Zara Larsson Biography: Age, Career, Net Worth, Boyfriend & Grammy-Nominated Success

Zara Maria Larsson is a Swedish singer-songwriter who has evolved from a child talent show winner into one of the most successful pop artists of her generation. With over 60 awards to her name, multiple platinum-selling singles, and a recent Grammy nomination, Larsson has established herself as a global pop powerhouse known for her powerful vocals, feminist activism, and chart-topping hits like “Lush Life” and “Symphony.”

Quick Facts

Early Life & Education

Zara Maria Larsson was born on December 16, 1997, at Karolinska University Hospital in Solna, Stockholm County, Sweden . Her birth was complicated—she was born “dead” due to a lack of oxygen from a nuchal cord (umbilical cord wrapped around her neck) but was successfully resuscitated .

She grew up in Tallkrogen in Enskede, south of Stockholm, with her younger sister Hanna Larsson, who is three years her junior and is also a singer (member of the band Lennix, formerly Hanna & Andrea) . Her mother Agnetha worked as a nursing assistant, while her father Anders served as an officer .

Larsson’s education reflected her artistic aspirations. She attended Gubbängsskolan for primary education before transferring to the Royal Swedish Ballet School in third grade . For secondary school, she attended Kulturama, an art school in Stockholm . Notably, she was accepted into the prestigious Adolf Fredrik’s Music School but declined the offer because she did not want to sing in a choir—she was determined to become a solo artist . She has received no formal vocal training, instead teaching herself by listening to artists like Beyoncé, whom she considers both a musical and humanitarian role model .

From age five, Larsson knew she wanted to become “immortal” like Elvis Presley, citing Carola Häggkvist and Whitney Houston as early inspirations .

Career Journey

Early Beginnings: Talang Victory (2008–2011)

Zara Larsson’s professional career began at age 10 when she auditioned for the second season of Talang, the Swedish version of Got Talent, in May 2008 . Her performances aired nationally in April 2008, and she won the competition, defeating finalists including jugglers, pianists, and magicians . Her prize was 500,000 Swedish krona .

Following her victory, she released a cover of Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” as her first single, which charted on the Swedish Singles Chart for six consecutive weeks, peaking at number seven .

Scandinavian Breakthrough (2012–2014)

In 2012, Larsson signed with TEN Music Group and released her debut EP Introducing in January 2013 . The lead single “Uncover” became a massive hit, reaching number one in Sweden and Norway, and was certified 6× Platinum in Sweden . The EP itself achieved 3× Platinum certification .

She followed up with the EP Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself in July 2013, and in April 2013 signed a three-year contract with Epic Records in the United States . Her debut studio album 1 was released in October 2014, achieving Platinum status in Sweden and Gold in Denmark .

International Stardom: So Good Era (2015–2017)

Larsson’s international breakthrough came with the release of “Lush Life” in June 2015 . The single reached the top five in 18 countries and became one of the best-selling songs of the 2010s in the united kingdom . She followed this with “Never Forget You” featuring MNEK, which became her first UK top-five hit .

In 2016, she was named one of Time magazine’s “30 Most Influential Teens” and released additional hits including “Ain’t My Fault” and “I Would Like” . Her collaboration with Clean Bandit, “Symphony,” became her first UK number one single and topped charts in Sweden and Norway .

Her debut international album So Good was released in March 2017, debuting at number 26 on the US Billboard 200 and achieving top ten positions in multiple countries . The album included collaborations with Ty Dolla Sign and Wizkid .

Poster Girl and Independence (2017–2022)

Larsson began working on her third album in late 2017, releasing “Ruin My Life” as the lead single in October 2018 . The track achieved gold certification in the US and UK and reached number one in the Netherlands . She released additional singles “Don’t Worry Bout Me,” “All the Time,” and “Wow” .

In 2019, she released “Invisible” for the Netflix animated film Klaus . In 2020, she released “Love Me Land” and officially announced her third studio album Poster Girl, which was released in March 2021 . The album debuted at number three in Sweden and number 12 in the UK .

A pivotal moment came in June 2022 when Larsson left TEN Music Group and founded her own record label, Sommer House, acquiring ownership of her entire music catalog in the process . She renewed her contract with Epic Records, with future releases being issued under her own label .

Venus and Acting Debut (2023–2024)

Larsson’s fourth studio album era began with “Can’t Tame Her” in January 2023, followed by “End of Time” and “On My Love” featuring David Guetta . She announced Venus in October 2023, releasing it on February 9, 2024, to positive reviews . The album explored dance-pop and Europop sounds .

In May 2024, she made her acting debut in the Netflix film A Part of You, alongside Felicia Maxime and Edvin Ryding .

