Thom Yorke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thom Yorke
Yorke in 2018
Background information
Birth name	Thomas Edward Yorke
Also known as	Sisi Bakbak Tchock The White Chocolate Farm Zachariah Wildwood Thmx
Born	(1968-10-07) 7 October 1968 (age 56) Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England
Genres	Alternative rock electronica experimental rock art rock
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter composer
Instruments	Vocals guitar keyboards bass
Years active	1985–present
Labels	XL
Signature

Thomas Edward Yorke (born October 7, 1968) is an English musician. He is best known as the lead singer and songwriter for the famous rock band Radiohead. He plays guitar, bass, and keyboards. People often notice his unique high singing voice, called a falsetto. Rolling Stone magazine has called him one of the most important singers of his time.

Thom Yorke started Radiohead with his friends from school. Their first big song was "Creep". Radiohead has sold over 30 million albums! Early on, Thom liked bands like the Pixies and R.E.M.. Later, he became interested in electronic music, especially for Radiohead's album Kid A (2000). He has often worked with producer Nigel Godrich and artist Stanley Donwood.

Yorke also makes electronic music on his own. His first solo album, The Eraser, came out in 2006. To play these songs live, he formed a band called Atoms for Peace. This band included Nigel Godrich and Flea, the bassist from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. They released an album called Amok in 2013. Thom Yorke's other solo albums are Tomorrow's Modern Boxes (2014) and Anima (2019).

In 2021, Yorke started a new band called the Smile. He formed it with Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead's guitarist) and drummer Tom Skinner. They have released three albums. Yorke has also worked with other artists like PJ Harvey and Björk. He has written music for movies, including Suspiria (2018) and Confidenza (2024).

Thom Yorke is an activist who supports human rights, animal rights, and environmental causes. He also speaks out against war. His songs often include political messages. He has criticized the music industry, especially big record labels and streaming services like Spotify. With Radiohead and his solo work, he has tried new ways to release music, such as "pay-what-you-want" and using BitTorrent. In 2019, he was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Radiohead.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Thom Yorke was born on October 7, 1968, in Wellingborough, England. He was born with a paralyzed left eye. He had five eye operations by age six. Yorke said the last surgery was "botched," which left him with a drooping eyelid. He decided not to have more surgery. He liked that his eye was different and saw it as a "badge of pride."

His family moved often because his father was a nuclear physicist. They lived in Scotland until Thom was seven. In 1978, his family settled in Oxfordshire, England.

Yorke said he knew he would be a rock star after seeing Queen guitarist Brian May on TV at age eight. He got his first guitar as a child. At 10, he made his own guitar, inspired by May's homemade guitar. By age 11, he had joined his first band and written his first song. Seeing Siouxsie Sioux perform in 1985 made him want to be a performer. He said he had never seen anyone "captivate an audience like she did."

Yorke went to Abingdon, a boys' school in Oxfordshire. He felt out of place there and got into fights. He found comfort in the music and art classes. He wrote music for a school play called A Midsummer Night's Dream. His music teacher, Terence Gilmore-James, said Yorke was "forlorn and a little isolated" but very talkative. He said Yorke was "not a great musician" but a "thinker and experimenter." Yorke later said his teachers' support helped him succeed.

1985–1991: On a Friday

At Abingdon School, Yorke met Ed O'Brien, Philip Selway, and brothers Colin and Jonny Greenwood. In 1985, they formed a band called On a Friday. They chose this name because Friday was the only day they could practice.

After school, Yorke took a year off to try to become a professional musician. He worked several jobs, including selling suits. He also made a demo tape. He was in a serious car accident that later inspired lyrics for songs like "Killer Cars" and "Airbag." In the late 1980s, Yorke made a solo album called Dearest.

On a Friday was offered a record deal by Island Records. However, the band members decided they wanted to go to university first. Yorke studied English and fine arts at the University of Exeter. This put On a Friday on hold, except for practices during breaks. At Exeter, Yorke played experimental music and was in a techno group. He also met artist Stanley Donwood, who would later create artwork for Radiohead. He also met printmaker Rachel Owen, who became his future wife.

On a Friday started playing together again in 1991 when most members were finishing their degrees. Ronan Munro, an editor for an Oxford music magazine, interviewed the band. He said Thom was very focused and believed they would succeed.

