Olly Alexander
Olly Alexander | |
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Olly Alexander performing at the Sziget Festival in Hungary, 2016 | |
| Born | Oliver Alexander Thornton 15 July 1990 Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England |
| Alma mater | Hereford College of Arts |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2008–present |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | Years & Years |
| Website | www |
Oliver Alexander Thornton (born 15 July 1990) is an English singer, actor and LGBTQ activist who rose to prominence as the lead singer of the English pop band Years & Years, achieving two No. 1 albums on the UK Albums Chart, a No. 1 single and five Top 10 entries on the UK Singles Chart. He continued to release music under the band's name between 2021 and 2023 until their dissolution in 2024. During their career Years & Years were nominated for six Brit Awards.
As an actor he rose to critical acclaim for his performance as Ritchie Tozer in the Channel 4 drama series It's a Sin (2021), earning Best Actor nominations at the British Academy Television Awards, Critics' Choice Television Awards and Independent Spirit Awards. Alexander represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Sweden, with his song "Dizzy", which marked his first release under his own name; in the grand final, he finished in 18th place with 46 points. His debut solo album Polari was released on 7 February 2025.