Grace Avery VanderWaal (born January 15, 2004) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She is known for her distinctive vocals and has often accompanied herself on the ukulele. VanderWaal began her musical career by posting videos of her original songs and

cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of copy ...

s on YouTube and performing at

open mic An open mic or open mike (shortened from "open microphone") is a live show at a venue such as a coffeehouse, nightclub, comedy club, strip club, or pub, usually taking place at night, in which audience members may perform on stage whether t ...

nights near her home in

Suffern Suffern is a village that was incorporated in 1796 in the town of Ramapo in Rockland County, New York. Suffern is located 31 miles northwest of Manhattan. As of the 2010 census, Suffern's population was 10,723.eleventh season of the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

competition show ''

America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribu ...

'' (''AGT''), performing her original songs. In December 2016, with

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the A ...

and

Syco Music Syco Music is a defunct division of Syco Entertainment founded by British entrepreneur and record executive Simon Cowell. Originally founded as S Records, the label launched while Cowell was still employed by BMG, the label oversaw music relea ...

, she released her debut EP ''

Perfectly Imperfect ''Perfectly Imperfect'' is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Elle Varner. It was released on August 7, 2012, under RCA and MBK Entertainment. Recording sessions for the album took place at Jungle City Studios in New York City, ...

'', which became the best selling EP that year. Her first full-length studio album, '' Just the Beginning'' (2017), debuted at number 22 on the U.S ''Billboard'' 200. She released a second EP, ''Letters Vol. 1'', in 2019. She has performed at the

Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino Planet Hollywood Las Vegas (formerly the Aladdin) is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. The property was previously the site of an earlier resort known as the Aladdin, w ...

in Las Vegas,

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylv ...

, the opening and closing of the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Austria, various benefit concerts, the

Austin City Limits Music Festival The Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival is an annual music festival held in Zilker Park in Austin, Texas on two consecutive three-day weekends. Inspired by the KLRU/PBS music series of the same name, the festival is produced by Austin-bas ...

and on various television talk shows. VanderWaal conducted her first concert tour in 2017 in support of ''Just the Beginning''. She next toured in mid-2018 with

Imagine Dragons Imagine Dragons is an American pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, consisting of lead singer Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee and drummer Daniel Platzman. The band first gained exposure with the release of their si ...

in their

Evolve World Tour The Evolve World Tour (stylized as ''ƎVOLVE World Tour'') was the third concert tour by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons in support of their third studio album '' Evolve'' (2017). The tour began on September 26, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona ...

, and in 2019, after opening in a tour for

Florence and the Machine Florence and the Machine (stylised as Florence + the Machine) are an English indie rock band that formed in London in 2007, consisting of lead vocalist Florence Welch, keyboardist Isabella Summers, guitarist Rob Ackroyd, harpist Tom Monger, and ...

, she headlined her own Ur So Beautiful tour. She made her acting debut in 2020, starring as Susan "Stargirl" Caraway in the

Disney+ Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...

musical drama film '' Stargirl'', followed by its 2022 sequel '' Hollywood Stargirl''. VanderWaal has received 2 Radio Disney Music Awards (including a

Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...

award), a Teen Choice Award, the 2017 ''Billboard'' Women In Music Rising Star Award, and the 2018 MTV Europe Music Award for Best Push Act. She has been named to ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

'' magazine's ''21 Under 21'' list of fast-rising young music stars five times (2016–2019 and 2021) and is the youngest person ever included in the ''Forbes'' 30 Under 30 music list.

Early life

Family and education

VanderWaal was born near

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of ...

, to Tina and David VanderWaal, who lived in Lenexa at the time. Her father is of Dutch descent. When he became a vice president of marketing at

LG Electronics LG Electronics Inc. () is a South Korean multinational electronics company headquartered in Yeouido-dong, Seoul, South Korea. LG Electronics is a part of LG Corporation, the fourth largest '' chaebol'' in South Korea, and often considered ...

in 2007,Phull, Hardeep
"Katy Perry and Stevie Nicks think this teen singer is the next big thing"
''

New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...