Music Career

1991–1993: "Creep" and Early Success

In 1991, when Yorke was 22, On a Friday signed with EMI. They changed their name to Radiohead. The band became famous with their first single, "Creep". This song was on their 1993 first album, Pablo Honey. Yorke later grew tired of "Creep" because it was so popular. He said it felt like it was "not our song any more."

1994–1997: The Bends

After Pablo Honey, Yorke's songwriting got much better. Recording Radiohead's second album, The Bends (1995), was stressful. The band felt pressure to make a hit after "Creep." Yorke especially struggled. He became confused about his role in the band. The Bends was engineered by Nigel Godrich, who became a long-time collaborator with Yorke.

The Bends was praised by critics and made Radiohead more famous around the world. It influenced many British and Irish rock bands. The American band R.E.M., who influenced Radiohead, chose them to open their European tour. Yorke became friends with R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe. Stipe gave him advice on how to handle fame.

1997–1998: OK Computer

Radiohead's third album, OK Computer (1997), was a big success. It made Radiohead one of the top rock bands of the 1990s. Yorke found it hard to deal with all the attention and stress from the OK Computer tour. He later said that he thought fame would "fill a gap," but it did the "absolute opposite."

In 1997, Yorke sang backup for a cover of the Pink Floyd song "Wish You Were Here." The next year, he sang on "El President" with Isabel Monteiro and on the Unkle song "Rabbit in Your Headlights." "Rabbit in Your Headlights" was a turning point for Yorke. It showed his move towards experimental electronic music.

For the 1998 movie Velvet Goldmine, Yorke and Jonny Greenwood formed a band called the Venus in Furs. They covered songs by Roxy Music.

1999–2004: Kid A, Amnesiac, and Hail to the Thief

After the OK Computer tour, Yorke had a mental breakdown and found it hard to write new music. He felt like an impostor and was very critical of himself. He was asked to write music for the 1999 movie Fight Club, but he said no because he was recovering from stress.

During this time, bands influenced by Radiohead, like Travis and Coldplay, became popular. Yorke felt they had copied him. To recover, Yorke moved to Cornwall and spent time walking and drawing. He listened mostly to electronic music by artists like Aphex Twin. He found it refreshing because it had no human voices. Yorke slowly started to enjoy his work again.

Radiohead used Yorke's electronic influences for their next albums, Kid A (2000) and Amnesiac (2001). They used electronic instruments like synthesizers and drum machines. These albums divided listeners but were very successful. Kid A was later named the best album of the 2000s by Rolling Stone and Pitchfork.

In 2000, Yorke sang on three songs for the PJ Harvey album Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea. He also sang with Björk on her song "I've Seen It All." Radiohead released their sixth album, Hail to the Thief, in 2003. It mixed rock and electronic music. Yorke wrote many of its lyrics about the war on terror and politics after becoming a father.

2004–2008: The Eraser and In Rainbows

Yorke recorded his first solo album, The Eraser, during Radiohead's break in 2004. It was made with electronic songs recorded and edited on computers. Yorke said he wanted to try working alone. He made it clear that Radiohead was not breaking up. Jonny Greenwood said the band was happy for Yorke to make the album.

The Eraser was released in 2006. It reached the top ten in the UK, US, and other countries. It was nominated for the Mercury Prize and a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.

In 2007, Radiohead released their seventh album, In Rainbows. They released it as a "pay-what-you-want" download. This was the first time a major band did this. It made headlines and started discussions about the music industry. Yorke said it showed Radiohead's belief in the value of music.

2009–2010: Atoms for Peace

In 2009, Yorke released a cover song with his brother, Andy. He also released a single called "FeelingPulledApartByHorses/TheHollowEarth". He contributed the song "Hearing Damage" to the Twilight Saga: New Moon movie soundtrack.

That year, Yorke formed a new band, Atoms for Peace. They played songs from The Eraser. The band included Godrich, Flea (from the Red Hot Chili Peppers), drummer Joey Waronker, and percussionist Mauro Refosco. Yorke said it was a "trip" to play with new musicians after being with Radiohead since he was 16. Atoms for Peace performed eight shows in North America in 2010.

