English singer-songwriter Sam Smith was BOTD in 1992. Born in London, they showed an early interest in music and theatre, and performed in Youth Music Theatre UK productions as a teenager. They rose to public attention in 2012 after providing vocals for the single Latch released by pop band Disclosure. The following year, Smith provided vocals for Naughty Boy’s song La La La, which reached No 1 in the UK singles charts. Smith released their debut solo album In the Lonely Hour in 2014, which became an international hit, winning four Grammy Awards including Best Pop Vocal Album, Record of the Year and Song of the Year for the single Stay With Me and Best New Artist for Smith. Admired for their androgynous, blues-inspired voice, dramatic performance style and openness about their sexuality, Smith drew comparisons with 1980s queer pop stars Boy George and Marc Almond, though cited Adele and Lady Gaga as their primary influences. In 2015, they co-wrote and performed the song Writing’s on the Wall for the James Bond theme Spectre, winning numerous awards including an Oscar for best original song. In their acceptance speech, Smith referred to themselves as the first openly gay man to win an Oscar, prompting the Oscar-winning (and very gay) screenwriter Dustin Lance Black to publicly correct their error. Two further studio albums, The Thrill of It All and Love Goes, were released in 2017 and 2020 respectively. Smith’s 2023 single I’m Not Here to Make Friends, accompanied by a music video in which they appeared in a series of revealing showgirl costumes, prompted online criticism about Smith’s weight, which in turn prompted a media debate about “fat-shaming” within the LGBT community. Smith came out as gay in 2014, evolving into genderqueer in 2017. They publicly identified as non-binary in 2019 and adopted “they/them” pronouns. They are currently in a relationship with fashion designer Christian Cowan.