'', December 21, 2017 the family moved to Suffern, New York.Izadi, Elahe
"''America's Got Talent'' winner Grace VanderWaal, 12, has Lenexa roots"
''

The Kansas City Star ''The Kansas City Star'' is a newspaper based in Kansas City, Missouri. Published since 1880, the paper is the recipient of eight Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Star'' is most notable for its influence on the career of President Harry S. Truman and a ...

'', September 16, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2016Rao, Naveen
"Grace VanderWaal Family: Things to Know About ''AGT'' 2016 Winner's Parents"
''Earn the Necklace'', September 15, 2016. Retrieved January 8, 2017 VanderWaal later moved to South Carolina.McCarthy, Lauren
"Grace VanderWaal Is Doing Great"
''Nylon'', March 4, 2021 She has an older brother and sister.John, Caroline
"Grace VanderWaal Family: 4 Things You Need To Know"
''Earn the Necklace'', August 31, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2016 After winning ''

'' in 2016, VanderWaal was home-schooled and enrolled in online courses for 7th gradeD'Zurilla, Christie
"Grace VanderWaal performs 'I Don't Know My Name', shares her age-related angst on ''Today''"
''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

'', November 28, 2016 but later attended public schoolDuboff, Josh
"Grace VanderWaal Is Growing Up – But Not Too Quickly"
''Vanity Fair'', May 23, 2019 part of the time. She is set to graduate from the Laurel Springs School in 2022.

Early musical efforts

VanderWaal began singing and making up songs at the age of three. As a preteen, she found songwriting inspiration by watching movies and trying to imagine what a character was feeling, and "what it would be like if I were them, and wrote a song." She decided to learn the

ukulele The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings. The tone and volume of the instrumen ...

after watching a Brazilian

au pair An au pair (; plural: au pairs) is a helper from a foreign country working for, and living as part of, a host family. Typically, au pairs take on a share of the family's responsibility for childcare as well as some housework, and receive a mon ...

play and seeing a

Twenty One Pilots Twenty One Pilots (stylized in all lowercase or as twenty øne piløts) are an American musical duo from Columbus, Ohio. Initially a band, the group was formed in 2009 by lead vocalist Tyler Joseph along with Nick Thomas and Chris Salih, who ...

video on YouTube.Sikorski, David
"Grace VanderWaal Reflects on Her Showstopping ''America's Got Talent'' Performance"
''

The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...

'', June 10, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2016 She asked for one for her 11th birthday but her mother refused, thinking she would never learn to play it. Then she bought one herself, using money she received for her 11th birthday, and watched more videos to teach herself how to play. She also played the saxophone in her school's marching band. In 2015, VanderWaal began to record song covers and original songs, accompanying herself on ukulele, and to post them on her YouTube channel.Salazar, Hayley
"Artist to Watch: ''America's Got Talents Grace VanderWaal"
''The Collegian'', September 6, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2016 She includes among her musical influences such artists as

Jason Mraz Jason Thomas Mraz (; born June 23, 1977) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his debut studio album, ''Waiting for My Rocket to Come'' (2002), which spawned the single " The Remedy (I Won't ...

, Twenty One Pilots and

Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her campy style, she has been referred to ...

. She also began to perform during

events at small venues near her home and to study music theory. In July 2016, after her audition on ''AGT'', she performed at the Lafayette Theatre in Suffern and then at the Ramapo Summer Concert Series at Palisades Credit Union Park.

Career

2016: ''America's Got Talent''

On June 7, 2016, VanderWaal auditioned for the eleventh season of

's talent competition show ''AGT'', singing her original song about identity, "I Don't Know My Name". She was selected by one of the show's judges,

Howie Mandel Howard Michael Mandel (born November 29, 1955) is a Canadian-American comedian, television personality, actor, and producer. Mandel voiced the character Gizmo in the 1984 film '' Gremlins'' and the 1990 sequel '' Gremlins 2: The New Batch''. ...

, as his " golden buzzer" act to skip the next round and perform in the live quarterfinal round.

Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of '' The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on ...

called VanderWaal "the next

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bo ...