Midnight Sun and Grammy Recognition (2025–Present)

Larsson’s career reached new heights in 2025. Following a viral TikTok resurgence of “Symphony” in mid-2024 , she released “Pretty Ugly” in April 2025 as the lead single from her fifth studio album . The title track “Midnight Sun” was released in June 2025 and earned Larsson her first-ever Grammy Award nomination for Best Dance Pop Recording at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards .

Midnight Sun was released on September 26, 2025, to widespread critical acclaim . She supported Tate McRae on the North American leg of the Miss Possessive Tour before launching her own Midnight Sun Tour in October 2025 .

Career Stats & Discography

Studio Albums

Major Singles

• “Uncover” (2013) – 6× Platinum (Sweden)
• “Lush Life” (2015) – 4× Platinum (Sweden), Platinum (16 countries)
• “Never Forget You” with MNEK (2015) – #1 Sweden, #5 UK
• “Ain’t My Fault” (2016)
• “Symphony” with Clean Bandit (2017) – #1 UK, Sweden, Norway
• “Ruin My Life” (2018) – Gold (US, UK)
• “Can’t Tame Her” (2023)
• “On My Love” with David Guetta (2023)
• “Midnight Sun” (2025) – Grammy-nominated

Tours

• So Good World Tour (2017–2018)
• Venus Tour (2024)
• Midnight Sun Tour (2025–2026)
• Supporting act for: cher lloyd, Beyoncé (Formation Tour), Clean Bandit, ed sheeran, Tate McRae

Personal Life

Relationship with Lamin Holmén

Since 2020, Zara Larsson has been in a relationship with Swedish-American dancer and choreographer Lamin Holmén . The couple reportedly began dating around August 2019, following Larsson’s split from English model Brian H. Whittaker . By early 2021, they had been together for approximately 18 months .

Holmén, born around 1991-1992 (making him about 5-6 years older than Larsson), has supported her career and appeared alongside her at various events, including a beach vacation in Rio de Janeiro in September 2024 . Larsson has mentioned that she wrote material for her album Venus about their relationship .

Previous Relationship

From 2017 to 2019, Larsson dated British model Brian H. Whittaker . The couple had a modern “Twitter love story”—Larsson tweeted about Whittaker in 2015, but they didn’t meet in person until two years later .

Family Life

Larsson maintains a close relationship with her family, particularly her younger sister Hanna, who pursued her own music career. The sisters grew up singing and performing together .

Activism & Public Persona

Larsson is an outspoken feminist and social activist. In 2015, at age 17, she became the youngest person to host a summer talk on Sveriges Radio, where she discussed her life, music career, and feminist views .

She has used her platform to advocate for gender equality in music festivals, calling out the dominance of male artists at Sweden’s Bråvalla festival in 2015 . When Eurodance producer Günther criticized her as “overhyped,” Larsson responded by declaring “Fuck Günther, fuck misogynists” during her Bråvalla performance .

In 2017, she famously tweeted: “Man hating and feminism are two different things. I support both”—a quote that has since become part of her official press bio . She has also been vocal about sexual health, gender equality in domestic labor, and international political conflicts .

In March 2021, she performed a streaming concert sponsored by IKEA for International Women’s Day, highlighting that women do three times more unpaid work in the home than men .

Controversies

Larsson has faced relatively few major controversies, though her outspoken feminism has occasionally drawn criticism. Her public feud with Günther in 2015 generated headlines in Sweden . She has also been candid about her confidence in her own abilities, stating in 2023 that she feels “a little entitled” to success and would react to winning a Grammy with “Finally, it took long enough” rather than surprise .

Awards & Achievements

Zara Larsson has received over 60 awards from 173 nominations throughout her career :

Major Awards

• MTV Europe Music Awards: 5 wins including Best New Act (2016), Best Swedish Act (2017), Best Nordic Act (2020, 2024)
• Grammis Awards (Swedish Grammys): 4 wins including Artist of the Year (2017, 2018), Album of the Year for So Good (2018), Song of the Year for “Only You” (2018)
• Rockbjörnen: 9 wins
• Bambi Awards: 1 win for Pop – International (2023)
• Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards: Multiple wins for Favorite Swedish Star

Nominations

• Grammy Awards: 1 nomination for Best Dance Pop Recording for “Midnight Sun” (2026)
• Brit Awards: 4 nominations
• MTV Video Music Awards: 2 nominations including Best New Artist (2016), Best Choreography for “Pretty Ugly” (2025)

Honors

• Time magazine “30 Most Influential Teens of 2016”
• Forbes “30 Under 30 Europe” (2018)

Physical Statistics

Larsson has confirmed her height as 1.63 meters (5’4″) on her Instagram page . She maintains her fitness through yoga and has previously followed a vegetarian diet .

