# Vance Joy

Source: https://www.popfiltr.com/artist-profile/vance-joy
Published: 2026-09-23T00:28:22.344Z
Language: en

> Australian singer-songwriter who turned a ukulele riff into the global hit "Riptide" and built a multi-album career of intimate indie folk.

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Artist profile

## Vance Joy

Australian singer-songwriter who turned a ukulele riff into the global hit "Riptide" and built a multi-album career of intimate indie folk.

## Quick facts

- **Origin:** Australia
- **Genres:** indie folk, alternative, pop, indie pop
- **Award-winning work:** Riptide, Dream Your Life Away, Nation of Two
- **Awards:** 4 ARIA Awards Won · 22 ARIA Nominations
- **Audience:** 27.8M Spotify monthly listeners, as of April 30, 2026

![Vance Joy official artist profile image](https://www.popfiltr.com/artist-profile-assets/v1/4519/ad440f114139f94fa3aba5473a4737e1362e3009c5155f23b5c29a270568809d.jpg)

*[Artist image via Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/artist/10exVja0key0uqUkk6LJRT)*

- **Spotify monthly listeners:** 27.8M (No. 255 by Spotify monthly listeners)
- **TikTok tracked video views:** 7.3B (No. 1105 by TikTok top-video views)
- **YouTube total views:** 588.9M
- **Pandora lifetime streams:** 3B
- **Total platform audience:** 5.8M
- **Spotify followers:** 3.6M (No. 1223 by Spotify followers)
- **YouTube subscribers:** 790K (No. 7185 by YouTube subscribers)
- **TikTok followers:** 161.7K (No. 14711 by TikTok followers)

Figures as of April 30, 2026.

Data

## Audience, reach and discovery

Figures as of April 30, 2026.

### Platform audience

- **Spotify monthly listeners:** 27.8M (No. 255 by Spotify monthly listeners)
- **Spotify followers:** 3.6M (No. 1223 by Spotify followers)
- **YouTube subscribers:** 790K (No. 7185 by YouTube subscribers)
- **Instagram followers:** 669K (No. 12156 by Instagram followers)
- **TikTok followers:** 161.7K (No. 14711 by TikTok followers)
- **Deezer fans:** 518.2K (No. 1396 for Deezer fans)
- **Pandora 28-day listeners:** 1.3M

### Consumption and discovery

- **YouTube total views:** 588.9M
- **YouTube daily views:** 926.4K
- **YouTube monthly views:** 25.4M
- **TikTok likes:** 1.7M (No. 17183 for TikTok likes)
- **TikTok tracked video views:** 7.3B (No. 1105 by TikTok top-video views)
- **TikTok track posts:** 14M (No. 414 for TikTok track posts)
- **Pandora lifetime streams:** 3B
- **Shazams:** 34.3M
- **Genius pageviews:** 4M

### Playlist footprint

- **Spotify playlist reach:** 231.6M
- **Spotify editorial playlist reach:** 80.2M
- **Spotify playlists:** 798.1K
- **Spotify editorial playlists:** 546
- **Apple Music playlists:** 707
- **Apple Music editorial playlists:** 324
- **Deezer playlists:** 259
- **Deezer editorial playlists:** 37
- **YouTube playlists:** 162
- **YouTube editorial playlists:** 35

### Top listener markets

Leading cities by Spotify monthly listeners.

| Rank | City | Listeners |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Sydney AU | 443.4K |
| 2 | London GB | 416K |
| 3 | Melbourne AU | 368.8K |
| 4 | Brisbane AU | 337.5K |
| 5 | São Paulo BR | 278.3K |

Biography

## From Football to Folk: The Vance Joy Story

### Early Life and the Path to Music

James Gabriel Keogh was born on 1 December 1987 in Melbourne, Victoria, to a father who worked in the computer trade and a mother who taught high-school English. His paternal grandparents had immigrated from Ireland, and he grew up in the suburb of Murrumbeena before attending St Kevin's College in Toorak, where he served as school captain. After graduating in 2005, Keogh enrolled at Monash University to pursue a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws, a path that seemed to lead toward a legal career.

In parallel with his studies, Keogh was a promising Australian rules footballer. He played 28 games as a key defender for the Coburg Football Club in the Victorian Football League across the 2008 and 2009 seasons, winning the club's best first-year player award in 2008. However, he later acknowledged he was never truly in contention for the elite Australian Football League. "I guess I was just doing something in the meantime before writing my first songs," he reflected in a 2013 interview. Music, which had been a private pursuit since childhood piano lessons, began to take precedence.

### The Birth of Vance Joy and "Riptide"

Keogh adopted the stage name Vance Joy from Peter Carey's 1981 novel Bliss, in which the character Vance Joy is a storyteller and eccentric grandfather to the protagonist Harry Joy. "I thought it was a cool name," Keogh told Triple J in 2013. He began performing at Melbourne open-mic nights in the late 2000s while balancing football and university. His first single, "From Afar," arrived in January 2013, followed two months later by the five-track EP God Loves You When You're Dancing.