." Brittany Spanos in ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' magazine termed the song an "emotional, catchy, quirky tune". VanderWaal continued to perform her original songs on the show; for her next performance at the quarterfinals on August 23, 2016, she sang "Beautiful Thing", a song that she wrote for her sister.Mallenbaum, Carly
"Grace VanderWaal: 5 things we learned about the ''America's Got Talent'' phenom"
''USA Today'', September 13, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2016 For the semifinals on August 30, she performed "Light the Sky", and for the September 13 finals, she sang "Clay", a song about dealing with bullies. ''AGT''s video of VanderWaal's audition has drawn more than 100 million views, and was ranked the No. 5 trending YouTube video of 2016. VanderWaal again performed "I Don't Know My Name" at the September 14 finale results episode, then introduced a performance by

Stevie Nicks Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasi ...

, who compared her own style with VanderWaal's. At the end of the broadcast, VanderWaal was announced as the season 11 winner.Angermiller, Michelle Amabile
"''America's Got Talent'' Winner Grace VanderWaal Books Vegas Concerts"
''Billboard'', September 15, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2016 She was the second female winner and the second child winner in the show's history.Izadi, Elahe
"'The next Taylor Swift' – Meet the 12-year-old singer-songwriter who won ''America's Got Talent''"
''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

'', September 15, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2016

Post-''America's Got Talent''

VanderWaal planned to use part of her ''AGT'' winnings to make a donation to charity and to buy two tree houses, built by the team from '' Treehouse Masters'', for herself and her sister. VanderWaal was a guest on ''

The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was pro ...

'' and ''

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...

'' in September 2016,"21 Under 21 2016: Music's Hottest Young Stars"
''Billboard'', September 29, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2016 and she headlined four sold-out concerts in the PH Showroom at the Las Vegas

in October, performing with other ''AGT'' finalists. She also headlined the '' America's Got Talent Holiday Spectacular'' in December on NBC, where she performed her arrangement of " Frosty the Snowman". VanderWaal signed a recording deal with

in September 2016 and released her debut EP, ''

'', on December 2, 2016. The five songs on the EP include all four of VanderWaal's original songs from ''AGT'' and another original, "Gossip Girl", all produced by Greg Wells. A Walmart version featured one additional song, "Missing You (Coffeehouse Version)".Mallenbaum, Carly
"Exclusive: Grace VanderWaal's ''Perfectly Imperfect'' tracklist"
''USA Today'', November 16, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2016 The EP debuted on the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart at No. 9Caulfield, Keith
"''The Hamilton Mixtape'' Debuts at No. 1 on ''Billboard'' 200 Albums Chart"
''Billboard'', December 11, 2016 and was the best selling EP of 2016.Angermiller, Michele Amabile
"''America's Got Talent'' Winner Grace VanderWaal to Return for Live Results Show"
''Variety'', July 27, 2017 The lead single, "I Don't Know My Name", debuted on ''Billboard''s Digital Song Sales chart at No. 37"Digital Song Sales: The Week of December 10, 2016"
''Billboard'', November 29, 2016 and on the

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

chart at No. 24. Another song on the EP, "Light the Sky", was featured as background music in Google's "Year in Search 2016" video. VanderWaal promoted the EP with a series of appearances and performances. In November 2016, she performed "Light the Sky" and "

Riptide A rip tide, or riptide, is a strong offshore current that is caused by the tide pulling water through an inlet along a barrier beach, at a lagoon or inland marina where tide water flows steadily out to sea during ebb tide. It is a strong tidal flo ...

" at halftime during a

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

game at

in New York City, and "I Don't Know My Name" in the 2016

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States wit ...

, on NBC's ''

Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 ...

'' show and at the Christmas tree lighting at

South Street Seaport The South Street Seaport is a historic area in the New York City borough of Manhattan, centered where Fulton Street meets the East River, and adjacent to the Financial District, in Lower Manhattan. The Seaport is a designated historic district ...

, in New York City, where she also sang "Light the Sky". In December, she sang "I Don't Know My Name" on ''

The Wendy Williams Show ''The Wendy Williams Show'' (often shortened to ''Wendy'') is an American syndicated talk show created and hosted by Wendy Williams, and produced by Wendy Williams Productions, along with Perler Productions. The show is distributed by Debmar- ...

