Andrew Hozier-Byrne (born March 17, 1990) is an Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose music lives at the intersection of folk, blues, soul, and gospel, a combination that shouldn’t work as seamlessly as it does. Performing under the single name Hozier, he emerged from County Wicklow with a baritone voice that carries the weight of a church choir and the grit of a Delta blues record, and he has spent the last decade proving that literary, politically conscious songwriting can coexist with genuine commercial power.
His career ignited with “Take Me to Church,” a 2013 single that went from an attic demo to a global phenomenon, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year. That breakout anchored a self-titled debut album that went multi-platinum, but what sets Hozier apart from other one-hit-wonder narratives is what came after: Wasteland, Baby! debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 in 2019, and Unreal Unearth, a Dante’s Inferno-inspired concept album, topped the charts in Ireland and the UK in 2023. The following year, “Too Sweet” became his first number-one single in the United States, Ireland, and the UK simultaneously, cementing a late-career commercial surge that few predicted.
Across three albums, eight EPs, and a touring schedule that has drawn over two million fans since 2023 alone, Hozier keeps returning to the same preoccupations: the sacred and the profane tangled together, love as both salvation and ruin, the political urgency of art, and the Irish landscape as a character in its own right. TIME named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2025, a recognition that speaks less to chart positions and more to the rare space he occupies as a mainstream artist whose work genuinely rewards close reading.
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Quick Facts
| Real Name: | Andrew John Hozier-Byrne |
| Stage Name: | Hozier |
| Profession: | Singer-songwriter, musician, multi-instrumentalist |
| Born: | March 17, 1990 |
| Age: | 35 (as of 2026) |
| Birthplace: | Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland |
| Nationality: | Irish |
| Genre(s): | Folk, indie rock, blues, soul, gospel, alternative |
| Known For: | “Take Me to Church,” Unreal Unearth, literary and socially conscious songwriting, powerful baritone vocals |
| Notable Albums: | Hozier; Wasteland, Baby!; Unreal Unearth; Unreal Unearth: Unending |
| Awards: | Grammy-nominated (Song of the Year), Ivor Novello Award, 2 Billboard Music Awards, VH1 Artist of the Year, TIME 100 (2025) |
| Record Label(s): | Rubyworks Records (Ireland); Island Records (UK/Europe); Columbia Records (US) |
| Zodiac Sign: | Pisces |
| Relationship: | Private; reported to be dating Hana Mayeda (as of 2025) |
| Years Active: | 2013 to present |
Featured Video
Video courtesy of Hozier’s official YouTube channel.
Early Life & Education
Hozier was born on St. Patrick’s Day, 1990, near Bray in County Wicklow, Ireland, a setting of green hills and coastline that would thread itself through his music for years to come. His father, John Byrne, worked as a local banker by day but played drums in jazz and blues groups at night; his mother, Raine Hozier-Byrne, was a visual artist. The household ran on blues, jazz, and soul records, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Otis Redding, Nina Simone, and those sounds became the foundation of Hozier’s musical vocabulary long before he picked up a guitar.
When Hozier was six, his father underwent spinal surgery that left him wheelchair-bound and unable to work, putting the family under severe financial strain. Hozier grew up in that tension between creative richness and material hardship. He was raised as a Quaker, attended Delgany National School and later St. Gerard’s School, and started writing songs at fifteen after teaching himself guitar. He also sang in his school choir, absorbing Irish folk alongside the American blues and soul from his father’s collection.
After secondary school, he enrolled in a music education degree at Trinity College Dublin, where he joined the Trinity Orchestra and became a member of the choral ensemble Anúna, touring with the group from 2009 to 2012. But academic life couldn’t hold him. He missed exams to record demos for a music label and was refused a deferral. Rather than fight it, he dropped out, a gamble that paid off when a rough demo of “Take Me to Church,” recorded in his parents’ attic, landed him a deal with the independent Irish label Rubyworks Records in 2013.
Career Highlights and Milestones
Hozier’s career has been defined not by rapid-fire output but by patient craftsmanship, three studio albums across a decade, each one building on the last in ambition and scope. The breakthrough came fast: “Take Me to Church,” released as part of his debut EP in mid-2013, went viral after actor Stephen Fry shared its black-and-white music video highlighting anti-gay violence in Russia. The song climbed to number two on the Billboard Hot 100, earned RIAA Diamond certification, and was nominated for Song of the Year at the 57th Grammy Awards, where Hozier performed it alongside Annie Lennox. His self-titled debut album followed in 2014, hitting number one in Ireland and number two on the Billboard 200. VH1 named him Artist of the Year. The Ivor Novello Award for Best Song went to “Take Me to Church.” For a twenty-four-year-old from Wicklow who had been playing open mics a year earlier, it was a whirlwind.