Yorke also sang on songs for the Flying Lotus album Cosmogramma and the Modeselektor album Monkeytown.

2011–2013: The King of Limbs and Amok

In 2011, Radiohead released their eighth album, The King of Limbs. Yorke said it was about "physical movements and wildness." The music video for "Lotus Flower", which showed Yorke's unique dancing, became popular online. By 2011, Radiohead had sold over 30 million albums.

In the same year, Yorke worked with electronic artists Burial and Four Tet on two songs. He also worked with Jonny Greenwood and rapper MF Doom. In 2012, Yorke sang on a song for the Flying Lotus album Until the Quiet Comes. He also remixed a song by electronic musician Sbtrkt under the name Sisi BakBak.

In February 2013, Atoms for Peace released their album, Amok. They then toured Europe, the US, and Japan. Critics generally liked Amok, though some felt it was too similar to Yorke's solo work. That year, Yorke and Jonny Greenwood made music for The UK Gold, a documentary about tax avoidance.

2014–2017: Tomorrow's Modern Boxes and A Moon Shaped Pool

Yorke released his second solo album, Tomorrow's Modern Boxes, on September 26, 2014, using BitTorrent. It was downloaded over a million times in its first six days. Yorke and Godrich hoped this release method would give artists more control over their work. In December 2014, Yorke also released the album on Bandcamp.

In 2015, Yorke created a soundtrack called Subterranea for a Radiohead art show in Sydney, Australia. He also composed music for a play called Old Times in New York City.

Radiohead released their ninth album, A Moon Shaped Pool, on May 8, 2016. Many critics felt the lyrics were influenced by Yorke's separation from his partner, Rachel Owen.

2018–2019: Suspiria

Yorke's first movie soundtrack, Suspiria, was released on October 26, 2018. It was for the 2018 horror film. This was the first time Yorke worked on a project without Nigel Godrich since The Bends. Instead, Yorke and Sam Petts-Davies produced it. Yorke's son, Noah, played drums on the album. The song "Suspirium" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media.

Yorke toured Europe and the US in 2018. That year, Yorke and artist Tarik Barri created an art exhibit called "City Rats." Yorke also made music for short films for the fashion brand Rag & Bone.

Yorke was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Radiohead on March 29, 2019. He did not attend the ceremony. He said he found cultural differences between the UK and America, and disliked award shows.

2019–2020: Anima

Yorke's third solo album, Anima, was released on June 27, 2019. It came with a short film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Anima became Yorke's first number-one album on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart. It was nominated for several Grammy Awards, including Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album. A solo tour planned for March 2020 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the 2019 movie Motherless Brooklyn, Yorke wrote "Daily Battles." His Atoms for Peace bandmate Flea played horns on it. Yorke's first classical music piece, "Don't Fear the Light," was performed in April 2019.

In April 2020, Yorke performed a new song, "Plasticine Figures," from his home for The Tonight Show. He also worked with Four Tet and Burial again on two songs.

2021–2022: The Smile

In March 2021, Yorke made music for shows by Japanese fashion designer Jun Takahashi. In May, Yorke started a new band called the Smile. He formed it with Jonny Greenwood and jazz drummer Tom Skinner. Nigel Godrich produced their music. Greenwood said it was a way for him and Yorke to work together during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The Smile surprised everyone with their first performance at Glastonbury Festival on May 22. Critics said the Smile sounded like a "more skeletal and knottier version of Radiohead."

In October 2021, Yorke performed a Smile song at an event in London. That same month, Yorke and Radiohead artist Stanley Donwood held an exhibition of Kid A artwork and lyrics. This was before a reissued package of the Kid A and Amnesia albums, Kid A Mnesia, was released. They also contributed to Kid A Mnesia Exhibition, a free digital experience for PlayStation 5 and computers.

2022: More Smile Records and Confidenza

On April 9, 2022, Yorke performed a solo concert in Switzerland, playing songs from his whole career. In May, the Smile released their first album, A Light for Attracting Attention, and started a European tour. Yorke wrote two songs for the TV show Peaky Blinders in 2022. He also helped produce Sus Dog (2023), the tenth album by Clark.

