Dima Bilan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dima Bilan
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Bilan in 2022
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| Background information | |
| Native name |
Дима Билан
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| Birth name | Viktor Nikolayevich Belan |
| Born | 24 December 1981 Ust-Dzheguta, Karachay-Cherkess AO, Russian SFSR, USSR |
| Origin | Maysky, Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia |
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| Years active | 2000–present |
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Dima Nikolayevich Bilan (Russian: Ди́ма Никола́евич Била́н), born Viktor Nikolayevich Belan on December 24, 1981, is a famous Russian singer. He is best known for competing in the Eurovision Song Contest.
In 2006, he represented Russia and finished in second place with his song "Never Let You Go". Two years later, in 2008, he returned to the contest and won first place with the song "Believe".
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Dima Bilan was born as Viktor Belan in the town of Ust-Dzheguta, Russia. His family has Tatar, Karachay, and Russian roots. His father, Nikolai, was from Kabardino-Balkaria, and his mother, Nina, was from Tatarstan. He has two sisters, an older one named Yelena and a younger one named Anna.
When he was a child, his family moved to the town of Maysky in Kabardino-Balkaria. He started playing the bayan, a type of accordion, in the fifth grade. He loved music and took part in many contests. He enjoyed singing at school and wanted to study music seriously.
He wrote letters to the famous Gnessin Musical College to ask how he could join. Even though they didn't write back, he went to the auditions and was accepted. From 2000 to 2003, he trained in classical singing. Later, he also studied acting at the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts. To pay for his education, he worked at night in a shoe store.
Career
First Steps in Music
Bilan's music career began while he was still in school. He often performed at school events. In 1995, he appeared in a televised music contest.
After moving to Moscow for college, he started recording his first songs. His first music video, "Osen'," came out in late 2000. At this time, he started using the name Dima Belan.
Even though he was studying to be an opera singer, he dreamed of being a pop star. A classmate introduced him to the music producer Yuri Aizenshpis, who saw his talent. He then officially changed his stage name to "Dima Bilan," using the first name and last name of his grandfather.
In 2002, Bilan competed in the New Wave music festival and finished in fourth place. After the contest, he released his first album, Ya nochnoy huligan (I'm a Night Hooligan), which became very popular in Russia. His big breakthrough came with the song "Na beregu neba," which was a huge radio hit. The album of the same name sold so well that it was certified gold.
Eurovision Fame
By 2005, Bilan was a big star in Russia. He tried to represent Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 but came in second in the national competition.
In 2006, the Russian TV station Channel One chose him to go to the Eurovision Song Contest in Athens, Greece. He performed the song "Never Let You Go" and finished in second place. This was one of the best results Russia had ever had in the contest.
In 2008, Bilan represented Russia again at Eurovision in Belgrade, Serbia. This time, he performed the song "Believe". He was joined on stage by the famous violinist Edvin Marton and the Olympic champion figure skater Evgeni Plushenko. On May 24, 2008, Bilan won the contest, bringing the victory to Russia for the first time.
International Projects and Later Career
After his Eurovision win, Bilan worked on albums in Russian, English, and Spanish. He worked with American producers like Jim Beanz and Ryan Tedder from the band OneRepublic. He also recorded a duet with the singer Nelly Furtado for his Spanish album.
In 2012, he tried to go to Eurovision for a third time, performing a duet with Yulia Volkova from the group t.A.T.u.. They finished in second place in the Russian national selection.
Over the years, Bilan has continued to release music and perform. In January 2023, Ukraine placed sanctions on him. In February 2023, Canada also sanctioned him.
Awards
Dima Bilan has won many awards for his music.
Honor Awards
- 2006 - Honoured Artist of Kabardino-Balkaria
- 2007 - Honored Artist of Chechnya
- 2007 - Honoured Artist of Ingushetia
- 2008 - People's Artist of Kabardino-Balkaria
- 2018 - Merited Artist of the Russian Federation
MTV Russia Music Awards
- 2005 - "Best Performer" and "Best Artist"
- 2006 - "Best Song" ("Never Let You Go"), "The Best Artist"
- 2007 - "Best Song", "Best Song" ("Невозможное возможно"), "Best Artist"
- 2008 - "Best Video", "Best Singer", "The Pop Project"
MTV Europe Music Awards
- 2005 - "Best Russian Act"
- 2006 - "Best Russian Act"
- 2007 - "Best Russian Act"
- 2008 - "Best Russian Act"
- 2009 - "Best Russian Act"
- 2010 - "Best Russian Act"
- 2012 - "Best Russian Act" and "Best European Act"
Muz-TV Award
- 2007 - "Song of the Year", "Album of the Year", "Best Performer".
- 2008 - "Best Ringtone", "Best Performer".
- 2009 - "Best Video", "Best Song".
- 2010 - "Best Performer".
- 2011 - "Best Performer".
- 2012 - "Best Performer".
Golden Gramophone Award
- 2005 - for the song "На берегу неба"
- 2006 - for "Так устроен этот мир"
- 2007 - for "Невозможное возможно"
- 2008 - for "Все в твоих руках"
| Awards | ||
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| World Music Awards | ||
| Preceded by 2005 Philipp Kirkorov |
Best-Selling Russian Artist 2006 Dima Bilan |
Succeeded by 2007 Serebro |
Discography
Studio albums
- 2003: Ya Nochnoy Huligan (I'm a Night Hooligan)
- 2004: Na Beregu Neba (On the Shore of the Sky)
- 2006: Vremya reka (Time is a River)
- 2008: Protiv pravil (Against the Rules)
- 2009: Believe
- 2011: Mechtatel (Dreamer)
- 2013: Dotyanis (Reach)
- 2015: Ne molchi (Don't Be Silent)
- 2017: Egoist
- 2020: Perezagruzka (Reboot)
Compilation albums
- 2011: BEST. Ot Hooligana do Mechtatelya (BEST. From Hooligan to Dreamer)
- 2021: 13 druzej Bilana (13 Friends of Bilan)
Filmography
Dima Bilan has also acted in several Russian movies and TV shows.
- 2005 - Not Born Beautiful (as himself)
- 2006 - Club (as himself)
- 2006 - The Adventures of Pinocchio (Duremar)
- 2007 - Star break (Fortiano)
- 2007 - Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors (Gurd)
- 2011 - Theatre of the Absurd
- 2013 - Frozen (Russian voice of Hans)
- 2016 - The Heritage of Love (His first major film role)
See also
In Spanish: Dima Bilán para niños