Rather than rush a follow-up, Hozier took a deliberate hiatus, moving back to Ireland to decompress after years of relentless touring. The Nina Cried Power EP arrived in 2018, anchored by a fiery title track featuring Mavis Staples that landed on Barack Obama’s annual favorites list. Wasteland, Baby! followed in March 2019, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200, the first number-one rock album of the year, and confirming that the debut was no fluke. The album’s singles “Movement,” “Almost (Sweet Music),” and “Dinner & Diatribes” showcased a wider sonic palette without abandoning the blues-folk roots.
The pandemic years proved creatively fertile. Reading Dante’s Inferno and Samuel Beckett, Hozier built Unreal Unearth as a loose concept album mapping the nine circles of Hell onto themes of love, violence, memory, and redemption. Released in August 2023, it debuted at number one in Ireland and the UK and number three in the US, earning some of the strongest reviews of his career. The album’s extended universe, the EPs Eat Your Young, Unheard, and Unaired, plus the deluxe Unreal Unearth: Unending, yielded “Too Sweet,” an unexpected number-one hit in the US, UK, and Ireland in 2024 that became one of the most-streamed songs of the year.
The Unreal Unearth Tour, which ran from 2023 through 2025, drew over two million fans across North America, Europe, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, with Hozier headlining stadiums for the first time in 2025. His collaboration with Mumford & Sons on “Rubber Band Man”, recorded at Aaron Dessner’s Long Pond Studios and released in October 2025, signaled a new phase of creative partnerships. TIME named him to the TIME 100 list of most influential people in 2025, and he attended the TIME100 Gala in New York. As of early 2026, Hozier has accumulated over 22 billion global streams and shows no signs of slowing down.
Selected discography and music highlights
- Take Me to Church EP (2013)
- From Eden EP (2014)
- Hozier (2014)
- “Better Love” — The Legend of Tarzan soundtrack (2016)
- Nina Cried Power EP (2018)
- Wasteland, Baby! (2019)
- “Tell It to My Heart” with Meduza (2021)
- “Swan Upon Leda” (2022)
- “Blood Upon the Snow” — God of War: Ragnarök soundtrack (2022)
- Eat Your Young EP (2023)
- Unreal Unearth (2023)
- Unheard EP (2024)
- Unaired EP (2024)
- Unreal Unearth: Unending (2024)
- “Rubber Band Man” with Mumford & Sons (2025)
Major recognition
- Grammy nomination for Song of the Year, “Take Me to Church” (2015)
- Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically, “Take Me to Church” (2015)
- Billboard Music Awards: Top Rock Artist and Top Rock Song (2015)
- VH1 Artist of the Year (2015)
- BBC Song of the Year (2015)
- RIAA Diamond certification for “Take Me to Church”
- Wasteland, Baby! debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 (2019)
- “Too Sweet” reached #1 on Billboard Hot 100, UK Singles Chart, and Irish Singles Chart (2024) — the fourth Irish artist to top the Hot 100 in 34 years
- TIME 100 Most Influential People (2025)
- Over 22 billion global streams
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Awards and Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Grammy Awards | Song of the Year | “Take Me to Church” | Nominated |
| 2015 | Billboard Music Awards | Top Rock Song | “Take Me to Church” | Won |
| 2015 | Billboard Music Awards | Top Rock Artist | Career | Won |
| 2015 | Ivor Novello Awards | Best Song Musically and Lyrically | “Take Me to Church” | Won |
| 2015 | iHeartRadio Music Awards | Alternative Rock Song of the Year | “Take Me to Church” | Won |
| 2015 | VH1 | Artist of the Year | Career | Won |
| 2015 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Music: Rock Song | “Take Me to Church” | Won |
| 2015 | MTV VMAs | Best Rock Video | “Take Me to Church” | Nominated |
| 2019 | Ivor Novello Awards | Best Song | “Nina Cried Power” | Nominated |
| 2022 | HMMA Awards | Best Original Song – Video Game | “Blood Upon the Snow” (God of War: Ragnarök) | Won |
| 2024 | MTV VMAs | Best Alternative | “Too Sweet” | Nominated |
| 2025 | TIME Magazine | TIME 100 Most Influential People | Career | Honored |
Discography / Notable Works
| Year | Title | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Take Me to Church EP | EP | Debut release. Title track went viral and launched his career from an attic demo. |
| 2014 | From Eden EP | EP | Broadened the sonic palette. “Work Song” became a fan staple. |
| 2014 | Hozier | Studio Album | Debuted #1 in Ireland, #2 on Billboard 200. Spawned Diamond-certified “Take Me to Church.” 2× platinum in US and UK. |
