dami Im ( ; ; ; born 17 October 1988) is an Australian singer and songwriter. She represented Australia at the
Eurovision Song Contest 2016 The Eurovision Song Contest 2016 was the 61st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Stockholm, Sweden, following the country's victory at the with the song "Heroes (Måns Zelmerlöw song), Heroes" by Måns Zelmerlöw. Organis ...
held in
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, Sweden with the song " Sound of Silence", placing second and achieving the highest
Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...
score for Australia. Born in South Korea, Im emigrated to Australia with her family at the age of nine. She won the fifth season of '' The X Factor Australia'' and subsequently received a recording contract with
Sony Music Australia Sony Music Entertainment Australia is the predominant record label operated by American parent company Sony Music Entertainment in Australia. Prior to 1995, SMEA published and distributed video games in Australia & New Zealand on behalf of So ...
. In 2020 she left Sony Music and signed with ABC Music. After winning ''The X Factor'', Im released her debut and winner's single " Alive", which debuted at number one on the
ARIA Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
. This was followed by the release of her self-titled second studio album, which debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified platinum by the
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...
. Im became the first ''X Factor Australia'' contestant to follow up a number one single with a number one album on the ARIA Charts. Im's third studio album, '' Heart Beats'', was released in 2014 and became her second top-ten album. It produced the top-twenty hits " Super Love" and "
Gladiator A gladiator ( , ) was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their ...
".


Early life

Dami Im was born in
Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
on 17 October 1988 to Lee Hae-yun, a trained opera singer, and Im Dong-eal. She is the elder of two children. Im began learning the piano at the age of five, and she taught herself to sing by recording herself copying her favourite artists. Aged nine, Im emigrated to Australia with her mother and younger brother Kenny because their parents thought they would have more opportunity growing up in Australia. They stayed with their uncle in
Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
, while her father stayed in South Korea to support them. Im's parents now live together, spending part of the year in Australia and part in South Korea. Aged 11, Im began studying piano at the Young Conservatorium of Music program at
Griffith University Griffith University is a public university, public research university in South East Queensland on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of Australia. The university was founded in 1971, but was not officially opened until 1975. Griffith ...
. She was a national finalist in the Yamaha Youth Piano Competition, and won the Nora Baird Scholarship and the Queensland Piano Competition several times. Im attended John Paul College in Daisy Hill, Queensland and graduated in 2005. She never sang while at school and would only accompany the choir on piano, and play violin for the school's Silver Strings group. In 2009, Im graduated from the
University of Queensland The University of Queensland is a Public university, public research university located primarily in Brisbane, the capital city of the Australian state of Queensland. Founded in 1909 by the Queensland parliament, UQ is one of the six sandstone ...
with first class honours in a Bachelor of Music. She subsequently completed a Masters of Music Studies degree in contemporary voice at
Griffith University Griffith University is a public university, public research university in South East Queensland on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of Australia. The university was founded in 1971, but was not officially opened until 1975. Griffith ...
. At Griffith University, Im was trained by Dr. Irene Bartlett and Sharny Russell, lecturer and voice coach who also trained a number of other well-known Australian vocalists such as Katie Noonan, Megan Washington, Kristin Berardi, and Elly Hoyt. Prior to entering ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'', Im was a gospel singer and occasionally taught piano and voice to support herself during this time.


Career


2010–2012: Early career

Im had a short career as a
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
singer in
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
, performing at Christian youth camps. In 2010, she released her debut studio album, ''Dream'', which consisted of nine tracks and was recorded to raise money for church endeavours. In July 2011, Im re-released the album with two extra tracks, which were both sung in English. On 5 December 2011, Im released a Christmas
extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...
called ''Snow & Carol'', which consisted of seven tracks. On 9 July 2012, Im released her second extended play, ''Intimacy'', which consisted of five tracks.


2013: ''The X Factor Australia''