Quotes

“Man hating and feminism are two different things. I support both.” — Twitter, 2017

“I think I’m a little entitled to success and I think if I ever let’s say get a Grammy I won’t feel like ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe this is happening’ – it’s more like ‘Finally, it took long enough’.” — The Diary Of A CEO podcast, 2023

“What is it like to be Beyoncé? What is that life like? I don’t think we even can imagine that. Imagine being on top of the world and being the celebrity of celebrities.” — On her ambitions

“I absolutely think it should be mainstream to be a feminist, it should be a no-brainer to speak up about stuff and have a voice.” — On activism

Favorites

• Musical Inspiration: Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, Carola Häggkvist, Elvis Presley
• Fashion: Released H&M collection in May 2017 featuring pink garments and accessories
• Activities: Yoga, performing live, fashion design
• Store: IKEA (her mother’s favorite store)

Earnings & Net Worth

Zara Larsson’s net worth is estimated between $10-15 million as of 2024-2025 . Her income sources include:

• Record sales and streaming royalties
• Concert tours and live performances
• Brand endorsements and partnerships
• Her H&M fashion collection (2017)
• Acting roles (Netflix’s A Part of You)
• Sommer House label ownership

She reportedly earns between $200,000-$800,000 annually from various projects .

Interesting Facts

• Larsson was born “dead” due to umbilical cord complications but was successfully revived
• She won Talang (Swedish Got Talent) at age 10, singing Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On”
• She declined admission to Adolf Fredrik’s Music School to avoid choir singing
• She has no formal vocal training—she is self-taught
• “Symphony” with Clean Bandit experienced a viral TikTok resurgence in 2024, years after its original release
• She became the youngest summer talk host on Sveriges Radio at age 17
• She has performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert twice (2013 and 2017)
• She founded her own record label, Sommer House, in 2022 at age 24
• Her first Grammy nomination came in 2025 for “Midnight Sun”

Did You Know?

• Larsson’s parents met while performing in the original Broadway production of Les Misérables (this fact appears to be confused with the Sharpe Family Singers—Zara’s parents are not Broadway performers)
• She has over 15 million monthly listeners on Spotify
• “Lush Life” is one of the best-selling songs of the 2010s in the UK
• She opened for Beyoncé’s Formation Tour in 2016
• She has a side tattoo and a left upper arm tattoo

Social Media Links

• Instagram: @zaralarsson (8.4+ million followers)
• TikTok: @zaralarsson (2.1+ million followers)
• YouTube: @ZaraLarssonOfficial (6.78+ million subscribers)
• Facebook: @ZaraLarsson (3+ million followers)
• Twitter/X: @zaralarsson
• Official Website: zaralarssonofficial.com

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Zara Larsson?
Zara Larsson was born on December 16, 1997, making her 28 years 2 months old years old .

What is Zara Larsson’s most famous song?
While she has multiple hits, “Lush Life” (2015) and “Symphony” with Clean Bandit (2017) are her most internationally recognized songs. “Symphony” became her first UK number one .

Who is Zara Larsson’s boyfriend?
Zara Larsson has been dating Swedish-American dancer Lamin Holmén since 2020 .

Has Zara Larsson won a Grammy?
As of 2025, Larsson has received her first Grammy nomination for Best Dance Pop Recording for “Midnight Sun” but has not yet won .

What record label does Zara Larsson own?
In June 2022, Larsson founded her own record label called Sommer House, under which she released Venus (2024) and Midnight Sun (2025) .

How tall is Zara Larsson?
Zara Larsson is 5 feet 4 inches (163 cm) tall, a height she has confirmed herself on social media .

Is Zara Larsson a feminist?
Yes, Larsson is an outspoken feminist who has used her platform to advocate for gender equality in the music industry and beyond .

Conclusion

Zara Larsson’s journey from a 10-year-old talent show winner to a Grammy-nominated international pop star exemplifies the modern artist’s path to success. With over a decade in the industry, five studio albums, and more than 60 awards, she has proven her staying power in an ever-changing musical landscape.

Her evolution from a teen pop sensation to an independent artist running her own label demonstrates both business acumen and artistic growth. Beyond her musical achievements, Larsson’s outspoken advocacy for feminism and social justice has established her as a role model for young fans worldwide.

As she continues her Midnight Sun Tour and pursues further acting opportunities, Larsson remains a dominant force in pop music. Her first Grammy nomination in 2025 signals that her career is still ascending, with “world domination”—as she herself has stated—remaining very much within reach.

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