Dami Im facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dami Im
Im in 2016
Background information
Birth name	Im Da-mi
Born	(1988-10-17) 17 October 1988 (age 36) Seoul, South Korea
Origin	Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Genres	Pop R&B soul gospel
Occupation(s)	Singer and songwriter
Years active	2005–present
Labels	Sony (2013–2019) ABC Music (2020–present)
Korean name
Hangul	임다미
Hanja	任多美
RR	Im Dami
MR	Im Tami

Dami Im (pronounced DAH-mee IM) is a talented Australian singer and songwriter. She became famous after winning The X Factor Australia in 2013. Dami also made Australia proud at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016. She sang "Sound of Silence" and came in second place. This was the highest score Australia had ever achieved at Eurovision!

Dami was born in South Korea and moved to Australia with her family when she was nine years old. After winning The X Factor, her first song "Alive" went straight to number one. Her album, also called Dami Im, also reached number one. This made her the first X Factor Australia winner to have both a number one song and a number one album.

Growing Up: Dami Im's Early Life

Dami Im was born in Seoul, South Korea, on October 17, 1988. Her mother, Lee Hae-yun, was an opera singer. Dami is the older of two children. She started playing the piano at age five. She taught herself to sing by recording herself and copying her favorite artists.

When Dami was nine, she moved to Australia with her mother and younger brother, Kenny. Her parents believed Australia offered more opportunities for them. They lived with their uncle in Brisbane, while her father stayed in South Korea to support them. Now, Dami's parents live together, splitting their time between Australia and South Korea.

At age 11, Dami began studying piano at the Young Conservatorium of Music. She won several piano competitions and scholarships. Dami went to John Paul College and finished school in 2005. She mostly played piano for the choir and violin for a school group. She didn't sing much at school.

In 2009, Dami earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Queensland. She then completed a Masters degree in contemporary voice at Griffith University. Before The X Factor, Dami was a gospel singer. She also taught piano and voice to support herself.

Dami Im's Music Journey: Early Career

Dami started her singing career as a gospel singer in South Korea. She performed at Christian youth camps. In 2010, she released her first album, Dream. This album helped raise money for church projects. In 2011, she re-released the album with two new songs sung in English.

In December 2011, Dami released a Christmas collection of songs called Snow & Carol. In July 2012, she released another collection of songs called Intimacy.

Becoming a Star: The X Factor Australia

In 2013, Dami tried out for the fifth season of The X Factor Australia. She sang "Hero" by Mariah Carey. She made it through to the "super bootcamp" round.

During bootcamp, Dami sang "I'm with You" and "Next to Me". She also sang "Jolene" by Dolly Parton. Dami was first eliminated from the show. But she was called back to replace another contestant!

For the "home visits" round, Dami sang "If I Were a Boy" by Beyoncé for her mentor, Dannii Minogue. Dannii chose Dami to be one of the finalists for the live shows.

Live Shows: Dami's Amazing Performances

Dami performed many songs during the live shows. She often received standing ovations from the judges.

• In Week 1, she sang "One" by U2.
• In Week 2, she sang "Purple Rain" by Prince.
• In Week 3, she sang "Don't Leave Me This Way".
• In Week 4, she sang Katy Perry's "Roar".
• In Week 5, she sang "Best of You" by the Foo Fighters.
• In Week 6, she sang "Bridge over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel. This performance made her mentor, Dannii Minogue, cry.
• In Week 7, she sang "Clarity" by Zedd.
• In Week 8, she sang "You're the Voice" by John Farnham.
• In Week 9, she sang "Saving All My Love for You" by Whitney Houston and "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus.

The Grand Final: Dami Wins!

In the grand final on October 27, 2013, Dami performed three songs. She sang her audition song "Hero," her winner's song "Alive," and "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." Her performance of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was so powerful that all four judges stood on their table!

The next day, Dami Im was announced as the winner of The X Factor Australia!