In 2013, Im successfully auditioned for the fifth season of '' The X Factor Australia'', singing "
Hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. The original hero type of classical epics did such thin ...
" by
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
. She progressed to the super bootcamp round of the competition and was placed in the Girls category. On the first day of bootcamp, Im sang " I'm with You" by
Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is a key musician in popularizing pop-punk music, as she paved the way for female-driven, punk-influenced pop music in the early 2000s. List of awa ...
in front of her entire category and judges
Redfoo Stefan Kendal Gordy (born September 3, 1975), better known as Redfoo, is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, record producer, DJ, dancer, and tennis player. He came to prominence as one half of the duo LMFAO, formed with his half-nephew Sky ...
, Ronan Keating and
Dannii Minogue Dannii Minogue (; born 20 October 1971) is an Australian singer, television personality, and actress. As a child, she became known for her appearances on the television talent show ''Young Talent Time'' (1982–1988). She went on to play the r ...
. On the second day of bootcamp, she was put into an ensemble of 10 and they sang " Next to Me" by
Emeli Sandé Adele Emily Sandé ( ; previously Gouraguine; born 10 March 1987), known professionally as Emeli Sandé, is a British singer and songwriter. Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England and raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Sandé rose t ...
in front of the judges. Im made it to the third day of bootcamp, where she sang " Jolene" by
Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...
to the judges and a live audience of one thousand. After the judges made changes to the Boys, Girls and Over 25s categories, Im became part of the newly formed Over 24s category and was eliminated. However, Im was called back for the home visits round in New York City to replace Matt Gresham who decided he could not commit to the competition. During home visits, she sang " If I Were a Boy" by
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
in front of her mentor Minogue and guest mentor
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...
. Minogue later selected Im, along with Barry Southgate and Cat Vas, for the live finals—a series of ten weekly live shows in which contestants are progressively eliminated by public vote. For the Judges' Choice-themed first live show, Im sang "
One 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
" by U2 and received a standing ovation from the judges, with
Natalie Bassingthwaighte Natalie Bassingthwaighte (; born 1 September 1975) is an Australian singer, actress and television personality. Born and raised in Wollongong, New South Wales, she began her career in musical theatre. She later pursued an acting career in 1998 ...
saying she had "the best vocal of the night". Im's performance of "One" peaked at number 42 on the
ARIA Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
. For the Legends-themed second live show, she sang " Purple Rain" by
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
and received another standing ovation. Keating told Im that the competition "at the moment, is yours". Her performance of "Purple Rain" debuted at number 29 on the ARIA Singles Chart. For the Top 10 Hits-themed third live show, Im sang
Thelma Houston Thelma Houston ( Jackson; born May 7, 1943) is an American singer and actress. Beginning her recording career in the late 1960s, Houston scored a number-one hit in 1977 with her recording of " Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the Grammy for ...
's version of " Don't Leave Me This Way", and her performance of the song debuted on the ARIA Singles Chart at number 67. Following the eliminations of Vas in week two and Southgate in week three, Im became the last remaining contestant in Minogue's category. After her performance of
Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. She is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists in hist ...
's "
Roar A roar is a type of animal vocalization that is loud, deep and resonating. Many mammals have evolved to produce roars and other roar-like vocals for purposes such as long-distance communication and intimidation. These include various species of ...
" in the Latest and Greatest-themed fourth live show, Im received her fourth consecutive standing ovation from the judges. Im's performance of "Roar" debuted at number 44 on the ARIA Singles Chart. For the Rock-themed fifth live show, she sang " Best of You" by the
Foo Fighters The Foo Fighters are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Initially founded as a one-man project by former Nirvana (band), Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, the band comprises vocalist/guitarist Grohl, bassist Nate Mendel, gu ...
and received her fifth standing ovation. Im's performance of "Best of You" debuted at number 78 on the ARIA Singles Chart. Following Im's performance of
Simon & Garfunkel Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo comprising the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music acts of the 1960s. Their most famous recordings include three US number-one sing ...
's "
Bridge over Troubled Water ''Bridge Over Troubled Water'' is the fifth and final studio album by American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, released on January 26, 1970, by Columbia Records. Following the duo's soundtrack for ''The Graduate'', Art Garfunkel took an acting ...
" during the Family Heroes-themed sixth live show, her mentor Minogue notably teared up as she dedicated Im's song choice to her parents and grandfather, following the death of her grandmother. Im's performance of "Bridge over Troubled Water" debuted at number 15 on the ARIA Singles Chart. For the Judges' Challenge-themed seventh live show, Im sang
Zedd Anton Zaslavski (; born 2 September 1989), known professionally as Zedd (), is a German record producer and DJ. His stage name, Zedd, was derived from ''zed'', the Z#Name and pronunciation, English pronunciation, barring American English, for ...
's "
Clarity Clarity may refer to: Music Albums * ''Clarity'' (Jimmy Eat World album) or the title song, 1999 * ''Clarity'' (Sifow album) or the title song, 2006 * ''Clarity'' (Zedd album) or the title song (see below), 2012 * ''Clarity'' (mixtape), by K ...
", which was chosen by Keating, and her performance debuted at number 77 on the ARIA Singles Chart. Im received a mixed feedback from the judges following her performance of
John Farnham John Peter Farnham (born 1 July 1949) is a British-born Australian singer. Farnham was a teen pop idol from 1967 until the mid-1970s, billed as Johnny Farnham. He has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer.McFarlane (1999). Enc ...
's "
You're the Voice "You're the Voice" is a song recorded by Australian singer John Farnham released in 1986. It became an immediate hit in Australia as well as several European countries including the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was released as a single in Sept ...
" during the Aussie Week-themed eighth live show. Keating said "it was pitchy and a weak performance" and Bassingthwaighte agreed. For the Power and Passion-themed ninth live show, Im sang "
Saving All My Love for You "Saving All My Love for You" is a song written by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin, originally recorded by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. for their album ''Marilyn & Billy'' (1978). American singer Whitney Houston recorded it for her self-ti ...
" by
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...
and "
Wrecking Ball A wrecking ball is a heavy steel ball, usually hung from a Crane (machine), crane, that is used for Demolition, demolishing large buildings. It was most commonly in use during the 1940s and 1950s. Several wrecking companies claim to have inve ...
" by
Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( , born Destiny Hope Cyrus, November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and director. Regarded as a contemporary pop icon, Cyrus has been recognized for her evolving artistry and image reinventions. She is ...
. Her performances of "Wrecking Ball" and "Saving All My Love for You" debuted on the ARIA Singles Chart at numbers 61 and 85, respectively. During the grand final performance show on 27 October, Im was required to perform three songs – her audition song ("Hero"), winner's single (" Alive") and last shot song ("
And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" (also known in short as just "And I Am Telling You") is a torch song from the Broadway musical ''Dreamgirls'', with lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger. In the context of the musical, "And I Am ...
"). Her performance of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", which debuted at number 29 on the ARIA Singles Chart, got all four judges standing on the judges table. Redfoo said Im's performance was "the best thing I've ever seen in my life", while Minogue added that she is "world class". Im's performance of "Hero" debuted at number 62. During the grand final decider show the following day, Im was announced as the winner. denotes a performance that entered the ARIA Singles
denotes winner