'', at

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...

's annual holiday fundraiser at the Beacon Theatre (where she also duetted with Lauper on " True Colors"), on CBS's '' The Talk'', and at Z100's

Jingle Ball Tour 2016 The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour 2016 is a national holiday tour by iHeartMedia, which began on November 29, 2016 in Dallas at the American Airlines Center. The tour ended on December 18, 2016 in Sunrise, Florida at the BB&T Center. The performan ...

stop at Madison Square Garden. In reviewing the last event, Jon Caramanica of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' commented: "One of the loudest receptions of the night was for Grace VanderWaal, a precociously thoughtful 12-year-old singer-songwriter-ukulele player". Later that month, VanderWaal returned to NBC's ''Today Show'' to sing "Light the Sky".

2017–2018: ''Just the Beginning''

In January 2017, VanderWaal sang "I Don't Know My Name" on ''

Live with Kelly ''Live with Kelly and Ryan'' (or simply ''Live'') is an American syndicated morning talk show hosted by Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. Executive produced by Michael Gelman, the ''Live with...'' show formula has aired under various hosts since ...

''. She performed atop the

Empire State Building The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its name is derived from " Empire State", the nickname of the ...

for engaged couples at the building's

Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, thr ...

lighting event in February. In March 2017, she performed at We Day Illinois at

Allstate Arena Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Rosemont, Illinois, United States. It is located near the intersection of Mannheim Road and Interstate 90, adjacent to the city limits of Chicago and O'Hare International Airport. The facility opened ...

to celebrate young people's action on social issues. She also sang "Light the Sky" at the annual benefit gala "One Night for One Drop", organized by

Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil (, ; "Circus of the Sun" or "Sun Circus") is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 ...

at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The same month, VanderWaal appeared twice at the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Austria, duetting with Jason Mraz on two of his songs at the opening ceremony and performing her own songs at the closing ceremony. In April, she performed at WE Day charity events in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...

, and Los Angeles, and she appeared at the

2017 Radio Disney Music Awards The 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards was held on April 29, 2017, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was shown on Radio Disney and Disney Channel the following night on April 30, 2017 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. (EDT). ...

. Her May appearances included a fundraiser at Ramapo High School in New Jersey for

The Valley Hospital The Valley Hospital is a 451-bed, acute-care, not-for-profit hospital in Ridgewood, Bergen County, New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east ...

's children's programs. In June 2017, VanderWaal launched ''Perfectly Imperfect'' in Japan, performing and meeting with fans there. She donated funds to help establish an elementary school show choir in the East Ramapo Central School District, sponsored scholarships for graduating seniors from each of Ramapo and Spring Valley High Schools pursuing music and another show choir at Chestnut Ridge Middle School. By early 2017, VanderWaal began working on a full-length album, eventually titled '' Just the Beginning'', that she called "more produced ... really the same sound ... utless acoustic" than her debut EP.Armstrong, Megan
"Grace VanderWaal Announces Debut Album Release Date & Title, Unveils New Song 'So Much More Than This'"
''Billboard'', September 15, 2017 She told an interviewer for ''

Rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...

'' magazine about how her process changed for the album, writing songs "on demand" with a collaborator: "I've never done this before; it's kind of weird to go into a room with usually a 30-year-old man and just be like 'Oh, let me open up about my life to you and write a super personal song!'" In June, she participated in

VidCon VidCon is an annual convention for fans, creators, executives, and online brands. The event primarily features prominent video stars from across the internet. In October 2020, VidCon Now relaunched as an ongoing, free digital offering. Vetera ...

's opening show, ''YouTube OnStage'', in The Arena at

Anaheim Convention Center The Anaheim Convention Center is a major convention center in Anaheim, California and is the largest exhibition facility on the West Coast of the United States. It is located across from the Disneyland Resort on Katella Avenue. The original co ...

in Anaheim, California, where she premiered the first single from the upcoming album, "

Moonlight Moonlight consists of mostly sunlight (with little earthlight) reflected from the parts of the Moon's surface where the Sun's light strikes. Illumination The intensity of moonlight varies greatly depending on the lunar phase, but even the ful ...