Dami Im's X Factor Performances

     denotes a performance that entered the ARIA Singles
     denotes winner

After X Factor: Albums and Tours

Dami Im performing at The X Factor Live Tour in November 2013

After winning The X Factor, Dami's song "Alive" was released and quickly became number one on the ARIA Singles Chart. It sold over 70,000 copies! Her album, Dami Im, also reached number one on the ARIA Albums Chart. This made her the first X Factor Australia winner to have both a number one song and a number one album.

In late 2013, Dami toured with other X Factor contestants. She also became an ambassador for Compassion Australia, a charity that helps children.

In 2014, Dami released a cover of "I Am Australian" with other Australian artists. She also released an acoustic cover of "Jolene." Dami became an ambassador for Priceline Pharmacy and Nintendo's video game, Tomodachi Life.

Her third album, Heart Beats, came out in October 2014. It reached number seven on the ARIA Albums Chart. The album included popular songs like "Super Love" and "Gladiator." Both songs were very successful. In December 2014, Dami opened for John Legend on his Australian tour.

In 2015, Dami released her song "Smile." She also competed on King of Mask Singer in South Korea, where she was known as the Statue of Liberty.

Eurovision and Beyond: Global Success

In February 2016, Dami performed at the BTV Global Spring Festival Gala in China. She sang "[(They Long to Be) Close to You|Close to You]" and a Chinese duet. This show was watched by over 200 million people worldwide!

Dami Im during a rehearsal before the second semi-final at Eurovision 2016

On March 3, 2016, it was announced that Dami Im would represent Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016. Her song was "Sound of Silence." She also released a new album in April 2016 called Classic Carpenters. This album featured covers of famous songs by The Carpenters. It reached number three on the ARIA charts.

At Eurovision, Dami performed in the second semi-final and won it, moving on to the final. This was the first time Australia competed in a semi-final, so Dami made history! In the final, she received the highest score from the national juries. She ended up placing second overall, which is the best result Australia has ever had at Eurovision.

Dami Im in 2016

After Eurovision, "Sound of Silence" became a huge hit across Europe. It reached number 3 on the ARIA charts and earned two Gold certifications. It was Dami's most successful song to date. In October 2016, she released "Fighting for Love."

In 2017, Dami released a new version of "Hold Me in Your Arms" with the original singer, Jack Jones. She also received Gold certification for Classic Carpenters and Platinum certification for "Sound of Silence."

On February 16, 2018, Dami announced her fifth album, I Hear a Song. It was released in March 2018 and also reached number 3 on the ARIA album chart.

Recent Years: New Music and TV Appearances

In March 2019, Dami released her first live collection of songs, Live Sessions EP. She then left Sony Music Australia and started releasing her own music independently. On September 13, 2019, she released "Crying Underwater." Dami said this song was about feeling like you can't show your true emotions. In January 2020, she released "Kiss You Anyway."

In October 2019, Dami performed in Korea at the Asia Song Festival with popular K-pop artists.

In early 2020, Dami competed on Dancing with the Stars in Australia. She placed fifth overall.

On February 8, 2020, Dami performed "Walk with Me" with Måns Zelmerlöw at Eurovision – Australia Decides. She also sang her new song "Marching On," which she wrote about her mother.

In August 2020, Dami signed with ABC Music and announced a new album. She released "Paper Dragon" in September, which was meant to be her entry for Australia Decides 2021.

In mid-2021, Dami appeared on Celebrity MasterChef Australia. She also performed at Byron Bay Bluesfest for the first time. Her sixth album, My Reality, was released in October 2021. Dami also released a book about her life called "Dreamer" in 2022.

In May 2023, Dami announced her collection of songs In Between, which came out in July 2023. In October 2023, she released her first Christmas collection, Christmas Songbook.

In 2023, Dami competed on The Masked Singer Australia as Snow Fox. She won the season after eight amazing performances! In September 2024, Dami performed on the South Korean show Immortal Songs: Singing the Legend and was declared the winner of the night.