Performances on ''The X Factor''


2013–2015: ''Dami Im'' and ''Heart Beats''

After winning ''The X Factor'', Im's debut and winner's single "Alive" was released on the iTunes Store. She also received a recording contract with
Sony Music Australia Sony Music Entertainment Australia is the predominant record label operated by American parent company Sony Music Entertainment in Australia. Prior to 1995, SMEA published and distributed video games in Australia & New Zealand on behalf of So ...
and a management deal. Four days after release, "Alive" debuted at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart. It was certified platinum by the
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival Records (Australia), Festival, Sony Music ...
for selling over 70,000 copies. Im's self-titled second studio album was released on 15 November 2013 and featured studio recordings of songs she performed on ''The X Factor''. The album debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified platinum for shipments of more than 70,000 units. Im became the first ''X Factor Australia'' contestant to follow up a number one single with a number one album on the ARIA Charts. On 23 November 2013, Im toured alongside Third Degree,
Taylor Henderson Taylor James Henderson (born 23 March 1993) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Originating from Ceres, Victoria, Henderson rose to fame after placing third on the Australia's Got Talent (series 4), fourth series of ''Australia's Got Tale ...
, Jiordan Tolli and Jai Waetford for The X Factor Live Tour, which ended on 2 December 2013. In late December 2013, she signed on as an ambassador for the children's charity Compassion Australia. It was reported on 19 January 2014 that fashion label Alannah Hill had signed Im to be the face of their autumn and winter 2014 collection. On 24 January 2014, Im released a cover of "
I Am Australian "I Am Australian" (or "We Are Australian") is a popular Australian song written in 1987 by Bruce Woodley of the Seekers and Dobe Newton of the Bushwackers. Its lyrics are filled with many historic and cultural references, such as to the " dig ...
" with Henderson,
Jessica Mauboy Jessica Hilda Mauboy (; born 4 August 1989) is an Australian singer. Born and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory, she rose to fame in 2006 on the Australian Idol (season 4), fourth season of ''Australian Idol'', where she was runner-up and s ...
, Justice Crew,
Nathaniel Willemse Nathaniel Willemse (born 14 July 1985), often known simply as Nathaniel, is a South African-born Australian singer and songwriter most notable for being the eighth contestant eliminated on the The X Factor (Australia season 4), fourth season of ' ...
and Samantha Jade, to coincide with the
Australia Day Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet and raising of the Flag of Great Britain, Union Flag of Great Britain by Arthur Phillip at Sydney Cove, a ...
celebrations. The song peaked at number 51 on the ARIA Singles Chart. Im's next single, an acoustic cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene", was released on 7 March 2014, but failed to chart. In May 2014, she became an ambassador for Priceline Pharmacy's You Beauty campaign, which celebrates the diversity of Australian women. The following month, Im became the ambassador of
Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
's video game, ''
Tomodachi Life ''Tomodachi Life'', known in Japan as , and in South Korea as , is a social simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. It is the sequel to the Japan-exclusive Nintendo DS title '' Tomodachi Collection''. Th ...
''. On 3 September 2014, Im performed at The Marquee in Sydney as part of Nova FM's Red Room Global Tour. Im's third studio album, '' Heart Beats'', was released on 17 October 2014 and debuted at number seven on the ARIA Albums Chart, becoming Im's second top-ten album. The album was preceded by the release of its first two singles, " Super Love" and "
Gladiator A gladiator ( , ) was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their ...
", both of which peaked at number 11 on the ARIA Singles Chart. The former also reached the top-twenty on the South Korea Gaon Charts and was certified platinum, while the latter was certified gold for selling over 35,000 copies. In December 2014, Im was the supporting act for
John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He began his musical career working behind the scenes for other artists, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Every ...
's Australian leg of his All of Me Tour. Im's sixth lead single "
Smile A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile. Among humans, a smile expresses d ...
" was released on 29 May 2015, and debuted at number 48. In June 2015, it was confirmed that Im was working on her upcoming fourth studio album. In 2015, Im competed on
King of Mask Singer ''The King of Mask Singer'' () is a South Korean singing competition program presented by Kim Sung-joo, with introductions by voice actor . It airs on MBC on Sunday, starting from April 5, 2015 as a part of MBC's '' Sunday Night'' programming ...
, the original version of The Masked Singer, as the Statue of Liberty. She only lasted for three rounds.