".Nguyen, Lisa
"Grace VanderWaal Announces Debut Album ''Just the Beginning'', Shares Catchy New Single"
, ''Paste'' magazine, September 15, 2017 She later released additional singles from the album. In July, she performed at the Starkey Gala in St. Paul, Minnesota, to support hearing charities. In August, she returned to ''AGT'' as a guest performer, singing "Moonlight". The same month, Windex used VanderWaal's "Beautiful Thing" as the soundtrack to an advertisement,

Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a producti ...

used her cover of " Over the Rainbow" for a Japanese ad, and SheKnows Media ranked "I Don't Know My Name" as one of the 16 most empowering songs for women so far in 2017. In September, VanderWaal performed on ''

Live with Kelly and Ryan ''Live with Kelly and Ryan'' (or simply ''Live'') is an American syndicated morning talk show hosted by Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. Executive produced by Michael Gelman, the ''Live with...'' show formula has aired under various hosts since ...

''. The same month, she appeared on ''Treehouse Masters'' in an episode about the tree houses that VanderWaal had planned since her appearance on ''AGT'', and modeled at

New York Fashion Week New York Fashion Week (NYFW), held in February and September of each year, is a semi-annual series of events in Manhattan typically spanning 7–9 days when international fashion collections are shown to buyers, the press, and the general pub ...

for

Marc Jacobs Marc Jacobs (born April 9, 1963) is an American fashion designer. He is the head designer for his own fashion label, Marc Jacobs, and formerly Marc by Marc Jacobs, a diffusion line, which was produced for approximately 15 years, before it was ...

. VanderWaal promoted ''Just the Beginning'' with performances in September on ''Ellen'' and in October at the

, where she was " e of the fest's biggest breakout acts ... whose soaring voice and sweet pop songs charmed large ... crowds." She performed at more WE Day events in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...

, British Columbia, in October and St. Paul, Minnesota, in November. VanderWaal released ''Just the Beginning'' on November 3, 2017.McDermott, Maeve
"Grace VanderWaal's ''Just The Beginning'' shows a Taylor Swift in training"
''USA Today'', November 2, 2017 She sang "Moonlight" on ''

Megyn Kelly Today ''Megyn Kelly Today'' is an American daytime talk show that was broadcast by NBC. Premiering on September 25, 2017, it replaced ''Today's Take'' as the third hour of NBC's national morning show ''Today''. The program was hosted by Megyn Kelly, w ...

'' on the release date. The album debuted on the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart at No. 22."Grace VanderWaal Chart History – Billboard 200"
''Billboard''. Retrieved November 14, 2017 She began her first solo concert tour, the Just the Beginning Tour, on November 5, 2017, which ran through February 2018. By September 2017, the tour had sold out. VanderWaal returned to Japan in late November to promote the album. In December, she appeared on the ''Today'' show. In March 2018, VanderWaal travelled to Kenya with the Starkey Hearing Foundation to help hearing-impaired youth there. In April, she performed on ''

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Studios, it is the second ...

''.Jones, Abby
"Grace VanderWaal Soars with Empowering 'Clearly' Performance on ''The Late Show'': Watch"
''Billboard'', April 25, 2018 She was the opening act for

in the North American leg of their

from June to August 2018. During the tour, she also performed on ''

The Late Late Show with James Corden ''The Late Late Show with James Corden'' (also known as ''Late Late'') is an American late-night talk show on CBS. It is the fourth and current iteration of '' The Late Late Show''. Airing in the U.S. from Monday to Friday nights at 12:37:28a ...

'' and at the 2018 LoveLoud Festival. In December 2018, she returned to ''Live with Kelly and Ryan'' together with

Ingrid Michaelson Ingrid Ellen Michaelson (born December 8, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Her first album, ''Slow the Rain,'' was released in 2005, and she has since released eight more albums: '' Girls and Boys,'' '' Be OK'', '' Everybody'' ...

to perform their duet from ''

Songs for the Season ''Songs for the Season'', or ''Ingrid Michaelson's Songs for the Season'', is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson. It was released by Cabin 24 Records on October 26, 2018. It is her first Christmas album and t ...