In September 2023, Yorke and Donwood showed their artwork, The Crow Flies, in London. These paintings were based on old maps. The Smile toured internationally between 2022 and 2024. In 2024, they released two albums, Wall of Eyes and Cutouts, which were recorded at the same time.

Yorke composed the music for the 2024 movie Confidenza by Italian filmmaker Daniele Luchetti. It features the London Contemporary Orchestra. In April, Yorke released two songs from the soundtrack. The full soundtrack was released on April 26. Yorke produced "Stepdaughter," a song written and performed by his wife, Dajana Roncione, released in November 2024.

In October, Yorke began a solo tour in New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, and Japan. At a show in Melbourne, he reacted strongly to a protester and briefly left the stage. Yorke is set to rework the Radiohead album Hail to the Thief for a stage production of Hamlet in 2025.

Artistry

Yorke usually writes the first versions of most Radiohead songs. Then, Jonny Greenwood adds harmonies, and other band members create their parts. Yorke said Greenwood is more impatient and wants to move to new ideas. Yorke enjoys editing and making songs perfect. Yorke's solo music is mostly electronic. It has been described as "interior," "frigid," and "beat-driven."

Yorke has worked with producer Nigel Godrich on most of his projects. This includes Radiohead, Atoms for Peace, and his solo work. He says Godrich helps him edit his work and find what needs to be improved. He compares Godrich to a brother.

Yorke believes being creative means keeping a "beginner's mind." He says the process of searching and trying new things is the most important part. He used to be more controlling in the studio but learned to be more relaxed. He compares the creative process to surfing. You wait for the right wave, and the waiting is part of it.

Instruments

Yorke plays many instruments, including guitar, piano, bass, and drums. He played drums for the Radiohead song "Bangers and Mash" in 2007. With the Smile, Yorke uses a Fender Mustang bass and plays with his fingers. Yorke uses electronic instruments like synthesizers, drum machines, and sequencers. He also uses electronic techniques like programming, sampling, and looping. In 2015, he said he enjoys writing words at a piano. Godrich said Thom often makes "crazy, fractured" electronic music but always uses his guitar to check if he can play it.

Unlike Jonny Greenwood, Yorke does not read sheet music. He said it is not a good way to express rhythms. He once turned down an offer to play piano for Paul McCartney. He said he only "strums piano" and does not have the skill to play with both hands doing different things.

Vocals

Yorke has one of the widest vocal ranges in popular music. He is known for his falsetto, which has been called "sweet," "cautious," and "haunting." Rolling Stone described his voice as a "broad, emotive sweep" with a "high, keening sound." The Guardian said his voice is "instrument-like" and "spectral." Music journalist Robert Christgau said Yorke's voice has a "pained, transported intensity."

Yorke often changes his voice with software and effects. He turns it into a "disembodied instrument." For example, on "Everything in Its Right Place" (2000), his vocals are changed to create a "glitching, stuttering collage." Pitchfork wrote that Yorke's voice has changed over the years. In 2006, Yorke said it annoyed him how "pretty" his voice sounded. He said he keeps vocals in mind when making music, no matter the style. In 2023, Yorke said his vocal range had dropped with age. He now finds "Creep" hard to sing.

In 2005, readers of Blender and MTV2 voted Yorke the 18th-greatest singer of all time. In 2010, Rolling Stone ranked him the 66th-greatest singer. They said he influenced bands like Muse and Coldplay. In their 2023 list, Rolling Stone ranked Yorke the 34th-greatest singer.

Lyrics

Yorke's early lyrics were very personal. But he found that "tortured" lyrics became boring. He said his lyrics are not "deep heartfelt things." Instead, he compares them to a collage made from images and things he sees on TV. For the album Kid A, he started cutting up words and phrases and putting them together randomly. He sometimes chooses words for how they sound, not just their meaning. A 2021 study found that Yorke has one of the largest vocabularies among pop singers.

Yorke often uses common phrases and expressions on purpose. He was inspired by American artist Barbara Kruger. For example, the lyrics on Kid A turn "hum-drum observations into panic attacks." Yorke said he wanted to show the everyday experience of trying to understand words and images. Colin Greenwood described Yorke's lyrics as a "running commentary on what's happening in the world."