2016–2018: Eurovision Song Contest, ''Classic Carpenters'' and ''I Hear a Song''

Im was invited to participate in the international cast BTV Global Spring Festival Gala presentation by the Chinese BTV television station which was broadcast on the second day of Spring Festival 10 February. Im performed an acoustic rendition of " Close to You" in English and then teamed up with Chinese Kazakh singer, Tasiken (塔斯肯), to perform the popular "365 Mile Road" (三百六十五里路) as a duet, in Chinese. The pairing of Im with Tasiken in the duet performance is also notable in that they both share remarkably similar journeys in their music competition experiences. In the second series of ''
The Voice of China ''The Voice of China'' () is a Chinese reality television singing competition broadcast on Zhejiang Television. Based on the original ''The Voice of Holland'', the concept of the series is to find new singing talent (solo or duets) contested by as ...
'' competition in 2013, Tasiken was initially eliminated in the Blind Auditions round, but was later selected by coach A-mei in a second chance round. Tasiken performed well and won the Battles and Knock Out rounds, only to ultimately lose to the eventual winner of the series Li Qi (李琦) in the Playoff round. This almost mirrors Im's own experience of being eliminated in the super bootcamp round of 2013 The X-Factor Australia competition, only to be recalled to the home visits round. Im of course went on to perform very well in the subsequent Live Finals and eventually win the competition. The very popular Global Spring Festival event was reportedly one of the world's most watched TV program, broadcast to a global audience of over 200 million. On 3 March, it was announced Im would represent
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
at the
Eurovision Song Contest 2016 The Eurovision Song Contest 2016 was the 61st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Stockholm, Sweden, following the country's victory at the with the song "Heroes (Måns Zelmerlöw song), Heroes" by Måns Zelmerlöw. Organis ...
. Her song was " Sound of Silence". On 4 March, it also announced Im would release a new album in April called '' Classic Carpenters''. The album is a collection of cover versions of some of
The Carpenters The Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen Carpenter, Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (musician), Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinctive soft musical style, combining ...
' biggest songs. It was released on 22 April 2016. Three music videos of her performing the songs "(They Long to Be) Close to You", "There's a Kind of Hush (All Over the World)" and "Yesterday Once More" were released on 14, 17 and 19 April, respectively. Classic carpenters charted with massive success on the ARIA charts gaining the chart position of Number Three, Im's third studio also gained success on the South Korean charts achieving a position of 23 within the Top 25. At an interview, Paul Clarke, Australia's head of delegation to the Eurovision Song Contest, was asked about the potential of Im's performance at the contest. Clarke remarked that Im's journey as a migrant to Australia at the age of nine and learning English from songs of Kylie Minogue was conducive to the multiculturalism and diversity of the European competition. Clarke adds that "Im is also a lightning rod of emotion when she performs", which is something he believes will resonate with the Eurovision audience. He further notes that "She can just feel an audience and be able to be the conductor of it, better than just about any performer I've ever seen, she just does it intuitively." In the Eurovision Song Contest 2016, Im was announced to perform in second semi-final. Im performed tenth in the running order and successfully progressed to the final with the highest score and top ranking of her semi-final. As this was the first time Australia competed in the semi-final stage, Im became the first ever Australian representative to progress from the semi-final to the final. In the final, Im performed 13th in the running order and achieved the top score of 320 points from the national jury. Ultimately, she received 191 points from televoting and was announced to have gained 511 points in total, placing 2nd in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016. Im's second place score is the highest score ever achieved by an Australian representative. Following the contest, Im's single " Sound of Silence" charted at number 3 on the ARIA charts and gained huge success across Europe the single achieved two Gold certifications from the
