Grace VanderWaal
An American singer-songwriter who shot to fame as a teenager with her raw, ukulele-strumming authenticity and a voice beyond her years.
Born 2004 (age 22)·American singer-songwriter·Birthday: January 15·Generation Z
Biography
Grace VanderWaal stepped onto a national stage at twelve, a slight figure with a ukulele and a startlingly husky, mature voice that seemed to hold old-soul wisdom. Her victory on 'America's Got Talent' in 2016 wasn't just a talent show win; it was the launch of a genuine singer-songwriter who wrote piercingly observant lyrics about growing up, anxiety, and hope. She deftly avoided the typical child-star trajectory, insisting on writing her own material and shaping her quirky, authentic aesthetic. Transitioning into her late teens, VanderWaal matured her sound with more sophisticated production while retaining her lyrical vulnerability, proving her early success was built on substantive talent, not just novelty.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Grace was born in 2004, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Grace Was Born
The biggest hits of 2004
#1 Movie
Shrek 2
Best Picture
Million Dollar Baby
#1 TV Show
American Idol
Grace's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
2004Born
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2009Started school
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2017Became a teenager
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2020Could drive
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2022Could vote
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2025Turned 21
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 22 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the eleventh season of 'America's Got Talent' in 2016 at the age of 12.
- Released her debut EP 'Perfectly Imperfect' which debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard 200.
- Was named one of Time magazine's 'Most Influential Teens' in 2017.
Did You Know?
She taught herself to play the ukulele by watching YouTube videos.
VanderWaal designed her own line of ukuleles for Fender.
She made her acting debut in the Disney+ film 'Stargirl' in 2020.
“I don't want to be famous. I want to be a musician.”
