Justin Tranter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Justin Tranter
Tranter at SXSW 2024
Born	Justin Drew Tranter (1980-06-16) June 16, 1980 (age 45) Hawthorn Woods, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation	Songwriter singer activist
Years active	2002–present
Musical career
Origin	Lake Zurich, Illinois, U.S.
Genres	Pop Rock
Labels	Razor & Tie Interscope Geffen Cherrytree Epic
Signature

Justin Tranter, born on June 16, 1980, is an American songwriter, singer, and activist. They are known for writing hit songs for many famous artists. Some of these artists include Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, and Selena Gomez. Justin often works with another talented songwriter, Julia Michaels. Before becoming a full-time songwriter, Justin was the lead singer of a rock band called Semi Precious Weapons from 2004 to 2014. Justin is also an activist. They help an organization called GLAAD, which works to make sure everyone, especially LGBTQ+ people, is treated fairly in movies, TV, and news. As of May 2021, their songs have sold over 50 million copies. They have also been streamed billions of times online.

Growing Up and Early Life

Justin Drew Tranter was born and grew up in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois. This town is in Illinois. Justin has three older brothers. They have shared that they faced bullying when they were younger. Because of this, they moved from their public high school in Lake Zurich, Illinois to the Chicago Academy for the Arts. This happened after just one semester.

While studying musical theater at the Academy, Justin started a special event. It was called the AIDS Benefit. This was an annual show run by students. Its goal was to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS. Justin graduated from the Academy in 1998. After high school, they went on to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Besides songwriting, they also took classes in business management. While at Berklee, Justin created Musicians with a Mission. This was a scholarship fund to help young LGBTQ+ people get an education.

Musical Journey

Starting Out: 2002–2004

Justin Tranter released their first album, Scratched, in 2002. They followed this up with their second album, Tear Me Together, in 2004. These were their first steps as a solo artist.

Semi Precious Weapons: 2004–2014

In 2004, after releasing Tear Me Together, Justin formed a band called Semi Precious Weapons. They started the band in New York. Justin teamed up with other Berklee graduates: Cole Whittle, Dan Crean, and Aaron Lee Tasjan. Later, Stevy Pyne joined the band, replacing Aaron Lee Tasjan.

The band's first album, We Love You, came out in 2008. After that, Semi Precious Weapons got a big chance. They opened for Lady Gaga on her Monster Ball Tour. This tour lasted from 2009 to 2011. The band released two more albums: You Love You in 2010 and Aviation in 2014. The band then broke up in 2014. While still with Semi Precious Weapons, Justin moved to Los Angeles. In 2012, they signed a deal with Warner Chappell Music. This deal was for them to write songs for other artists.

Focusing on Songwriting: 2014–Present

After signing with Warner Chappell, Justin Tranter began writing songs for many popular artists. Some of these artists include Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Hailee Steinfeld, Fifth Harmony, and Fall Out Boy. In December 2015, Rolling Stone magazine recognized Justin. They were named one of the "20 Biggest Breakouts of 2015." This was for their amazing work writing pop songs that year.

Justin often works with Julia Michaels. Many songs they wrote together have appeared on the Billboard music charts. Two of their songs even reached the top of the Mainstream Top 40 chart. These were Selena Gomez's "Good for You" and Justin Bieber's "Sorry". Tranter and Michaels also worked together to write Gwen Stefani's third solo album, This Is What the Truth Feels Like (2016). Since then, Justin has written for artists like Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, Imagine Dragons, and Linkin Park.

Justin Tranter has also created music for movies and TV shows. They helped write the song "Home" for the animated movie Ferdinand (2017). This song was sung by Nick Jonas. For this work, Justin was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in 2018. They also co-wrote "Hindsight," the end title song for the movie Bros (2022).

Furthermore, Justin was a main producer and songwriter for several movie soundtracks. These include the Hulu film Happiest Season (2020), Billy Porter's first movie as a director, Anything's Possible, and the Netflix film Purple Hearts (both from 2022). They also worked on the soundtrack for the Paramount+ Grease TV series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (2023). Another project was Larin Sullivan's film The Young King.

Justin Tranter was nominated for a Grammy Award for Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical in 2024. This was for their work on songs by artists like Reneé Rapp, Måneskin, and Miley Cyrus.

Activism and Helping Others

Tranter performing at the 2018 LoveLoud festival, which raises money for LGBT youth.

Justin Tranter's work to help others started early. In high school, at the Chicago Academy for the Arts, they created the annual AIDS Benefit. This event helped raise awareness about HIV/AIDS. Later, while at the Berklee College of Music, Justin founded Musicians with a Mission. This fund provides scholarships for young LGBTQ+ people to get an education.

After the tragic 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Justin flew there to help. They also helped write and organize a charity song called "Hands". This song raised money for organizations like Equality Florida's Pulse Victims Fund and GLAAD.

In February 2017, Justin joined the National Board of Directors for GLAAD. At the GLAAD Media Awards that year, Justin helped raise a lot of money. They auctioned off songwriting and recording sessions, bringing in $123,000 for GLAAD. Every year, Justin hosts a special concert for Spirit Day. This event raises money for GLAAD's efforts to support LGBTQ+ youth. The fourth annual event in 2022 raised $400,000.

Justin is also a supporter of Mercy for Animals. They stopped eating meat in 1994.

On November 17, 2019, Justin Tranter received an important award. It was the Bill of Rights Award from the ACLU of Southern California. This award recognized their work as a strong voice for the LGBTQIA+ community, diversity, the climate crisis, arts education, animal rights, and ending gun violence.

Other Projects

Justin Tranter also has a jewelry company called Fetty. It started with necklaces they designed to sell at Semi Precious Weapons shows. Fetty jewelry was sold in stores like Urban Outfitters and Barneys. The designs often feature hearts and weapons. In 2008, Justin also designed a special limited-edition sneaker for DKNY.

Justin is the founder and CEO of Facet Records and Publishing. This company works with many artists, songwriters, and producers.

TV and Movie Appearances

In 2008, Justin appeared as a guest on the E! TV show Chelsea Lately. In December of that same year, they were a coach on the MTV reality show Made. On the show, Justin helped a young girl become a "rock star." In 2010, Justin and their bandmates from Semi Precious Weapons had small roles in Lady Gaga's music video for "Telephone". In 2012, Justin was interviewed for a documentary movie called Jobriath A.D.. This film was about the rock musician Jobriath.

Awards and Nominations

Discography

Solo Albums

• Scratched (2002)
• Tear Me Together (2004)

Semi Precious Weapons Albums

• We Love You (2008)
• You Love You (2010)
• Aviation (2014)

Featured Songs

Soundtrack Songs