ARIA Charts The ARIA Charts are the main Australian record chart, music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA beca ...
and the
Swedish Recording Industry Association Grammofonleverantörernas förening (GLF) (English: Swedish Recording Industry Association), was an organisation representing the music recording industry of Sweden. It compiled and published the official record charts for the Swedish music recordi ...
charts respectively. Also "Sound of Silence" charted within the top fifteen in Finland and Belgium – a first for Im in her singing career, the single also charted for the first time in Im's career on the UK Charts, the Spanish, German and Austrian charts. This single is Im's most successful in her career to date. In October 2016, Im released her first post-Eurovision single, " Fighting for Love". In 2017, it was announced through various social media that THE.mgmt has signed Im to a special arrangement modeling contract with the agency. On 7 April 2017, Im released a new recording of " Hold Me in Your Arms" with original Southern Sons singer, Jack Jones. On 9 April 2017, it was reported that
Sony Music Australia Sony Music Entertainment Australia is the predominant record label operated by American parent company Sony Music Entertainment in Australia. Prior to 1995, SMEA published and distributed video games in Australia & New Zealand on behalf of So ...
CEO Denis Handlin was moved by Im's earlier live performance of the song on Australia Day with
Guy Sebastian Guy Theodore Sebastian (born 26 October 1981) is an Australian singer who rose to fame after winning the Australian Idol (season 1), first season of ''Australian Idol'', in 2003. Born in Malaysia and raised in Adelaide, Australia, Sebastian h ...
that he "spared no expense securing the original voice of the song Jack Jones (Irwin Thomas) to re-create is 1990 hit with Dami Im." On 28 April 2017, Im posted on her social media photos of herself with Sony Australia CEO Denis Handlin receiving Gold certification for ''Classic Carpenters'' and her platinum certification for "Sound of Silence". In April 2017 Im made a special guest appearance in the Brisbane production of '' Grease: The Arena Experience''. On 16 February 2018, Im announced her fifth studio album '' I Hear a Song'' would be released on 23 March 2018. The album charted with massive success just as her previous album did, reaching number 3 in the ARIA album chart. It also reached number one in the Australian Artist Album charts and number 11 on the Gaon Korean charts.


2019: ''Live Sessions EP'', Asia Song Festival and independent release

In March 2019 she released her first live EP ('' Live Sessions EP''). She left Sony Music Australia and on the 13th of September 2019 released her original song " Crying Underwater" independently. Im said of the release; "There is so much pressure in today's society to always look happy so we end up feeling like we're not allowed to talk about how we really feel, Just like you're crying underwater where no one can see you crying." On 3 January 2020, Im released " Kiss You Anyway". In October 2019, Im performed in Korea at the
Asia Song Festival Asia Song Festival, A-Song-Fe or ASF, is an annual Asian pop music festival held in South Korea, since 2004. It is hosted by Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange (KOFICE) and features artists from Asian countries. Participating a ...
alongside prominent
K-pop K-pop (; an abbreviation of "Korean popular music") is a form of popular music originating in South Korea. It emerged in the 1990s as a form of youth subculture, with Korean musicians taking influence from Western Electronic dance music, danc ...
artists such as
Sunmi Lee Sun-mi (; born Sun Mi, May 2, 1992), known mononymously as Sunmi, is a South Korean singer, dancer, songwriter and record producer. She debuted in 2007 as a member of South Korean girl group Wonder Girls and left the group in 2010 to purs ...
,
Eric Nam Eric Nam (; born November 17, 1988) is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality based in South Korea. Since his debut in 2013, he was named ''GQ Koreas Man of the Year in 2016'','' included on ''Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia ...
,
Stray Kids Stray Kids (often abbreviated to SKZ; ) is a South Korean boy band formed by JYP Entertainment. The band consists of eight members: Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han (musician), Han, Felix (rapper), Felix, Seungmin, and I.N. For un ...
and
Itzy Itzy (; Japanese language, Japanese: イッチ; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment. The group consists of five members: Yeji (singer), Yeji, Lia (South Korean singer), Lia, Ryujin (rapper), Ryujin, Chae ...
.