'' of "

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" is a Christmas song written by Johnny Marks and recorded by Brenda Lee in 1958; it has since been recorded by numerous other music artists. By the song's 50th anniversary in 2008, Lee's original version had ...

2019–present: ''Letters Vol 1'' and ''Stargirl''

In early 2019, VanderWaal recorded her first soundtrack song, "Hideaway", for the animated film '' Wonder Park''. She made several tour stops in the southeastern US with

in June 2019 and conducted her own North American tour, titled "Ur So Beautiful", in August and September 2019, with an additional performance in November. Later in the year she performed at

The Trevor Project The Trevor Project is an American nonprofit organization founded in 1998. Focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning ( LGBTQ) youth, they offer a toll-free telephone number ...

gala to prevent suicide among LGBT youth. VanderWaal released several songs in 2019 and released an EP, ''Letters Vol. 1'', in November 2019. ''Music Week'' describes it as "spiky, futuristic, diverse". In 2020, VanderWaal starred in her acting debut as Susan "Stargirl" Caraway in

's '' Stargirl'', based on the 2000 novel of the same name. Both the film and VanderWaal's performance received positive reviews. Courtney Howard, in ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

,'' commented: "She ropes us into the mystery of her character reveal with heaping amounts of magnetism and grounded authenticity. It's no surprise that the music-driven scenes really showcase her power".Howard, Courtney
"''Stargirl''"
''

'', March 12, 2020, accessed April 6, 2020; Hammond, Pete
"''Stargirl'' Review: Grace Vanderwaal Makes Magical Acting Debut In Disney+ Teen Musical Charmer"
''

Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. The site is updated several times a day, wi ...

'', March 17, 2020; and Dry, Jude
"''Stargirl'' Review: A Tender YA Romance About Falling in Love With Yourself"
IndieWire, March 13, 2020, accessed April 6, 2020 In 2021 and 2022, she continued to release songs.Herh, Kala
"Grace VanderWaal Bears All in "Lion's Den"
'' V'', July 15, 2022 VanderWaal reprised the role of Stargirl in the 2022 sequel, '' Hollywood Stargirl''. The film was released on June 3, 2022, on

. Courtney Howard wrote in ''

'' that "VanderWaal is once again a magnetic presence".Howard, Courtney
"''Hollywood Stargirl'' Review: Grace VanderWaal Wows in a Splendid Disney+ Sequel"
''Variety'', June 1, 2022 She has been cast in an upcoming film, '' Megalopolis'', written and to be directed by

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five ...

; production is set to begin later in 2022.

Reception and accolades

In 2016, a review of 15 of VanderWaal's song covers that she posted on her YouTube channel, praised her arrangements, vocal delivery, musical taste and "the combination of sass, attitude and confidence she brings to every cover". In another 2016 assessment, ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

'' characterized VanderWaal's voice as "endearingly croaky". Others called it "raspy" or "timelessly soulful". Lindsay Peoples wrote for ''

New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, and with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker' ...

'': "The songs anderWaalwrote and performed on ''AGT'' were not only catchy but emotional and unique to her own sound, a mix of raw and folk". ''Billboard'' magazine praised VanderWaal's vocals on her debut EP, ''Perfectly Imperfect'', finding them "reminiscent of a Taylor Swift-

Regina Spektor Regina Ilyinichna Spektor (russian: Регинa Ильинична Спектор, ; born February 18, 1980) is a Russian–born American singer, songwriter, and pianist. After self-releasing her first three records and gaining popularity in ...

hybrid". ''Rolling Stone'' agreed. Brianna Wiest of ''

Teen Vogue ''Teen Vogue'' is an American online publication, formerly in print, launched in January 2003, as a sister publication to ''Vogue'', targeted at teenagers. Like ''Vogue'', it included stories about fashion and celebrities. Since 2015, following ...