| 2016 | “Better Love” | Single | Written for The Legend of Tarzan soundtrack. Showed range beyond the debut’s folk-blues lane. |
| 2018 | Nina Cried Power EP | EP | Title track featuring Mavis Staples. Obama’s Favorite Songs list. Political and musical statement of intent. |
| 2019 | Wasteland, Baby! | Studio Album | Debuted #1 on Billboard 200. First #1 rock album of 2019. Includes “Movement” and “Almost (Sweet Music).” Gold-certified in the US. |
| 2022 | “Blood Upon the Snow” | Single | Collaboration with Bear McCreary for God of War: Ragnarök. Won HMMA Award. |
| 2023 | Eat Your Young EP | EP | First taste of the Unreal Unearth era. Three tracks mapping to Dante’s circles. |
| 2023 | Unreal Unearth | Studio Album | Dante-inspired concept album. #1 in Ireland and UK, #3 in US. Strongest critical reception of his career. |
| 2024 | Unheard EP | EP | Included “Too Sweet,” which became his first #1 single in the US, UK, and Ireland. 1 billion Spotify streams. |
| 2024 | Unaired EP | EP | Includes “Nobody’s Soldier” and “July.” Anti-war themes. Fifth consecutive #1 on AAA chart. |
| 2024 | Unreal Unearth: Unending | Deluxe Album | Super deluxe compilation completing Dante’s nine circles. 26 tracks. Includes new song “Hymn to Virgil.” |
| 2025 | “Rubber Band Man” (with Mumford & Sons) | Single | Collaboration recorded at Long Pond Studios with Aaron Dessner. Featured on Mumford’s Prizefighter album. |
Touring History / Major Tours
| Year(s) | Tour Name | Scale | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–2016 | Hozier World Tour | Arena / theater tour | First major headlining tour in support of debut album. Sold-out shows across North America, Europe, Australia. |
| 2019 | Wasteland, Baby! Tour | Arena tour | First solo headlining world tour. North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand. Supported Wasteland, Baby! debut at #1. |
| 2023–2025 | Unreal Unearth Tour | Global tour (arenas → stadiums) | Career-defining run. 83+ shows in 2023–2024 across 72 cities. Over 2 million tickets sold. Headlined stadiums for the first time in 2025. |
| 2025 | Festival headliner circuit | Festival circuit | Headlined Lollapalooza (2024), Governors Ball, Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, Electric Picnic (2025). |
Net Worth, Income, & Lifestyle
| Net Worth (2026) | Public estimates vary widely. Hozier has not disclosed a verified net worth figure. Treat numbers found online as unconfirmed. |
| Income Sources | Recorded music sales and streaming royalties (over 22 billion global streams), touring and live performance revenue (over 2 million tickets sold on the Unreal Unearth Tour alone), songwriting and publishing income, brand partnerships, merchandise, and soundtrack work (film and video game compositions). |
| Business & Ventures | No publicly known consumer brand or label imprint. Hozier operates a direct-to-fan merchandise business and has contributed original compositions to major film and video game soundtracks, including The Legend of Tarzan and God of War: Ragnarök. He hosted the “Cry Power” podcast with Global Citizen. |
| Properties & Assets | Believed to reside primarily in County Wicklow, Ireland. Most detailed financial and property information is kept private. |
| Lifestyle | Described as deeply private and introverted off-stage. Known for his political activism, close connection to the Irish countryside, regular engagement with social justice causes, and a disciplined but unhurried approach to songwriting that prizes craft over commercial pressure. |
Social Media & Online Presence
| Official account: @hozier (verified). Used for tour updates, music announcements, and activist messaging. | |
| X (Twitter) | Official account: @Hozier (verified). Active during album cycles and for social commentary. |
| TikTok | Official account: @hozierofficial (verified). “Too Sweet” became a viral TikTok hit in 2024, driving its chart success. |
| Official page: HozierMusic (verified). Large global audience. | |
| YouTube / Vevo | Official channel: HozierVEVO. Multiple videos with hundreds of millions of views. “Take Me to Church” has over 800 million YouTube views. |
| Spotify | Artist profile: Hozier. Over 42 million monthly listeners. “Take Me to Church” has surpassed 2 billion Spotify streams. |
| Apple Music | Artist profile: Hozier. |
| Official Website | hozier.com — tour dates, music, merchandise, and official news. |
Fan communities on social media (unofficial)
NOTE: In addition to any official accounts listed above, many fan-run pages, update accounts, and clip accounts exist across all platforms. These are not confirmed to be affiliated with Hozier. Links and usernames can change at any time.