2020–present: Signing with ABC, Bluesfest, ''Dancing with the Stars'', ''My Reality'' and memoir

In early 2020, Im was announced as a contestant on the seventeenth series of ''Dancing with the Stars'', being paired with new professional dancer Shae Mountain. They were the sixth couple to be eliminated, placing fifth overall for the season. On 8 February 2020, Im performed " Walk with Me" with
Måns Zelmerlöw Måns Petter Albert Sahlén Zelmerlöw (; born 13 June 1986) is a Swedish singer and television presenter. He took part in ''Idol 2005'', eventually finishing fifth, won the Let's Dance 2006, first season of ''Let's Dance (Swedish TV series), Le ...
at ''
Eurovision – Australia Decides ''Eurovision – Australia Decides'' was an annual song competition organised by Australian public broadcaster Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) and production partner Blink TV. It determined for the Eurovision Song Contest between 2019 and ...
'', the event that decides Australia's entrant to the
Eurovision Song Contest 2020 The Eurovision Song Contest 2020 was planned to be the 65th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It would have taken place in Rotterdam, Netherlands, following the country's victory at the with the song " Arcade" by Duncan Laurence. This w ...
. as well as performing her new single " Marching On" which she wrote about her mother. She made a surprise announcement that she would be competing in Australia Decides 2021, which was ultimately cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. On 31 August 2020, Im confirmed she had signed with ABC Music and announced a new album. On 17 September, she released " Paper Dragon", her first single with the new label. The song was intended to be her entry for Australia Decides 2021, which was cancelled due to the pandemic. In mid 2021, Im appeared as a contestant on the second season of
Network 10 Network 10 (commonly known as the 10 Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Global's UK & Australia division and is one of the five national free-to-a ...
's '' Celebrity MasterChef Australia'', where she was the second contestant to be eliminated. Im performed for the first time at Byron Bay Bluesfest in 2021. She released her sixth studio album, ''My Reality'', on 29 October 2021. Im released a memoir titled "Dreamer" in 2022. In May 2023, Im announced the EP ''In Between (Dami Im EP), In Between'', which was released on 7 July 2023. In October 2023, Im announced her first Christmas collection, titled ''Christmas Songbook''. The EP was released on 17 November 2023. In 2023, Im competed on the The Masked Singer (Australian season 5), fifth season of ''The Masked Singer (Australian TV series), The Masked Singer Australia'' as Snow Fox, making it the second time she appeared in a version of the singing competition. She eventually won the season, after eight performances. In September 2024, Im performed a reinterpreted version of South Korean singer-songwriter Lee Sun-hee (singer), Lee Sun-hee's song "Beautiful Scenery" on South Korean show ''Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend'', alongside other artists Ben (South Korean singer), Ben, Kai (singer, born 1981), Kai, Son Seung-yeon and Monni (band), Monni who performed reinterpreted songs of other artists. At the end of the episode, Im was declared the winner of the night for her performance.


Artistry

Im credits her home influences, with her mother being an opera singer, and her own training in piano, as providing her the grounding and work-ethic, instilling in her the love for music and performance. Im has also cited
K-pop K-pop (; an abbreviation of "Korean popular music") is a form of popular music originating in South Korea. It emerged in the 1990s as a form of youth subculture, with Korean musicians taking influence from Western Electronic dance music, danc ...
music as an inspiration in regard to her love and passion for singing and songwriting. Her musical influences are
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
,
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
, Norah Jones, Corinne Bailey Rae and BoA. Aside from singing Im is also known for her songwriting. Since parting with Sony Music, she has written and released her own songs with deeper personal meaning such as Marching On, Crying Underwater and Kiss You Anyway. She is also recognised as a fashion trendsetter. During the X Factor competition, she was known for the extravagant outfits that she wore for her performances. Im was sought after by designers and fashion houses to showcase their creations, including Alannah Hill and Carla Zampatti. At Eurovision, Im's iconic dress was custom designed by well-known Australian designer Steven Khalil.


