Jacob Collier facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jacob Collier
Collier performing in 2022
Background information
Birth name	Jacob Moriarty
Born	(1994-08-02) 2 August 1994 (age 31) London, England, United Kingdom
Genres	Jazz rhythm and blues
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter multi-instrumentalist record producer
Instruments	Vocals keyboards piano double bass bass guitar drums percussion guitar mandolin ukulele harpejji melodica
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Interscope Hajanga

Jacob Collier (born August 2, 1994) is a British singer, songwriter, and producer who is famous for being a multi-instrumentalist, which means he can play many different instruments. His music is a creative mix of jazz with other styles. He is known for using complex musical ideas like reharmonisation (changing a song's chords) and close harmony (notes sung very close together).

Collier is also famous for his exciting live shows. He often turns his audience into a giant choir, teaching them parts to sing along with him. He shares his deep knowledge of music in special classes and lectures.

In 2013, he became famous on YouTube for his split-screen videos. In these videos, he covered popular songs, like Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing", playing every instrument and singing every harmony part himself. These videos caught the eye of music legends like Quincy Jones and Herbie Hancock.

In 2016, Collier released his first album, In My Room. He recorded, produced, and played everything on the album himself in a room in his family's home.

Starting in 2018, he began a huge project called Djesse. It is a 50-song album released in four parts, featuring dozens of other musicians. The final part, Djesse Vol. 4, came out in 2024.

Collier has won many Grammy Awards for his music. He is the first British artist to win a Grammy for each of his first four albums. He won his seventh Grammy in 2025 for his arrangement of "Bridge Over Troubled Water".

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Jacob Collier was born on August 2, 1994, and grew up in North London, England. Music was a big part of his family life. His mother, Suzie Collier, is a violinist and professor at the Royal Academy of Music. His grandfather, Derek Collier, was also a famous violinist. Jacob has said that his family often sings complicated music by Bach together just for fun.

When he was 10, Collier acted in the movie A Christmas Carol as Tiny Tim. He also sang in famous operas, like Mozart's The Magic Flute. He said that learning the complex music of composer Benjamin Britten "shattered" his mind in a good way, opening him up to new musical ideas.

Collier attended The Purcell School for Young Musicians and later studied jazz piano at the Royal Academy of Music.

Career

Viral YouTube Videos

Collier started posting homemade music videos on YouTube in 2011. His 2013 cover of Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing" went viral. The videos showed him in multiple boxes on the screen, singing all the harmony parts and playing different instruments.

His talent was noticed by the famous producer Quincy Jones. Jones invited Collier to the Montreux Jazz Festival, where he met piano legend Herbie Hancock.

In 2015, Collier created a one-man live show. He surrounded himself with a circle of instruments and used special technology to loop his voice and instruments. This allowed him to create the sound of a full band all by himself. A key part of the show was a "Harmonizer" that let him sing multi-part harmonies live.

First Album and World Tour

Jacob Collier's one-man show in 2015, where he played many instruments at once.

In late 2015, Collier began working on his first album, In My Room. He did almost everything himself in the music room of his family's home. He wrote, arranged, played every instrument, and produced the entire album. It was released on July 1, 2016.

To promote the album, he started a project called "#IHarmU". Fans sent him short video clips of melodies, and he would add his own complex vocal harmonies to them. He received videos from famous musicians like Herbie Hancock and Ben Folds.

In February 2017, Collier won two Grammy Awards for his arrangements of "Flintstones" and "You and I" from his first album. He also helped the famous composer Hans Zimmer with the music for the DreamWorks movie The Boss Baby.

The Djesse Project

Collier performing in Manila in 2025.

In 2018, Collier announced his most ambitious project yet: a four-album series called Djesse. The name sounds like his initials, "JC". The project features 50 songs and collaborations with many different artists.

• Djesse Vol. 1 (2018) was recorded with a full orchestra, the Metropole Orkest.
• Djesse Vol. 2 (2019) had a more acoustic, folk-like sound. It included a version of "Moon River" featuring vocals from over 100 of his friends, family, and mentors.
• Djesse Vol. 3 (2020) explored R&B, pop, and electronic music. It was nominated for the Album of the Year Grammy.
• Djesse Vol. 4 (2024) was the final album in the series. It brought together all the musical styles from the previous volumes.

During this time, Collier also worked with other famous artists. He provided vocals for the band Coldplay on their albums Everyday Life and Music of the Spheres. He also co-wrote the hit song "Good Days" for the singer SZA.

In 2024, he performed with the legendary singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell at the Grammy Awards.

Musical Style

Collier's music is known for being very complex and creative. He often uses unusual chords and rhythms that are not common in popular music. His style is a mix of many genres, including jazz, classical music, R&B, and pop.

He is famous for his use of reharmonisation, where he takes a familiar song and gives it brand new and surprising chords. He also uses microtonality, which involves notes that are in between the standard notes on a piano. His ability to layer many vocal and instrumental parts creates a rich and detailed sound.

Discography

Collier has released several albums, starting with In My Room in 2016. His largest work is the four-part Djesse series, released between 2018 and 2024.

• In My Room (2016)
• Djesse Vol. 1 (2018)
• Djesse Vol. 2 (2019)
• Djesse Vol. 3 (2020)
• Djesse Vol. 4 (2024)

He has also released a live album and several singles, including popular covers like "Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing" and "Moon River".

Awards and Nominations

Jacob Collier has won many awards for his music, most notably from the Grammy Awards.

Grammy Awards

• 2017: Won two Grammys for arrangements from his album In My Room.
• 2020: Won two Grammys for arrangements from Djesse Vol. 1 and Djesse Vol. 2.
• 2021: Won a Grammy for an arrangement from Djesse Vol. 3. This made him the first British artist to win a Grammy for each of his first four albums.
• 2024: Won a Grammy for his arrangement of "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning".
• 2025: Won a Grammy for his arrangement of "Bridge over Troubled Water" from Djesse Vol. 4.

See also

In Spanish: Jacob Collier para niños