The EP's second single, "Riptide," changed everything. Released in May 2013, the ukulele-driven track peaked at number six on the ARIA Singles Chart and was voted number one on the 2013 Triple J Hottest 100 — the first time an Unearthed artist had topped the poll. The song's lyrics drew on a childhood memory of a family holiday motel called Riptide, while its distinctive chorus riff emerged during a walk to a local shop in Brunswick. By early 2014, "Riptide" had cracked the top 10 in the UK and reached number one on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart in the US. The single eventually spent 120 consecutive weeks in the ARIA top 100, breaking Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" record for the longest chart run in Australian history.

### Dream Your Life Away and International Breakthrough

The success of "Riptide" secured Joy a five-album deal with Atlantic Records in mid-2013. His debut full-length, Dream Your Life Away, was released in September 2014 in Australia and a week later internationally. The album debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart and reached number 17 on the Billboard 200. Beyond "Riptide," it spawned the singles "Mess Is Mine" (July 2014), "Georgia" (February 2015), and the deluxe-edition track "Fire and the Flood" (July 2015), which topped the ARIA Australian Artist Singles Chart.

In November 2014, Taylor Swift announced Joy as the opening act for the North American, UK, and Australian legs of her 1989 World Tour. Swift herself covered "Riptide" for BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge in October 2014. At the 2015 ARIA Music Awards, Joy won Best Male Artist for Dream Your Life Away from seven nominations. Earlier that year, in May 2015, he was awarded the Grand Prize in the 2014 International Songwriting Competition for "Riptide" — the first entry in the competition's 14-year history to receive perfect scores from all judges, a panel that included Pat Metheny, Sarah McLachlan, and Bastille. The prize carried $25,000 in cash and over $45,000 in equipment and services.

### Nation of Two and Live at Red Rocks

After the 1989 World Tour concluded in late 2015, Joy retreated from the spotlight to write his second album. He released two singles in 2017 — "Lay It on Me" in July (nominated for ARIA Song of the Year in 2018) and "Like Gold" in November — followed by "We're Going Home" and "Saturday Sun" in early 2018. Nation of Two arrived on 23 February 2018 via Liberation Music and Atlantic Records. The album's title, drawn from Kurt Vonnegut's Mother Night, reflects its thematic focus on a relationship as a "nation of two" — a self-contained world giving its inhabitants their bearings.

Nation of Two debuted at number one in Australia, becoming Joy's second consecutive chart-topping album, and entered the US Billboard 200 at number 10 with over 28,000 equivalent album units. At the 2018 ARIA Music Awards, it won Best Adult Contemporary Album. In November 2018, Joy released Live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a concert recording from his Nation of Two World Tour captured at the iconic Colorado venue. The following year, he served as opening act for P!nk's Beautiful Trauma World Tour across North America.

### In Our Own Sweet Time and Pandemic-Era Songwriting

The COVID-19 pandemic brought an unexpected pause to Joy's touring cycle. Based in Melbourne and later Barcelona with his partner Selen Us, he wrote much of his third album in isolation. The lead single, "Missing Piece," arrived in May 2021 and was inspired by the enforced separations of the pandemic era. The track debuted on the seventeenth season of Grey's Anatomy and its Annelise Hickey-directed video won the ARIA Best Video award at the 2021 ceremony. The song reached platinum status in Australia and marked Joy's third number-one on Billboard's Adult Alternative Airplay chart.

Further singles — "Don't Fade" (February 2022), "Clarity" (April 2022), and "Every Side of You" (June 2022) — preceded In Our Own Sweet Time, released on 10 June 2022. The album, co-produced with Dave Bassett, Dan Wilson, and Joel Little, peaked at number three on the ARIA Albums Chart and charted in Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the UK. "Clarity" earned nominations for Best Pop Release and Song of the Year at the 2022 ARIA Awards, while the video for "Every Side of You," directed by William Bleakley, won Joy his second consecutive ARIA Best Video award in November 2022. A live album, Live at Sydney Opera House, followed in 2023, capturing two homecoming performances at the iconic venue.

### Personal Life and Recent Activity

Joy announced his engagement to Selen Us at the GQ Men of the Year Awards in November 2022. The couple married in June 2023 and welcomed their daughter, Gigi, in early 2024. Joy has stated that "Missing Piece" was written about Us during a period of long-distance separation. He divides his time between Australia and Spain, where Us pursues her studies in Barcelona.

In July 2025, Ed Sheeran announced Joy as the special guest for the Australian and New Zealand leg of his Loop Tour, a 15-date stadium run beginning in January 2026 across Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Perth, and Sydney. The tour marks Joy's first major stadium support slot since the 1989 World Tour and his first large-scale touring since the 2022–2023 In Our Own Sweet Time Tour. As of September 2026, Joy continues to write and record new material, with a 2025 single "Fascination in the Dark" indicating ongoing creative output.

