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
Revised Romanization	Im Dami
McCune–Reischauer	Im Tami

Dami Im (born 17 October 1988) is an Australian singer and songwriter. She is famous for representing Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Sweden. Her song "Sound of Silence" helped her finish in second place, which is the highest score Australia has ever achieved at Eurovision!

Dami was born in South Korea and moved to Australia with her family when she was nine years old. She became well-known after winning the fifth season of The X Factor Australia. After her big win, she signed a music deal with Sony Music Australia. Later, in 2020, she joined ABC Music.

After The X Factor, Dami released her first single, "Alive", which quickly became number one on the music charts. Her second album, also called Dami Im, also reached number one. This made her the first X Factor Australia contestant to have both a number one single and a number one album! Her third album, Heart Beats, came out in 2014 and featured popular songs like "Super Love" and "Gladiator".

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Dami Im was born in Seoul, South Korea, on 17 October 1988. Her mother, Lee Hae-yun, was an opera singer. Dami is the older of two children.

She started learning 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. They lived with their uncle in Brisbane while her father stayed in South Korea to support them. Now, her parents live together, splitting their time between Australia and South Korea.

When she was 11, Dami began studying piano at the Young Conservatorium of Music at Griffith University. She won several piano competitions and scholarships. Dami went to John Paul College and finished in 2005. She mostly played piano for the choir and violin for a school group, but 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 of Music Studies degree at Griffith University. Before joining The X Factor, Dami was a gospel singer. She also taught piano and singing to support herself.

Dami's Music Journey

Early Career (2010–2012)

Dami started her 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 Dream with two new songs sung in English. She also released a Christmas album called Snow & Carol in 2011 and another collection of songs called Intimacy in 2012.

Winning The X Factor Australia (2013)

In 2013, Dami auditioned for the fifth season of The X Factor Australia. She sang "Hero" by Mariah Carey. She made it through to the "super bootcamp" round. Even though she was first eliminated, she was called back to replace another contestant!

During the "home visits" round in New York City, she sang "If I Were a Boy" by Beyoncé for her mentor, Dannii Minogue. Dannii chose Dami for the live shows.

Dami impressed the judges and audience every week. She received many standing ovations for her powerful performances. Some of her popular songs on the show included "One" by U2, "Purple Rain" by Prince, and "Roar" by Katy Perry. Her performance of "Bridge over Troubled Water" was very emotional.

In the grand final, Dami performed three songs: "Hero", her winner's song "Alive", and "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going". The judges were amazed by her final performance. On 28 October 2013, Dami Im was announced as the winner of The X Factor Australia!

     means the song entered the ARIA Singles Chart.
     means Dami won.

Dami's Performances on The X Factor

Albums and Tours (2013–2015)

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

After winning The X Factor, Dami's song "Alive" quickly became number one on the ARIA Singles Chart. It sold over 70,000 copies, earning a platinum award. Her album, Dami Im, released in November 2013, also reached number one and went platinum.

In late 2013, Dami joined other X Factor contestants on The X Factor Live Tour. She also became an ambassador for Compassion Australia, a charity that helps children.

In 2014, Dami became the face of fashion label Alannah Hill's new collection. She also released a cover of "I Am Australian" with other artists for Australia Day. She became an ambassador for Priceline Pharmacy and Nintendo's Tomodachi Life video game.

Dami's third album, Heart Beats, was released in October 2014. It reached number seven on the ARIA Albums Chart. The album included hit singles "Super Love" and "Gladiator". In December 2014, Dami opened for John Legend's tour in Australia. Her song "Smile" was released in May 2015.

Eurovision and Beyond (2016–2018)

Dami Im during a rehearsal before the second semi-final

In 2016, Dami was chosen to represent Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with her song "Sound of Silence". Before Eurovision, she released a new album in April called Classic Carpenters. This album featured her own versions of famous songs by The Carpenters. It was a big success, reaching number three on the ARIA charts.

At Eurovision, Dami performed in the second semi-final. She won her semi-final with the highest score, becoming the first Australian to reach the final from a semi-final. In the grand final, Dami came in second place overall. Her score of 511 points is the highest ever for an Australian representative!

Dami Im (2016)

After Eurovision, "Sound of Silence" became a huge hit for Dami. It reached number three on the ARIA charts and earned gold awards in Australia and Sweden. It also charted in other European countries like Finland, Belgium, and the UK. This song is Dami's most successful 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 and platinum awards for her Classic Carpenters album and "Sound of Silence" single.