Yorke said his lyrics are driven by anger. They express his political and environmental concerns. The lyrics of the 2003 Radiohead album Hail to the Thief were about the "ignorance and intolerance" after the 2000 election of US President George W. Bush and the war on terror. Yorke wrote his 2006 song "Harrowdown Hill" about David Kelly, a British weapons expert. In 2008, Yorke dedicated a part of the song "House of Cards" to George W. Bush for rejecting the Kyoto Protocol. The 2011 song "The Daily Mail" criticizes the right-wing Daily Mail newspaper.

Many of Yorke's lyrics show a feeling of paranoia. The Guardian critic Alexis Petridis described Yorke's view as "life is a waking nightmare and everything is completely and perhaps irreparably screwed." When working on Radiohead's ninth album, A Moon Shaped Pool, Yorke worried that political songs might turn some listeners away. But he decided it was better than writing "another lovey-dovey song about nothing."

Many critics felt the lyrics on A Moon Shaped Pool might be about Yorke's separation from Rachel Owen. However, Yorke said he does not write about his life directly. He said he writes "spasmodic" lyrics based on images.

Dance

Yorke often dances during his performances. This has become his "on-stage signature." He started dancing on stage after Radiohead released Kid A in 2000. Many songs on that album did not require him to play guitar. The New York Times noted how Yorke's performances became "looser" and more comfortable. Yorke said he enjoyed "messing around with the idea of being the rock star."

Yorke's dancing appears in music videos for songs like "Lotus Flower" and the short film Anima. Critics have called his dancing "erratic," "flailing," and unusual. In 2011, Rolling Stone readers voted Yorke their 10th-favorite dancing musician.

Influences

As a child, Yorke's favorite artists included Queen. He said the artists who "changed his life" as a teenager were R.E.M., Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, and Bob Dylan. He also said that Mark Mulcahy of Miracle Legion greatly affected him.

When he was 16, Yorke sent a demo to a music magazine. They wrote that he sounded like Neil Young. Yorke did not know Young's music, so he bought his 1970 album After the Gold Rush. He "immediately fell in love with his music." Yorke said Young's attitude was to always record whatever was in his head and stay true to it. Yorke also said Young was a major influence on his lyrics.

Yorke named the Pixies, Björk, and PJ Harvey as artists who "changed his life." In 2006, he told Pitchfork that Radiohead had "ripped off R.E.M. blind for years." He said Michael Stipe of R.E.M. is his favorite lyricist. Stipe advised Yorke to relieve tour stress by repeating: "I'm not here, this isn't happening." Yorke used this idea in the song "How to Disappear Completely" from Kid A. Yorke said John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist) influenced his guitar playing on In Rainbows. He also said Scott Walker influenced his vocals and lyrics.

After OK Computer, Yorke and Radiohead were influenced by electronic artists like Aphex Twin. Yorke said he "hated the Britpop thing" and what was happening in America. He found Aphex Twin's music "totally beautiful."

Since the EP My Iron Lung (1994), Yorke has created artwork for Radiohead and his other projects with Stanley Donwood. They met as art students at the University of Exeter.

Activism

Music Industry Views

Yorke has criticized the music industry. He has also tried new ways to release music with Radiohead and his solo work. After Radiohead's 1993 tour in America, he disliked being part of the "MTV eye-candy lifestyle." Yorke also disliked the British music press. In 1995, NME magazine wrote a hurtful story about him collapsing on stage. Yorke refused to give interviews to NME for five years.

The 1998 documentary Meeting People Is Easy shows Yorke's unhappiness with the music industry during Radiohead's OK Computer tour. In 2001, Yorke criticized the American live music industry. He said it was controlled by Clear Channel Entertainment and Ticketmaster.

Radiohead released their 2007 album In Rainbows as a download where listeners could choose their own price. Yorke said the most exciting part was removing the barrier between artist and audience. However, in 2013, Yorke told the Guardian that he worried the In Rainbows release had helped companies like Apple and Google. He said these companies make content "worthless" to make billions. In 2015, he criticized YouTube for "seizing control" of content. He compared it to Nazis stealing art.

Spotify

In 2013, Yorke and Godrich criticized the music streaming service Spotify. They removed Atoms for Peace and Yorke's solo music from the service. Yorke said Spotify did not pay artists enough.

