In a career that began when she was just 12 years old, taylor swift has earned more awards and recognition than any female recording artist in history. She has won numerous Grammys, American Music Awards and CMAs, and has sold more albums than anyone in the history of recorded music. She has also won multiple Billboard Music Awards, including the Woman of the Year award and was named Artist of the Year by both Billboard and the AMAs. Her 1989 World Tour toured North America, Europe and Asia, and she has appeared on countless talk shows, including The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Good Morning America.
Taylor was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, and raised in suburban Wyomissing. She began singing and writing songs at an early age, inspired by her idol Shania Twain. At 12, she taught herself to play guitar and wrote her first song, “Lucky You”. She won a local talent contest and signed a development deal with RCA Records at age 14, but left the label at age 15 to focus on her own recordings. With the help of manager Dan Dymtrow, she worked with a number of professional songwriters and learned how to manage her own career.
Her second album Fearless was released in November 2008 and became the best-selling album of 2009. Five singles were released from the record, with “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me” reaching number 4 and 2, respectively, on the US charts. It also won a Grammy for Best Country Album.
The release of her third album Speak Now in May 2012 marked a new phase for Taylor. The record was a departure from her previous sound and saw her exploring more nuanced relationship issues. It was a huge success, topping the charts worldwide and becoming the fastest-selling album of all time by a female artist. The song “Blank Space” was a massive hit and was nominated for a Grammy for Song of the Year at the 2013 awards ceremony.
After the success of Speak Now, Taylor was able to re-release her fourth album Red (Taylor’s Version) in November 2021. The album was remastered and included two bonus tracks, as well as a new music video for the song “Look What You Made Me Do”.
In April of 2022, Taylor surprised fans by releasing her ninth studio album, folklore. The album was produced by Jack Antonoff and featured collaborations with HAIM, Aaron Dessner of The National and Bon Iver, among others. It was the longest-running number one album of the year and won album of the year at the 61st annual Grammy awards.
In addition to her music, Taylor has made headlines for her fashion choices and public appearances. She starred as Bombalurina in the movie adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination and a Grammy nod for Best Original Song. In addition, she lent her voice to the animated film The Imaginary Beasts, which was nominated for an Oscar.