Filmography

*2014: ''Paper Planes'' In 2014, Im was invited to perform a rendition of Macy Gray's "Beauty in the World" for part of the soundtrack of ''Paper Planes (film), Paper Planes'', an Australian children's movie. ''Paper Planes'' starred Sam Worthington, David Wenham, Deborah Mailman and Ed Oxenbould, and was co-written by Steve Worland and Robert Connolly. Connolly also directed the movie. The co-producers were Liz Kearney and Maggie Miles. The movie opened in cinemas on 15 January 2015. A version of "Beauty in the World" was also recorded for Im's ''Heart Beats'' album. *2016: ''Trolls'' On 15 November 2016 multiple media sources announced that Im would be making her film debut in the Australian release of DreamWorks Animation's feature ''Trolls (film), Trolls''. She is cast as the voice to the role of Grandma Rosiepuff. Im would share the role with Susanna Reid, who will be the voice of the character for the UK version and GloZell Green who will be the voice for the US version. Media also reported that Im joined Justin Timberlake at the Australian premiere of the film on 20 November at The Entertainment Quarter, Hoyts Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park, New South Wales, Moore Park, Sydney.


Special appearances


Carols in the Domain

Soon after winning ''The X Factor'' in 2013, Im was invited to her first appearance at Carols in the Domain. An annual event that is broadcast live in Australia, the event consistently draws large crowds of in excess of 80,000. The event is often hosted by media personalities with a diverse cast that is made up of musicians, performers, characters from popular media, choral groups and choirs. Im's has participated in this annual event every year since her first show in 2013. On 21 November 2016 it was announced that Im would once again be a part of the cast for the 2016 event to be held and telecast live on 18 December 2016. The details of Im's performances at each year's shows are listed below:


Carols by Candlelight

On Saturday, 24 December 2016, Im was among an ensemble cast of Australian performers who performed at the Carols By Candlelight, Vision Australia Carols By Candlelight at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne, Australia. The other performers include Anthony Callea, Tim Campbell (actor), Tim Campbell, Kate Ceberano, Shane Jacobson, Lucy Durack, Marina Prior, Silvie Paladino, David Hobson (tenor), David Hobson, Denis Walter, Darren Percival, legally blind opera singer Michael Leonardi, and Ol' 55 (band), Ol'55, who celebrated their 40th anniversary at the event. The event was broadcast live nationally by the Nine Network. Media reports of the event acclaimed Im's performance, "Dami Im stole the show -hands down- last night."


Personal life

Im met her husband Noah Kim, at her Korean church in Brisbane and in 15 September 2012 they were married in
Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
. The couple have a son who was born in 2022. Im and her husband lived in Daisy Hill, Queensland, Daisy Hill, a suburb of Logan City in Queensland. In October 2013, she was named the cultural ambassador for Logan City and was offered the key to the city by mayor Pam Parker. Im was presented with the key at a ceremony on 4 December 2013. Im is an avid foodie, and has a passion for sweets. During a Facebook Live interview with ''New Idea'' magazine in 2016, Im shared that she likes cooking and relaxing at home. She said her favourite food is her mother's home-cooked food, especially Jeon (food), ''chijimi'', a Korean pancake. In another interview she also intimated that her 'go-to' comfort food is Korean fried chicken.


Compassion Australia

Im is an ardent supporter of Compassion Australia and one of their most active ambassadors. After Eurovision 2016, against the advice of many in the industry, Im went ahead with a pre-planned trip to visit her eighth sponsor child, Jovia, in Uganda. During the trip, Dami Im hosted a concert for the 200 children in Uganda and live broadcast on Facebook. She is passionate about drawing attention to the poverty of people around the world and the need to help support people in these circumstances. She said that her trip to Uganda was grounding to her and gives purpose for what she does in her life and work.