Brian Message, a partner at Radiohead's management company, disagreed. He said Spotify pays 70 percent of its money back to the music industry. He said Thom's issue was that the "pipe has become so jammed." Yorke's and Atoms for Peace's music was put back on Spotify in December 2017.

For Yorke's second solo album, Tomorrow's Modern Boxes (2014), released via BitTorrent, he and Godrich hoped to give "some control of internet back to people who are creating the work." Yorke later said the release was "not exactly" a success. He wanted to show that an artist could handle the whole process alone, but it was very difficult.

Climate Change

In 2000, while recording Kid A, Yorke became very interested in the Worldwatch Institute website. It had "scary statistics about icecaps melting." He said he got involved in the movement to stop climate change after having children. He would "wake up every night just terrified."

In 2003, Yorke became a spokesperson for the environmental group Friends of the Earth. He supported their Big Ask Campaign. He said this was a hard decision because he would face personal attacks. He wrote that he initially felt he would be a bad match because his touring used a lot of energy. But Friends of the Earth wanted him because they did not want to "present a holier-than-thou message."

In 2006, Yorke and Jonny Greenwood performed at the Big Ask Live. This concert aimed to get the British government to pass a new law on climate change. That year, Yorke refused to meet Prime Minister Tony Blair. Yorke said Blair had "no environmental credentials." He also did not want to be photographed with Blair because of his involvement in the Iraq War.

In 2008, Radiohead studied how to reduce their carbon footprint on tour. They chose venues with public transport, worked with trucking companies to lower emissions, and used new low-energy lighting. That year, Yorke was a guest editor for a special climate change edition of Observer Magazine. He wrote that he did not believe "we are all doomed."

In 2009, Yorke performed via Skype at the premiere of the documentary The Age of Stupid. He also got into the COP 15 climate talks in Copenhagen by pretending to be a journalist. In 2010, he performed a concert for the British Green Party. He also supported the 10:10 campaign for climate change mitigation. The next year, he joined the first trip of Rainbow Warrior III, a yacht used by Greenpeace.

Yorke supported the Green Party candidate Caroline Lucas in the 2015 UK general election. In December 2015, he performed at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. His performance was on the live album Pathway to Paris. Yorke contributed an electronic song, "Hands Off the Antarctic," to a 2018 Greenpeace campaign.

Israel

In April 2017, over 50 famous people asked Radiohead to cancel a show in Tel Aviv, Israel. This was part of a cultural boycott of Israel. A week before the show, protesters waved flags at a Radiohead concert in Glasgow. Yorke reacted with anger on stage.

In a Rolling Stone interview, Yorke said he could not understand why playing a rock show was a problem. He said it was "upsetting that artists I respect think we are not capable of making a moral decision ourselves." Yorke said the petitioners had not contacted him. Roger Waters disagreed, saying he had tried to contact Yorke many times. Yorke responded that playing in a country is not the same as supporting its government. He said music is about "crossing borders not building them."

Yorke has not made a statement on the ongoing Israel–Hamas war. In October 2024, during a solo concert in Melbourne, a protester criticized Yorke for not condemning Israel's actions in Gaza. Yorke challenged him to speak on stage and left when the protester continued. He returned to play the last song.

Other Issues

In 1999, Yorke went to the G8 summit to support the Jubilee 2000 movement. This movement called for canceling debt of poor countries. In a 2003 Guardian article, he criticized the World Trade Organization. He wrote that the West was creating a "dangerous economic, environmental and humanitarian time bomb." In 2005, he performed at a vigil for the Trade Justice Movement.

The music video for the 2007 Radiohead song "All I Need" was made with MTV EXIT. This group raises awareness about human trafficking and modern slavery. Yorke said slavery was a "political stability issue."

In 2002, Yorke performed at the Bridge School Benefit. This charity concert was organized by Neil Young, one of Yorke's influences. Yorke covered Young's song "After the Gold Rush." In 2004, Yorke spoke at a rally against the "Star Wars" missile defense system. In 2010, he appeared in a music video for the charity song "2 Minute Silence." In 2011, Yorke played a secret DJ set for Occupy activists.

