1992–present
Who Is Sam Smith?
Grammy winner Sam Smith is British singer known for their soulful voice and songs about love and heartbreak. Hailing from London, Smith first hit the charts as the featured singer on the 2012 Disclosure song “Latch” and earned early success with the 2014 release of their debut album In the Lonely Hour. Featuring the smash hit “Stay With Me,” the record earned Smith an impressive four Grammy wins. The singer was awarded another in nearly a decade later for their 2022 hit “Unholy” with Kim Petras. Smith is set to release their fifth album Hazel Eyes in August 2026.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Samuel Frederick Smith
BORN: May 19, 1992
BIRTHPLACE: London, England
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Taurus
Early Years
Samuel Frederick Smith was born on May 19, 1992, in London, England to Frederick Smith and Kate Cassidy. A natural singer, Smith began performing as a child, but the first real press they got came in 2009 when their mother, a successful banker, was fired after allegedly promoting the then 15-year-old’s singing career while on company time. Smith had only recorded two songs at that point and it would be a few years before they left their mark on the music world. Smith’s father, on the other hand, was a stay-at-home dad. “I grew up in a very emotionally charged, femme world,” they recalled to the New York Times in July 2026.
Throughout their teenage years, Smith studied music while hitting the books at St. Mary's Catholic School in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire. They looked for inspiration in such soulful artists as Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder while keeping a close eye on their future in the music business.
Music Career: Songs and Albums
Smith’s first moment in the spotlight would come when the dance/electronica duo Disclosure released its 2012 song “Latch,” to which Smith lent their vocals. The track featured the singer’s melodic falsetto over Disclosure’s electronic beat. "Latch," featuring a stripped-down sound that made the listener take notice of Smith’s vocal work, resonated in a big way with music fans and critics alike and laid the groundwork for their future success in the UK and beyond. “Latch” reached the top of the UK singles chart when Smith was just 21, and they soon released their own single, “Lay Me Down.”
Smith’s next hit was again via a featured role on another artist’s song: Naughty Boy’s Bollywood-inspired “La La La.” With Smith's lead vocal, the song became an instant No. 1 single in the UK in the spring of 2013. In the fall, Smith released their first EP, Nirvana, on which listeners were treated to an acoustic version of “Latch.” A few months later, in February 2014, Smith was again at the top of the UK singles chart with “Money on My Mind.”
In the Lonely Hour
In May 2014, Smith released their debut album In the Lonely Hour and told the world they were gay. They also revealed that despite the album being full of love songs, they've never experienced it firsthand. “I've never been in a relationship before,” they said to the magazine Fader. “In the Lonely Hour is about a guy that I fell in love with last year, and he didn't love me back... I was in a very dark place.”
That dark place has taken Smith to some very exciting, rewarding arenas. At the 2015 Grammy Awards, Smith and their record took four awards: Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Album, Record of the Year and Song of the Year for “Stay With Me.”
“Before I made this record I was doing everything to try and get my music heard,” Smith said during one of his four acceptance speeches. “It was only until I started to be myself that the music started to flow and people started to listen.”
Smith continued to keep busy in 2015, releasing a re-recorded version of “Lay Me Down” as a duet with soul singer-songwriter John Legend. The track went to No. 1 on the UK pop charts while raising money for the charity initiative Comic Relief. Smith then contributed lead vocals on the sleek “Omen,” one of the first singles from Disclosure's sophomore album, Caracal.
Smith has since joined the James Bond canon of movie vocalists with his orchestral single “Writing's on the Wall” for Spectre. Co-written with Jimmy Napes, the song became a No. 1 single in the UK and received both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award in 2016 for Best Original Song, with Smith dedicating his Oscar win to the global LGBTQ community.
The Thrill of It All and Love Goes
Smith followed up with their sophomore effort The Thrill of It All in November 2017, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The record featured the hit single “Too Good at Goodbyes,” as well as the tracks “Pray” and “Burning.”
Smith enjoyed more commercial success via collaborations with Calvin Harris on “Promises” and with Normani on “Dancing with a Stranger,” which they later included on their third album as bonus tracks.
After delaying its release to the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith dropped Love Goes in October 2020. Less successful than their previous projects, the album included the charting songs “Diamonds,” “To Die For,” and “How Do You Sleep?” as well as title track, featuring Labyrinth.
Gloria and New Album Hazel Eyes
Smith returned with new music in 2022 with the release of “Unholy” with Kim Petras. The dance-pop track quickly became a viral sensation, earning the singer their first No. 1 hit, before being featured on their next album Gloria in January 2023. Despite being Smith’s lowest ranking album on the Billboard 200 chart, it achieved more critical and commercial success than Love Goes.
The following month, they earned their fifth Grammy win for “Unholy,” taking home the trophy for Best Pop Duo Performance. The win was followed by a crowd-pleasing, devil-themed performance of the hit with Petras.
Smith is set to release their latest work, Hazel Eyes, in August 2026. A love letter to their fiancé Christian Cowan, the new album, which is named for Cowan’s eye color, features the singles “My Guy,” “Love Is a Stillness,” and “To Be Free.”
“For me, there’s something radical about being queer in this time, in this world, and singing love songs,” Smith said to the New York Times in July. The record follows their residencies at the Warsaw in Brooklyn and Castro Theatre in San Francisco in 2025 and 2026, respectively.
Nonbinary Pronouns
In September 2019, Smith came out as nonbinary and announced they were going to begin using pronouns they/them. “After a lifetime of being at war with my gender I’ve decided to embrace myself for who I am, inside and out,” Smith wrote on Instagram. “I’m so excited and privileged to be surrounded by people that support me in this decision but I’ve been very nervous about announcing this because I care too much about what people think... I hope you can see me like I see myself now.”
Fiancé Christian Cowan
Smith is engaged to British fashion designer Christian Cowan. The singer announced their engagement in July 2026 after three years of dating. Smith and Cowan first met online in 2022 and made their official red carpet debut two years later at the annual Met Gala in 2024.
Overall, Smith has kept their romantic life fairly private and details about their relationship with their fiancé are slim. Prior to Cowan, they dated actor Brandon Flynn from 2017 to 2018 and model and actor Jonathan Ziezel for two months between 2014 to 2015.
Quotes
- There’s always been a hunger in me not necessarily to be successful, but to be an icon.
- I’m more comfortable performing in front of 50,000 people than five people—it’s easier. When there’s that many people, I feel like I’m alone. When I perform in front of only a few people, it’s scary.
- I will sing happy songs, and I do sing happy songs, but the stuff that’s going to move me and going to make me close my eyes is always the blues.
Net Worth
As of August 2026, Smith has an estimated net worth of $45 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
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Catherine Caruso joined the Biography.com staff in August 2024, having previously worked as a freelance journalist for several years. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she studied English literature. When she’s not working on a new story, you can find her reading, hitting the gym, or watching too much TV.
