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 (born Viktor Nikolayevich Belan on 24 December 1981) is a famous Russian singer. He is best known for representing Russia twice at the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2006, he came in second place with his song "Never Let You Go". Two years later, in 2008, he won the contest with the song "Believe".
Contents
Early Life
Dima Bilan was born Viktor Belan in Ust-Dzheguta, a town in Russia. His family has a mix of Tatar, Karachay, and Russian backgrounds. His father was born in Kabardino-Balkaria, and his mother in Tatarstan.
When Dima was a child, his family moved to Maysky in Kabardino-Balkaria. He started playing the bayan (a type of accordion) in fifth grade. He loved singing at school and often took part in music contests.
Dima dreamed of studying music. He wrote letters to the Gnessin Musical College to learn how to get in. Even though they didn't reply, he went to the auditions and got accepted! From 2000 to 2003, he studied classical singing. Later, he also studied acting at the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts. To pay for his studies, he worked at night in a shoe store.
Music Career
Early Days and First Albums
Dima Bilan began his music journey in school. He often sang at school parties and for guests at home. He looked up to famous singers Valeriy and Konstantin Meladze. In 1995, he sang Valeriy Meladze's "Aktrisa" on TV for the first time.
In 1998, he went to Moscow for a children's music contest. He received a special award from Iosif Kobzon, a very respected musician. While studying in Moscow, Dima started recording his own songs. His first music video, "Osen'", came out in late 2000. He used the name Dima Belan for this song.
Even though he studied opera, Dima wanted to be a pop singer. He met producer Yuri Aizenshpis, who saw his talent. Dima then officially started using the name "Dima Bilan." He took his grandfather's first name and surname.
In August 2002, Dima took part in the first "New Wave" music contest. He finished in fourth place. After this, he released a music video for "Boom." In 2003, his first album, Ya nochnoy huligan (I'm a Night Hooligan), became very popular in Russia.
His big breakthrough came with the song "Na beregu neba" (On the Shore of the Sky). This song reached number two on the radio charts. The album of the same name became one of Russia's best-selling albums in 2004.
Eurovision Success and International Fame
Dima Bilan was very successful in Russia. In 2005, his producer signed him up for Russia's Eurovision national selection. He sang "Not That Simple" and was expected to win. However, he came in second place. The Russian version of the song, "Ty dolzhna ryadom byt'", was one of the most played songs on Russian radio that year.
In March 2006, Dima was chosen to represent Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens, Greece. He sang the song "Never Let You Go" and finished in second place. This was one of Russia's best results ever at Eurovision.
In 2007, he released a new song called "Number One Fan." This song was number one on Russian and Eastern European radio charts for eight weeks! The music video was filmed in London by famous director Trudy Bellinger.
Later in 2007, Dima released his second song from the new album, "Amnesia." He performed it at the MTV Russian Music Awards. At this event, Dima won three awards: Best Performer, Best Song, and Best Artist. He won Best Artist for the third year in a row!
In 2008, Dima Bilan released three albums: one in Russian, one in English, and one in Spanish. He also released his English album in 81 countries. He worked with famous producers like Jim Beanz and Ryan Tedder (from OneRepublic) on his English album. He even recorded some songs for his Spanish album in Miami with producer Rudy Perez. This album included a duet with Nelly Furtado.
In 2008, Dima represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest again. This time, he sang "Believe" in Belgrade. He performed with Hungarian violinist Edvin Marton and Russian Olympic figure skater Evgeni Plushenko. On May 24, 2008, Dima Bilan won first place in the contest! He received 272 points. This made him the first artist to win Eurovision for Russia. After their victory, the trio performed together in many ice shows.
Later Career
In 2009, Dima continued to perform concerts. He also sang at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 before handing the winner's title to Alexander Rybak of Norway.
In 2010, Dima recorded a song called "White Nights" for the Eurovision Song Contest 2010. However, he decided not to enter the contest. He felt it was too soon to return after winning just two years earlier.
In the summer of 2010, Dima starred in a short film called Theatre of the Absurd. He also helped produce it. In the film, Dima talks about his thoughts on life and people in Moscow. He also shares quotes from old writings and diaries. The film was released online in late 2010.
In 2012, Dima Bilan tried to represent Russia at Eurovision again. He teamed up with t.A.T.u. member Yulia Volkova for the song "Back To Her Future." They came in second place in the Russian selection.
Awards and Recognition
Dima Bilan has won many awards throughout his career. Here are some of them:
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
Dima Bilan holds the record for winning the most MTV Russia Music Awards, with 10 awards!
- 2005: "Best Performer" and "Best Artist"
- 2006: "Best Song" ("Never Let You Go") and "Best Artist"
- 2007: "Best Song" ("Невозможное возможно") and "Best Artist"
- 2008: "Best Video", "Best Singer", and "The Pop Project"
MTV Europe Music Awards
- 2005-2010: "Best Russian Act" (He was often among the top European acts too!)
- 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"
- 2010-2012: "Best Performer"
Golden Gramophone Award
Dima Bilan has won the Golden Gramophone Award many times for his popular songs:
- 2005: "На берегу неба"
- 2006: "Так устроен этот мир"
- 2007: "Невозможное возможно"
- 2008: "Все в твоих руках"
ZD Awards
He has also won several "Soundtrack" awards:
- 2004: "Singer of the Year"
- 2007: "Soloist of the Year" and "Album of the Year" (for Время река)
- 2008: "Soloist of the Year"
- 2009: "Singer of the Year" and "Album of the Year" (for Believe)
Eurovision Song Contest
- 2006: 2nd place in Athens
- 2008: 1st place in Belgrade
Dima Bilan was the first artist to win the Eurovision Song Contest for Russia!
Russian National Music Awards
- 2015: "Best Electronic Project of the Year" (for "Alien24") and "Best Concert of the Year" (for "33")
- 2016: "Best Male Pop Singer of the Year"
Glamour Magazine Awards
- 2006: Man of the year
- 2009: Man of the year
| 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)
Filmography
Dima Bilan has also appeared in several Russian films and TV shows:
- 2005: Not Born Beautiful (cameo)
- 2006: Club (cameo)
- 2006: The Adventures of Pinocchio (played Duremar)
- 2007: Star break (played Fortiano)
- 2007: Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors (played Gurd)
- 2008: Goldfish
- 2009: Pinocchio (visiting singer)
- 2011: Theatre of the Absurd
- 2013: Frozen (Russian voice of Hans)
- 2014: Space Pirate Captain Harlock (played young Harlock)
- 2016: The Heritage of Love (his first main role in a full-length film)
Images for kids
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Bilan in 2022
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Bilan performing at the Eurovision Song Contest final in Belgrade, 2008. He is accompanied by Edvin Marton (left) and Evgeni Plushenko (right).
See also
In Spanish: Dima Bilán para niños