Selected moments

## Career highlights

1. 2013 **Triple J Hottest 100 #1** "Riptide" voted number one on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2013, the first Unearthed artist to top the annual poll.
2. 2013 **Debut EP Release** God Loves You When You're Dancing released in March 2013, featuring "Riptide" and leading to a five-album deal with Atlantic Records.
3. 2014 **APRA Song of the Year** "Riptide" wins APRA Song of the Year and APRA Pop Work of the Year at the 2014 APRA Music Awards.
4. 2014 **Dream Your Life Away Released** Debut studio album debuts at #1 on ARIA Albums Chart and #17 on Billboard 200; eventually certified 3× Platinum in Australia and 2× Platinum in the US.
5. 2015 **ARIA Best Male Artist** Wins Best Male Artist at the 2015 ARIA Music Awards for Dream Your Life Away, with six additional nominations.
6. 2015 **International Songwriting Competition Grand Prize** "Riptide" wins Grand Prize at the 2014 ISC, the first song in the competition's history to receive perfect scores from every judge.
7. 2015 **Taylor Swift 1989 World Tour Support** Serves as opening act for Taylor Swift's 1989 World Tour across North America, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
8. 2018 **Nation of Two and ARIA Best Adult Contemporary Album** Second album debuts at #1 in Australia and #10 on Billboard 200; wins Best Adult Contemporary Album at the 2018 ARIA Music Awards.
9. 2021 **ARIA Best Video for "Missing Piece"** Annelise Hickey-directed video for "Missing Piece" wins Best Video at the 2021 ARIA Music Awards; song debuts on Grey's Anatomy.
10. 2022 **In Our Own Sweet Time Released** Third studio album peaks at #3 on ARIA Albums Chart; "Clarity" nominated for Best Pop Release and Song of the Year at 2022 ARIA Awards.
11. 2022 **Second Consecutive ARIA Best Video Win** William Bleakley-directed video for "Every Side of You" wins Best Video at the 2022 ARIA Music Awards, Joy's second straight win in the category.
12. 2026 **Ed Sheeran Loop Tour Support** Announced as special guest for Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour stadium dates across Australia and New Zealand in January–February 2026.

Recognition

## Major Awards and Nominations

Vance Joy has won eight major Australian music awards from more than 30 nominations across the ARIA Music Awards, APRA Music Awards, Music Victoria Awards, and the International Songwriting Competition. His breakthrough single "Riptide" earned the 2014 APRA Song of the Year, the 2015 International Songwriting Competition Grand Prize, and the 2013 Triple J Hottest 100 crown. His albums Dream Your Life Away and Nation of Two each secured ARIA wins for Best Male Artist (2015) and Best Adult Contemporary Album (2018) respectively. He has won the ARIA Best Video award twice consecutively — for "Missing Piece" (2021) and "Every Side of You" (2022).

- **ARIA Awards Won:** 4
- **ARIA Nominations:** 22
- **APRA Awards Won:** 2
- **International Songwriting Competition Grand Prize:** 1
- **Triple J Hottest 100 #1:** 1

| Year | Award | Category | Work |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2013 | Triple J Hottest 100 | Song of the Year Winner | Riptide |
| 2014 | APRA Music Awards | Song of the Year Winner | Riptide |
| 2014 | APRA Music Awards | Pop Work of the Year Winner | Riptide |
| 2015 | ARIA Music Awards | Best Male Artist Winner | Dream Your Life Away |
| 2015 | International Songwriting Competition | Grand Prize Winner | Riptide |
| 2018 | ARIA Music Awards | Best Adult Contemporary Album Winner | Nation of Two |
| 2021 | ARIA Music Awards | Best Video Winner | Missing Piece |
| 2022 | ARIA Music Awards | Best Video Winner | Every Side of You |
| 2013 | Music Victoria Awards | Best Song Winner | Riptide |

Sources

- [Wikipedia — Vance Joy ↗](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vance_Joy)
- [Wikipedia — Riptide (Vance Joy song) ↗](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riptide_(Vance_Joy_song))
- [Wikipedia — Nation of Two ↗](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nation_of_Two)
- [Wikipedia — In Our Own Sweet Time ↗](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Our_Own_Sweet_Time)
- [ARIA — 2015 ARIA Awards Winners ↗](https://www.aria.com.au/awards/past-winners/2015)
- [ARIA — 2018 ARIA Awards Winners ↗](https://www.aria.com.au/awards/past-winners/2018)
- [ARIA — 2021 ARIA Awards Winners ↗](https://www.aria.com.au/awards/past-winners/2021)
- [The Guardian — Vance Joy wins APRA Song of the Year for Riptide ↗](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jun/24/vance-joys-wins-apra-song-of-the-year-award-for-riptide-track)
- [Music Connection Magazine — International Songwriting Competition Announces Winners ↗](https://www.musicconnection.com/international-songwriting-competition-announces-winners)
- [Wikipedia — Loop Tour (Ed Sheeran) ↗](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loop_Tour)
- [Noise11 — Ed Sheeran Announces 2026 Loop Tour Guests Including Vance Joy ↗](https://www.noise11.com/news/ed-sheeran-tour-support-acts-20260916)
- [Variety — Vance Joy's 'Missing Piece' Scores Television Debut on Grey's Anatomy ↗](https://variety.com/2021/music/news/vance-joy-greys-anatomy-missing-piece-song-1234976136/)