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

New Beginnings (2019–Present)

In March 2019, Dami released her first live album, Live Sessions EP. She then left Sony Music Australia and started releasing her own music independently. On 13 September 2019, she released "Crying Underwater". Dami explained that the song is about the pressure to always seem happy, even when you're struggling. She also released "Kiss You Anyway" in January 2020.

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

In early 2020, Dami joined Dancing with the Stars in Australia. She finished in fifth place. She also performed at Eurovision – Australia Decides, where Australia chooses its Eurovision entry. She sang "Walk with Me" with Måns Zelmerlöw and her new song "Marching On".

In August 2020, Dami signed with ABC Music and announced a new album. Her first single with the new label, "Paper Dragon", was released in September.

In 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. In 2022, Dami released a book about her life called "Dreamer".

In May 2023, Dami announced her EP In Between, which came out in July. In October 2023, she announced her first Christmas album, Christmas Songbook, released in November.

In 2023, Dami competed on The Masked Singer Australia as Snow Fox. She won the season after eight 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's Artistic Style

Dami credits her family and her training in piano for her strong work ethic and love for music. Her mother being an opera singer also influenced her. Dami also finds inspiration in K-pop music for her singing and songwriting. Some of her musical influences include Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Norah Jones, and BoA.

Besides singing, Dami is known for writing her own songs. Since leaving Sony Music, she has written songs with deeper personal meanings, like "Marching On" and "Crying Underwater".

She 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.

Film and TV Appearances

Paper Planes (2014)

In 2014, Dami sang a version of Macy Gray's "Beauty in the World" for the soundtrack of Paper Planes. This was an Australian children's movie starring Sam Worthington and David Wenham. The movie came out in cinemas in January 2015.

Trolls (2016)

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

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, broadcast live and watched by huge crowds. Dami has performed at this event every year since 2013.

Carols by Candlelight

On 24 December 2016, Dami Im performed at the Vision Australia Carols By Candlelight in Melbourne. This event features many Australian performers and is broadcast live across the country. Dami's performance was highly praised by the media.

Personal Life

Dami Im met her husband, Noah Kim, at her Korean church in Brisbane. They got married in Seoul on 15 September 2012. The couple welcomed their son in 2022. Dami and Noah live in Daisy Hill, a suburb of Logan City in Queensland. In October 2013, Dami was named the cultural ambassador for Logan City.

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

Helping Others: Compassion Australia

Dami Im is a strong supporter and active ambassador for Compassion Australia. This charity helps people living in poverty around the world. After Eurovision 2016, Dami visited Jovia, one of the children she sponsors, in Uganda. During her trip, Dami held a concert for 200 children in Uganda. She is very passionate about raising awareness for people in need and believes her work helps give purpose to her life.

Other Notable Performances

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

• 15 December 2015 – Dami sang "I Am Australian" at a ceremony remembering the 2014 Sydney hostage crisis.
• 10 February 2016 – Dami performed on Beijing TV's Global Spring Festival Gala for Chinese New Year. She sang "They Long to Be) Close to You" and a Chinese duet.
• 21 April 2016 – Dami performed a tribute to Prince by singing "Purple Rain" on The Morning Show after he passed away.
• 12 May and 14 May 2016 – Dami performed "Sound of Silence" at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Stockholm, Sweden, where she placed second.
• 1 November 2016 – Dami performed at the 2016 Melbourne Cup for a huge worldwide audience. She sang "The Power of the Dream" and the Australian National Anthem.
• 7 December 2016 – At the 6th AACTA Awards, Dami played "Flight of the Bumblebee" on piano as a tribute to the film Shine.
• 26 January 2017 – At the Australia Day Concert, Dami sang "Sound of Silence" and performed a duet with Guy Sebastian.
• 15 April 2018 – Dami performed "Alive" at the 2018 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony.
• 11–12 October 2019 – Dami performed at the Asia Song Festival in Korea with K-pop artists.
• 8 February 2020 – Dami performed "Walk with Me" with Måns Zelmerlöw at Eurovision – Australia Decides.

Dami's 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 (2014)
• John Legend's All of Me Tour (Australian leg, 2014)

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

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  Dami Im in 2016

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

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  Dami Im during a rehearsal before the second semi-final

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  Dami Im (2016)

See also

In Spanish: Dami Im para niños