'' wrote: "The EP takes you through Grace's range, touching on issues that are all-too-well-known for young people, as well as soul-stokingly beautiful medleys that almost anyone could relate to. ... see ... her ability to master both a softer, vowel-breaking folk tone as well as push through a serious power-ballad by the end. It's rare that you see both at once, but that's part of the magic of Grace's sound: it's at once completely new, and totally unexpected." A review of VanderWaal's album ''Just the Beginning'' in ''USA Today'' stated: "VanderWaal's big-throated performance on 'A Better Life' channels Florence Welch and

Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...

. There's a certain chirp in VanderWaal's voice that's reminiscent of Swift, but otherwise, her vocals align much more closely to Sia's in her full-voiced belting and nonchalant pronunciations. ... VanderWaal sounds like a 13-year-old in her songs, in the best possible way. In a voice that sounds refreshingly green, she launches herself at huge choruses with a total lack of restraint." A reviewer for ''

The Buffalo News ''The Buffalo News'' is the daily newspaper of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area, located in downtown Buffalo, New York. It recently sold its headquarters to Uniland Development Corp. It was for decades the only paper fully owned by ...

'' wrote that the "vast diversity in her songwriting ... makes her stand out as a truly unique and exquisite artist." Selina Fragassi of the ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the '' Chicago ...

'' commented that, on the album, VanderWaal's "raspy-sweet-peculiar vocals recall

Elle King Tanner Elle Schneider (born July 3, 1989), known professionally as Elle King, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Her musical style was influenced by country, rock and blues. In 2012, King released her debut EP, '' The Elle King ...

, Regina Spektor and Katy Perry ... ndproves herself a modern-day Mozart". Critics writing in the ''

Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...

'' similarly praised VanderWaal's "smart pop songs that beautifully showcase her persona and wonderfully peculiar rasp of a voice." A reviewer for the ''

Dallas Observer ''Dallas Observer'' is a free digital and print publication based in Dallas, Texas. The ''Observer'' publishes daily online coverage of local news, restaurants, music, and arts, as well as longform narrative journalism. A weekly print issue circ ...

'' opined that VanderWaal's lyrics tackle "complicated issues with aplomb as her raspy, warbling voice undulates around each syllable." A reviewer called VanderWaal's Seattle concert in February 2018 "a well balanced set of ballads and full energy songs. ... r stage and style are a boho chic age appropriate complement to her teenage themed, yet old-soul-mind works. ... Her set was full of sweet commentary and incredible vocals". Abby Jones of ''Billboard'' wrote that her performance of her single "Clearly" on ''The Late Show'' in 2018 was "moving ... stunningly bold ... mature, powerful". A reviewer for '' Mass Live'' said of her performance on tour in June 2018 that she "was a pleasant surprise ... holding her own in the arena rock milieu. hewon over the crowd". Later that month, a tour reviewer noted, in ''

Argus Leader The ''Argus Leader'' is the daily newspaper of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Owned by Gannett, it was the state's largest newspaper by total circulation until 2021 when it was surpassed by the ''Rapid City Journal'', according to statistics from th ...

'', "her whimsical flower crown, carefree attitude and incredible voice. ... VanderWaal captivated the audience". Another wrote in ''

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper. It is also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely distributed. It is currently ...

'' that "VanderWaal is one of the youngest performers at

Summerfest Summerfest is an annual music festival held in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. First held in 1968, Summerfest is located at Henry Maier Festival Park, adjacent to Lake Michigan and Milwaukee's central business district. Summerfest attracts app ...

018 018 may refer to * Air Canada Flight 018, an airline flight from Hong Kong to Vancouver, Canada, illegally boarded by a Chinese man wearing a disguise in 2010 * Area code 018, a telephone area code in Uppsala, Sweden * BMW 018, an experimental turb ...