To celebrate the 2008 election of US president Barack Obama, Yorke released a remixed version of his song "Harrowdown Hill" for free. In June 2016, after the Orlando nightclub shooting, Yorke signed a letter urging the United States Congress to make gun control stricter. After Donald Trump was elected in 2016, Yorke tweeted lyrics from Radiohead's song "Burn the Witch." He opposed Brexit. In March 2019, he joined a march calling for a second referendum on Brexit. In 2024, Yorke signed a statement warning against using creative work without permission for AI training.

Yorke is vegetarian. In a 2005 film for Animal Aid, he said society creates suffering for people to eat food they do not need. He believes people should be aware of what they are doing.

Personal Life

Thom Yorke was in a relationship with artist and lecturer Rachel Owen for 23 years. They met while studying at the University of Exeter. They married in May 2003. Their son, Noah, was born in 2001, and their daughter, Agnes, in 2004.

In August 2015, Yorke and Owen announced they had separated. Owen died from cancer on December 18, 2016, at age 48. In September 2020, Yorke married Italian actress Dajana Roncione in Sicily. Roncione appears in the video for the Radiohead song "Lift" and the Anima film. They live in Oxford.

On Yorke's 2018 soundtrack album Suspiria, his son, Noah, played drums on two songs. His daughter, Agnes, helped with the artwork. In September 2021, Noah released a song called "Trying Too Hard (Lullaby)." NME said its arrangement was similar to Radiohead's album In Rainbows. Noah has released more songs and performs with James Knott as the duo Hex Girlfriend. Yorke's younger brother, Andy, is the singer of the band Unbelievable Truth.

Yorke practices meditation. In 2004, he said he had "dabbled" in Buddhism. He has suffered from anxiety and depression. He treats these with exercise, yoga, and reading. While recording in California, Yorke started surfing. He said it taught him patience in creativity. In 2023, an extinct stingray species was named Dasyomyliobatis thomyorkei in his honor.

Awards and Nominations

Award	Year	Work	Category	Result	Ref.
A2IM Libera Awards	2020	Himself	Marketing Genius	Nominated
		Anima	Best Dance/Electronic Album	Nominated
Brit Awards	2007	Himself	British Male Solo Artist	Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association Award	2018	Suspiria	Best Original Score	Nominated
David di Donatello	2020	Suspiria	Best Score	Nominated
Denmark GAFFA Awards	1998	Himself	Best Foreign Songwriter	Nominated
	2001		Best Foreign Male Act	Nominated
	2004			Nominated
	2006			Nominated
		The Eraser	Best Foreign Album	Nominated
Grammy Awards	2007	The Eraser	Best Alternative Music Album	Nominated
	2020	Anima	Best Alternative Music Album	Nominated
			Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package	Nominated
			Best Music Film	Nominated
		"Suspirium"	Best Song Written for Visual Media	Nominated
Libera Awards	2020	Anima	Best Dance/Electronic Record	Nominated
			Marketing Genius	Nominated
Mercury Prize	2006	The Eraser	Album of the Year	Nominated
NME Awards	2008	Himself	Hero of the Year	Nominated
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association	2018	Suspiria	Best Score	Nominated
UK Music Video Awards	2019	Anima	Best Special Video Project	Nominated
			Best Production Design in a Video	Nominated
			Best Choreography in a Video	Won
	2020	"Last I Heard (...He Was Circling the Drain)"	Best Alternative Video - UK	Nominated
Žebřík Music Awards	2000	Himself	Best International Male	Nominated
	2001			Nominated
	2003			Nominated
	2005			Nominated

Solo Discography

Studio Albums

• The Eraser (2006)
• Tomorrow's Modern Boxes (2014)
• Anima (2019)

Film Soundtracks

• When the Dragon Swallowed the Sun (2010; additional music only)
• The UK Gold (2013; with Robert Del Naja)
• Why Can't We Get Along (2018; Rag & Bone short film)
• Time of Day (2018; Rag & Bone short film)
• Suspiria (2018)
• Confidenza (2024)

Albums Produced

• Suspiria (2018)
• Sus Dog by Clark (2023; executive produced)

Images for kids

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  Yorke in 2018

• 

  Thom Yorke's signature

See Also

• List of Old Abingdonians