Dami Im

Dami Im is a Korean born Australian singer. She was born on October 17, 1988, in Seoul, South Korea. At the age of five, Im began learning the piano and taught herself to sing by imitating her favorite artists. When she was nine years old, Im and her family emigrated to Australia. 

At the age of 11, Im started studying piano at the Young Conservatorium of Music program at Griffith University. She excelled in piano competitions and won several scholarships and awards. During her school years, she mainly played the piano for the choir and violin for the school’s Silver Strings group. Im went on to graduate from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Music degree and later completed a Masters of Music Studies degree in contemporary voice at Griffith University. 

Before participating in The X Factor Australia in 2013, Im had a brief career as a gospel singer in South Korea and released her debut studio album called “Dream” in 2010. She later re-released the album with additional tracks and also released a Christmas extended play called “Snow & Carol” in 2011. In 2012, Im released her second extended play called “Intimacy.”

During the fifth season of The X Factor Australia, Im auditioned with Mariah Carey’s “Hero” and impressed the judges. She made it to the live finals and emerged as the winner of The X Factor Australia in 2013.

Following her victory on The X Factor, Dami Im’s debut single as the winner, “Alive,” was released. She secured a recording contract with Sony Music Australia. Within four days of its release, “Alive” debuted at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart, achieving platinum certification for selling over 70,000 copies. Im’s self-titled second studio album, featuring studio recordings of her X Factor performances, was released on November 15, 2013. It debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart and also received platinum certification. Im also became an ambassador for the children’s charity Compassion Australia.

In early 2014, Im was signed as the face of fashion label Alannah Hill’s autumn and winter 2014 collection. She collaborated with fellow X Factor contestants and released a cover of “I Am Australian” to coincide with Australia Day celebrations. The song reached number 51 on the ARIA Singles Chart.

Her third studio album, “Heart Beats,” was released on October 17, 2014, and debuted at number seven on the ARIA Albums Chart. The album produced the singles “Super Love” and “Gladiator,” both peaking at number 11 on the ARIA Singles Chart. Im served as the supporting act for John Legend’s Australian leg of his All of Me Tour. Her sixth lead single, “Smile,” was released in May 2015.

Im was invited to participate in the BTV Global Spring Festival Gala, an international cast presentation by Chinese television station BTV. The event took place on the second day of Spring Festival, February 10. The Global Spring Festival Gala is known as one of the world’s most-watched TV programs, reaching over 200 million viewers worldwide.

On March 3, it was announced that Im would represent Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016, performing the song “Sound of Silence.” She also revealed that she would release a new album called “Classic Carpenters” in April, featuring cover versions of The Carpenters’ biggest songs. The album included music videos for the songs “(They Long to Be) Close to You,” “There’s a Kind of Hush (All Over the World),” and “Yesterday Once More.” “Classic Carpenters” achieved massive success, reaching number three on the ARIA charts and number 23 on the South Korean charts.

In the Eurovision Song Contest 2016, Im performed in the second semi-final and advanced to the final with the highest score in her semi-final.In the final, Im achieved the top score from jury and received and ended up in 2nd place overall. Her single “Sound of Silence” charted at number three on the ARIA charts and gained success across Europe, earning gold certifications. Following Eurovision, Im released the single “Fighting for Love” in October 2016.

In 2017, Im signed a modeling contract with THE.mgmt agency. She also released a new recording of “Hold Me in Your Arms” with Jack Jones, the original singer of Southern Sons. Im received gold certification for “Classic Carpenters” and platinum certification for “Sound of Silence.” 

Im’s fifth studio album, “I Hear a Song,” was released in March 2018 and achieved significant success, reaching number three on the ARIA album chart and number 11 on the Gaon Korean charts. In March 2019, Im released her first Live EP titled “Live Sessions EP.” Following that, she parted ways with Sony Music Australia and independently released her original song “Crying Underwater” on September 13, 2019. On January 3, 2020, she released another single titled “Kiss You Anyway.”

In October 2019, Im had the opportunity to perform in Korea at the Asia Song Festival alongside popular K-pop artists such as Sunmi, Eric Nam, Stray Kids, and Itzy.

In early 2020, Im was revealed as a participant in the seventeenth season of Dancing with the Stars. She was partnered with the new professional dancer Shae Mountain. Unfortunately, they were eliminated as the sixth couple and finished fifth overall in the competition.

On February 8, 2020, Im performed “Walk with Me” alongside Måns Zelmerlöw at Eurovision – Australia Decides, the event that determines Australia’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. She also performed her new single “Marching On,” which she wrote as a tribute to her mother. During the event, she surprised everyone by announcing her intention to compete in Australia Decides 2021, but the competition was later canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On August 31, 2020, Im confirmed her signing with ABC Music and announced her upcoming album. On September 17, she released “Paper Dragon,” her first single under the new label. The song was originally intended to be her entry for Australia Decides 2021, which couldn’t take place due to the pandemic.

In 2021, Im had her debut performance at Byron Bay Bluesfest. She also released her sixth studio album, titled “My Reality,” on October 29, 2021.

Im added another achievement to her career by publishing a memoir called “Dreamer” in 2022.

In May 2023, Im revealed her upcoming EP titled “In Between,” scheduled for release on July 7, 2023.