Sarah Dawn Finer

Sarah Dawn Finer
Sarah Dawn Finer (2013)
Background information
Born	14 September 1981
Origin	Stockholm, Sweden
Genres	Soul, pop
Occupation(s)	Singer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Labels	Roxy
Website	Official website

Sarah Dawn Finer (born 14 September 1981) is a Swedish singer, songwriter and actress. Her father is of English heritage from the United Kingdom, her Jewish mother is from the United States, and she was born and raised in Sweden. As a student she attended the Adolf Fredrik's Music School, a high profile song-and-chorus school in Stockholm, where she was also President of the Students' union. She is also known for playing Lynda Woodruff, the "official" spokesperson of the EBU in Melodifestivalen and the Eurovision Song Contest.^[1]

Solo music career

Finer's first EP "Sarah Dawn Finer" with 6 songs, was released in 2006. Her first full-length debut album A Finer Dawn, released 30 May 2007, debuted at number two on the Swedish album charts. The singles from the album were "I Remember Love", "Stockholm by Morning" and "A way back to love".

Her next album Moving On was released on 26 August 2009. The album included the title single "Moving On" and "Does She Know You?" and "Standing Strong". The album Moving On debuted at Number 1 on iTunes in its digital release on 17 August 2009. The CD version was released on 26 August 2009, debuting at Number 1 in the Swedish Charts.

Both the singles "I Remember Love" and "Moving On" were the most played songs on Swedish radio in 2007 and 2009. Her 3rd album "Winterland" also sold gold and debuted at Number 2 on the Swedish charts. She made a holiday special live from Hamburger Börs 2010 for SVT, and went on a critically acclaimed tour with "Winterland" in 2011. Her fourth album was "Sanningen Kommer Om Natten" 2011, which received 5/5 in DI Weekend by Jan Gradvall, after which she went on a critically acclaimed live tour with 2012. She received a songwriting award/scholarship from SKAP in 2012. She has recorded duets with Moneybrother, Peter Jöback, Mauro Scocco, Tommy Körberg, Fatboy, Samuel Ljungbladh and Patrik Isaksson.

Musicals

She was nominated for "Best Actress in a leading role" for her part as "Lucy" in Jekyll & Hyde at Chinateatern 2008. She also starred as Joanne in "Rent" – the rock musical in 2001, 2002 and 2003 at Göta Lejon, a tour with Riksteatern and at Göteborgs Operan. She starred in "Godspell" the musical at Parkteatern/Stockholms Stadsteater 2002.

Shows

"Ugglas Revy " with Magnus Uggla at Chinateatern 2010, "Livet" with Jonas Gardell 2002 and 2003, "Happy Holidays" at The Grand Hotel with Rennie Mirro and Karl Dyall in 2012. "Humorator" at The Grand Hotel in 2006 with Mikael Tornving, Henrik Hjelt, Ulf Kvensler and others.

She was Swedish television's Christmas Host for 2012 on SVT.

Dawn Finer was one of three hosts of the radio/television music aid show Musikhjälpen in December 2013.

Melodifestivalen participations

• Finer entered Melodifestivalen 2007 with the ballad "I Remember Love", which she co-wrote with Peter Hallström. The song qualified to the final in Globen, Stockholm from the semi final in Gävle. In the final, the song placed fourth and became a big chart success in Sweden (mostly played song on Swedish Radio in 2007), also becoming certified gold.^[2]
• She competed once again in Melodifestivalen 2009 for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. Her song "Moving On" qualified to the final through the Andra Chansen. Finer was given the opportunity to present the Swedish votes in the Eurovision final on 16 May as a spokesperson. The single has also been released with remixes and an acoustic version. It was the most played song on Swedish radio in 2009.
• Finer hosted Melodifestivalen 2012 along with Helena Bergström and Gina Dirawi. In a sketch recorded for the finale, Finer played Lynda Woodruff, an English EBU spokeswoman. She reprised her role for a European audience when delivering Sweden's vote in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012, and again in Melodifestivalen 2013 where she first introduced Stockholm as host city of the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest before being made aware of it being hosted in Malmö. She then continued her sketch in Malmö.
• Finer returned as Lynda Woodruff for the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in a series of sketches introducing Sweden to viewers.^[3] She also appeared as herself in the final, performing the ABBA song "The Winner Takes It All", which she released as a single version worldwide.
• Finer was a commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest's Greatest Hits broadcast along with Christer Björkman on 4 April 2015.
• In the fourth semi-final of Melodifestivalen 2016 Finer was once again a host alongside Gina Dirawi. In the contest's final she appeared in the interval act medley singing her 2009 entry "Moving On", and also reprised her role as Lynda Woodruff in a sketch welcoming viewers to Stockholm, the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 host city.

Discography

Albums

Year	Album	Chart peak (SWE) [4]	Certification
2007	A Finer Dawn	2
2009	Moving On	1
2010	Winterland	2
2012	Sanningen kommer om natten	3
2014	Vinterland	10

EPs

Year	Album	Chart peak (SWE) [4]	Certification
2005	Sarah Dawn Finer	–

Singles

Year	Single	Chart peak (SWE) [4]	Certification	Album
2007	"I Remember Love"	4
	"Du som tog mitt hjärta" (with Patrik Isaksson)	45
2009	"Moving On"	3
	"Standing Strong"	36
2010	"Kärleksvisan"	7

Other non-charting

• 2007: "A Way Back to Love"
• 2007: "Stockholm by Morning"
• 2008: "Does She Know You"
• 2010: "I'll Be Your Wish Tonight"
• 2011: "Is Anybody There"

References

1. Åsa Görnerup Faith-Ell (13 February 2012). "Debutant utan nerver". Mitt i Stockholm (Local Stockholm newspaper). Retrieved 2014-10-12.
2. hitparad.se – Svenska hitlistan
3. "Lynda Woodruff part of Eurovision in May". European Broadcasting Union. 22 March 2013.
4. "SwedishCharts.com Sarah Dawn Finer discography page". Swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 19 October 2012.

External links

• Sarah Finer Official Website
• Sarah Finer MySpace