She's also one of the most talented, bringing a honeyed, slightly frayed rasp to assured pop songs". A reviewer in ''Vanity Fair'' called VanderWaal's 2019 single, "Stray", "contemplative, haunting ... Stray" and "Hideaway" aremature and grounded – a progression from her previous work". A ''Rolling Stone'' critic found her 2019 single "Waste My Time" "a major departure for the teen. ... The more mature track is dream-pop bliss". MTV's critic called the 2019 music video for her song "I Don't Like You" "a sharp portrait hat... represents the chaos, confusion, and anger we often feel in relationships. ... In a style reminiscent of Sia's best videos ... with such deep-cutting lyrics ... and sharp visuals". '' V'' magazine called her 2022 song "Lion's Den" "relatable and poignant ... a resounding cry for her generation. ... It's a powerful, unfiltered story of someone coming into their own, told with unflinching honesty and candidness." ''

'' magazine named VanderWaal to its ''21 Under 21'' list of "music's hottest young stars" in four consecutive years, 2016–2019. ''Variety'' listed her in its "Young Hollywood Impact Report 2017". She was a finalist in the Best Female Artist category at the International Acoustic Music Awards in 2017, the youngest finalist in the awards' history. VanderWaal won the 2017

Radio Disney Music Award for Best New Artist The following is a list of Radio Disney Music Award winners and nominees for Best New Artist. Winners and nominees 2000s 2010s References {{Radio Disney Music Awards New Artist Music awards for breakthrough artist ...

Aiello, McKenna
"Radio Disney Music Awards 2017 Winners: The Complete List"
E!, April 29, 2017 and a 2017 Teen Choice Award. ''

Refinery29 Refinery29 (R29) is an American multinational digital media and entertainment website focused on young women. It is owned by Vice Media. History Justin Stefano, Philippe von Borries, Piera Gelardi, and Christene Barberich co-founded Refinery29 ...

'' included her on its 2017 list of 29 young actors, singers and activists "on the verge of superstardom." VanderWaal is credited with helping to boost the popularity of the ukulele, and in 2017, Fender named her as its youngest Signature Series artist ever and its first collaboration with a ukulele player; the instrument line was released in 2018. VanderWaal received ''Billboard''s 2017 Women in Music Rising Star Award"Grace VanderWaal Performs 'Moonlight', Accepts 'Rising Star' Award at Billboard Women in Music 2017
''Billboard'', November 30, 2017 and the 2018 MTV Europe Music Award for Best Push Artist. She is the youngest person ever included in the ''Forbes'' 30 Under 30 music list.Greenburg, Zack O'Malley
"Meet Grace VanderWaal, the Youngest 30 Under 30 Music List Member Ever"
''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...

'', November 13, 2018 In 2019 the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan comp ...

awarded her its Women of Distinction honor for her efforts to expand musical education in the East Ramapo Central School District. By 2018, VanderWaal had accumulated eight million followers on social media. As of 2022, her Instagram account has more than five million followers, her YouTube channel has more than three million subscribers, and her Facebook page more than one million followers. ''Billboard'' again named her to its ''21 Under 21'' list in 2021."21 Under 21: See Who Made the 2021 List"
''Billboard'', October 8, 2021

Awards and nominations

Filmography

Film

Discography

Albums

EPs

Charted singles

Tours

Headlining

* Just the Beginning Tour (2017–2018) * Ur So Beautiful Tour (2019)

Opening act

–

(2018) *

–

High as Hope Tour The High as Hope Tour was the fourth concert tour by British indie band Florence and the Machine, in support of their fourth studio album, '' High as Hope'' (2018). The tour began on 5 August 2018 in Montreal, Canada and concluded on 22 Septemb ...

(2019)

Notes

References

External links

* *
2018 documentary about VanderWaal
by

UPROXX ''Uproxx'' (stylized in all caps) is an entertainment and popular culture news website. It was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater, and acquired by Woven Digital (later renamed Uproxx Media Group) in 2014. The site's target audience ...

VanderWaal's "Tiny Desk Concert"
at

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

(2018)
2022 documentary about VanderWaal
{{DEFAULTSORT:VanderWaal, Grace 2004 births 21st-century American singers America's Got Talent winners American child singers American people of Dutch descent American ukulele players Child pop musicians Columbia Records artists Living people People from Lenexa, Kansas People from Suffern, New York Singer-songwriters from New York (state) 21st-century American women singers Singer-songwriters from Kansas