Notable performances

Im has appeared in numerous public performances marking special occasions and on live TV including: * 15 December 2015 – Dami Im, accompanied by the NSW Public Schools Singers performed a rendition of "I Am Australian" at a special ceremony held on 15 December 2015 to commemorate the first anniversary of the 2014 Sydney hostage crisis. * 10 February 2016 – Dami Im performed on Beijing Media Network, Beijing TV's ''Global Spring Festival Gala'' broadcast to celebrate the Spring Festival. Im performed a solo cover of "(They Long to Be) Close to You" and a duet with Chinese Kazakh singer, Tasiken, singing in Chinese the song, "365 Mile Road" (三百六十五里路) to a reported global audience of over 200 million. * 21 April 2016 – Dami Im performed a tribute to
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
by singing " Purple Rain" on live television broadcast during Seven Network, Channel 7's ''The Morning Show (TV program), The Morning Show'' after learning of his death. * 12 May 2016 and 14 May 2016 – Im's performances of " Sound of Silence" at the Second Semi-final on 12 May and Grand Final on 14 May at the
Eurovision Song Contest 2016 The Eurovision Song Contest 2016 was the 61st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Stockholm, Sweden, following the country's victory at the with the song "Heroes (Måns Zelmerlöw song), Heroes" by Måns Zelmerlöw. Organis ...
at Ericsson Globe, Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. Im won the Second Semi-final and advanced to the Grand Final as the first Australian entrant to ever do so at the event. She placed second at the Grand Final. * 1 November 2016 – Im performed at the 2016 Melbourne Cup to a worldwide television audience estimated at over 700 million. Im was accompanied by the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic orchestra and choir. Im performed a cover of Celine Dion's "The Power of the Dream" as well as the Australian National Anthem. * 7 December 2016 – At the 6th AACTA Awards Im performed a rendition of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee" on a Piano a coda, grand piano in front of a screen portraying scenes from Geoffrey Rush's ''Shine (film), Shine'' as a tribute to the iconic 1996 film. News reports described Im's performance as the one that "stole the show". * 26 January 2017 – At the
Australia Day Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet and raising of the Flag of Great Britain, Union Flag of Great Britain by Arthur Phillip at Sydney Cove, a ...
Concert on the steps of the Sydney Opera House, that was broadcast live on television by Network Ten, Im reprised a solo performance of her Eurovision anthem " Sound of Silence". She teamed up with
Guy Sebastian Guy Theodore Sebastian (born 26 October 1981) is an Australian singer who rose to fame after winning the Australian Idol (season 1), first season of ''Australian Idol'', in 2003. Born in Malaysia and raised in Adelaide, Australia, Sebastian h ...
in a duet cover rendition of " Hold Me in Your Arms" which reportedly is the first time the two artists collaborated in a live performance. On 7 April 2017 Im recorded and released a studio single version of this song with Jack Jones (Irwin Thomas). It was reported on 9 April 2017, that [Im's] "performance was so powerful [that] Sony Music Australia, Sony boss Denis Handlin commissioned the new version and spared no expense securing the original voice of the song Jack Jones (Irwin Thomas) to re-create the 1990 hit". Together with Human Nature (band), Human Nature, the duo joined Russell Morris to perform a group rendition of "The Real Thing (Russell Morris song), The Real Thing". In the finale, Im joined the rest of the other concert performers in group renditions of the Australian National Anthem, "Advance Australia Fair", and "I Am Australian". * 15 April 2018, Im performed "Alive (Sia song), Alive" at the 2018 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony. *13–14 June 2019, Im performed her show 'My Life In Songs' at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. *11–12 October 2019, Im performed in Korea at the
Asia Song Festival Asia Song Festival, A-Song-Fe or ASF, is an annual Asian pop music festival held in South Korea, since 2004. It is hosted by Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange (KOFICE) and features artists from Asian countries. Participating a ...
alongside prominent K-pop, KPop artists * 8 February 2020, Im performed " Walk with Me" with
Måns Zelmerlöw Måns Petter Albert Sahlén Zelmerlöw (; born 13 June 1986) is a Swedish singer and television presenter. He took part in ''Idol 2005'', eventually finishing fifth, won the Let's Dance 2006, first season of ''Let's Dance (Swedish TV series), Le ...
at ''
Eurovision – Australia Decides ''Eurovision – Australia Decides'' was an annual song competition organised by Australian public broadcaster Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) and production partner Blink TV. It determined for the Eurovision Song Contest between 2019 and ...
''.


Discography

* ''Dream'' (2010) * ''Dami Im (album), Dami Im'' (2013) * '' Heart Beats'' (2014) * '' Classic Carpenters'' (2016) * '' I Hear a Song'' (2018) * ''My Reality'' (2021)


Concert tours

Headlining * The X Factor Live Tour (2013) * Yesterday Once More Tour (2016–2017) * I Hear a Song Tour (2018) * Dreamer Tour (2019) *Paper Dragon Tour (2020) Supporting * Nova's Red Room Global Tour (Series 1: 2014) * John Legend's All of Me Tour (2014): Australian leg


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Im, Dami 1988 births Living people 21st-century Australian singers 21st-century Australian pianists 21st-century Australian violinists 21st-century Australian women singers Anti-poverty advocates Australian Christians Australian women composers Australian women pop singers Australian women singer-songwriters Australian flautists Australian women flautists Australian multi-instrumentalists Australian people of Korean descent Australian performers of Christian music Australian sopranos Griffith University alumni Korean Christians Masked Singer winners Musicians from Brisbane Naturalised citizens of Australia Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University alumni South Korean emigrants to Australia Australian women memoirists The X Factor (Australian TV series) contestants The X Factor winners Eurovision Song Contest entrants University of Queensland alumni Australian women violinists People educated at John Paul College (Brisbane) 21st-century Australian women pianists 21st-century flautists 21st-century Australian singer-songwriters