Dami Im's Artistic Style

Dami's mother being an opera singer and her own piano training greatly influenced her. These experiences taught her to love music and work hard. Dami also finds inspiration in K-pop music for her singing and songwriting. Some of her musical heroes include Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Norah Jones, Corinne Bailey Rae, and BoA.

Besides singing, Dami is also known for writing her own songs. Since leaving Sony Music, she has released personal songs like "Marching On," "Crying Underwater," and "Kiss You Anyway."

Dami is also known for her fashion sense. During The X Factor, she wore amazing outfits for her performances. Designers like Alannah Hill and Carla Zampatti wanted her to show off their clothes. At Eurovision, Dami's famous dress was custom-made by Australian designer Steven Khalil.

Dami Im in Movies

• 2014: Paper Planes

In 2014, Dami sang a version of "Beauty in the World" by Macy Gray for the movie Paper Planes. This was an Australian children's movie. The song was also included on Dami's Heart Beats album.

• 2016: Trolls

In November 2016, Dami made her movie debut in the Australian version of DreamWorks Animation's Trolls. She was the voice of Grandma Rosiepuff. Dami joined Justin Timberlake at the movie's Australian premiere.

Special Performances

Carols in the Domain

After winning The X Factor in 2013, Dami was invited to perform at Carols in the Domain. This is a big annual event in Australia, watched by many people. Dami has performed at this event every year since 2013.

Carols by Candlelight

On December 24, 2016, Dami performed at the Vision Australia Carols By Candlelight in Melbourne. She was part of a group of Australian performers. Her performance was highly praised by the media.

Dami Im's Personal Life

Dami met her husband, Noah Kim, at her Korean church in Brisbane. They got married in Seoul on September 15, 2012. They welcomed a son in 2022. Dami and Noah lived in Daisy Hill, a suburb of Logan City in Queensland. In October 2013, Dami was named the cultural ambassador for Logan City. She was also given the key to the city.

Dami loves food, especially sweets! She enjoys cooking and relaxing at home. Her favorite food is her mother's home-cooked meals, especially chijimi, a Korean pancake. She also loves Korean fried chicken.

Helping Others: Compassion Australia

Dami is a strong supporter and active ambassador for Compassion Australia. This charity helps people in need around the world. After Eurovision 2016, Dami visited her eighth sponsor child, Jovia, in Uganda. She even held a concert for 200 children there. Dami is passionate about helping people in poverty and believes her work gives her life purpose.

Other Notable Performances

Dami Im has performed at many special events and on live TV:

• December 15, 2015: Dami sang "I Am Australian" at a ceremony for the 2014 Sydney hostage crisis.
• February 10, 2016: She performed on Beijing TV's Global Spring Festival Gala.
• April 21, 2016: Dami sang "Purple Rain" as a tribute to Prince on The Morning Show.
• May 12 and 14, 2016: Dami performed "Sound of Silence" at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016.
• November 1, 2016: Dami performed at the 2016 Melbourne Cup, singing "The Power of the Dream" and the Australian National Anthem.
• December 7, 2016: At the 6th AACTA Awards, Dami played "Flight of the Bumblebee" on piano as a tribute to the film Shine.
• January 26, 2017: At the Australia Day Concert, Dami sang "Sound of Silence" and a duet with Guy Sebastian.
• April 15, 2018: Dami performed "Alive" at the 2018 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony.
• June 13–14, 2019: Dami performed her show 'My Life In Songs' at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival.
• October 11–12, 2019: Dami performed at the Asia Song Festival in Korea.
• February 8, 2020: Dami performed "Walk with Me" with Måns Zelmerlöw at Eurovision – Australia Decides.

Dami Im's Music Albums

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

Concert Tours

Headlining Tours

• 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 Tours

• Nova's Red Room Global Tour (Series 1: 2014)
• John Legend's All of Me Tour (2014): Australian leg

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Dami Im para niños