Trivia & Lesser-Known Facts
- He was born on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17), a detail he has leaned into by releasing music on or near his birthday — including the Eat Your Young EP on March 17, 2023.
- He was a member of the Irish choral ensemble Anúna from 2009 to 2012 and appeared as a soloist on their 2014 album Illuminations.
- “Take Me to Church” was recorded in his parents’ attic in County Wicklow. The music video was made on a shoestring budget and went viral after Stephen Fry shared it.
- His mother, Raine Hozier-Byrne, is a visual artist who designed the cover artwork for Unreal Unearth.
- He included lyrics in the Irish language for the first time on Unreal Unearth, on the track “De Selby (Part 1),” calling it a way of expressing something that cannot be conveyed in English.
- In 2021, An Post (the Irish postal service) featured Hozier on a limited-edition stamp celebrating Glastonbury Festival’s 50th anniversary.
Quotes
“I trusted my gut with that project. If I start overthinking about it, trying to create a commercial success for the sake of a commercial success, I fear I might lose what it was that drove me to the first album.”
— Hozier, Austin City Limits interview with the Recording Academy (October 2015)
“I love my homeland. There’s no other way of saying it. You spend time in a place, and the place spends its time in you.”
— Hozier, Consequence of Sound interview (September 2023)
“Does it move me or not? Is it something that I feel is urgent to me, and it feels worth writing? If the answer is no: let somebody else do it.”
— Hozier, Rolling Stone (August 2024)
“I found the experience of falling in love or being in love was a death: a death of everything. You kind of watch yourself die in a wonderful way.”
— Hozier, interview widely cited across multiple outlets (2014)
“It would be a shame if I couldn’t just sit in a bar with friends. There’s something wonderful about watching people interact, being a witness to the world. So yeah, I keep my head down.”
— Hozier, The Telegraph (May 2023)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is Hozier’s age?
A: He was born on March 17, 1990. He is 35 years old as of early 2026.
Q: What is Hozier best known for?
A: He is best known for his 2013 breakthrough single “Take Me to Church,” which earned a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year and achieved Diamond certification. He is also recognized for three critically acclaimed albums: Hozier, Wasteland, Baby!, and Unreal Unearth.
Q: Has Hozier won a Grammy?
A: He was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2015 Grammy Awards for “Take Me to Church” but did not win. He has won other major awards including an Ivor Novello, two Billboard Music Awards, and VH1 Artist of the Year.
Q: Where did Hozier grow up?
A: He grew up near Bray in County Wicklow, Ireland, on the country’s east coast south of Dublin.
Q: What genre is Hozier?
A: His music blends folk, indie rock, blues, soul, and gospel, with literary and politically conscious lyrics. He draws heavily from Irish folk traditions and American blues and soul.
Q: What are Hozier’s official social accounts?
A: His verified accounts include Instagram and X (Twitter) @hlozhier, TikTok @hozier, and his official website hozier.com.
Q: Is Hozier currently touring?
A: The Unreal Unearth Tour extended through 2025 with North American stadium dates and festival appearances. Additional 2025–2026 dates have been announced. Check hozier.com for the latest schedule.
Upcoming Projects
- Unreal Unearth Tour 2025 (continued) — The tour continues through 2025 with festival appearances at Governors Ball, Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, and others, plus North American amphitheater and stadium dates through the fall. Check official sources for current scheduling.
- “Rubber Band Man” with Mumford & Sons (October 2025) — Featured on Mumford & Sons’ Prizefighter album (released February 2026), produced by Aaron Dessner at Long Pond Studios.
- Fourth studio album (TBA) — No official announcement yet. In an October 2024 interview, Hozier said he is “hungry again to have space and time to think about new music” after the extended Unreal Unearth cycle. Timing remains subject to change.
- Continued festival circuit — Hozier is reportedly scheduled to appear at additional festivals in late 2025 and into 2026. Treat all unconfirmed dates as subject to change until officially announced.
Interviews & Features
- Consequence of Sound, “Hozier on Unreal Unearth and Dante’s Inferno: Interview” (September 2023), an in-depth conversation about his homeland, the Dante-inspired concept album, and his creative process.
- Rolling Stone, “Hozier Returns With New 2025 ‘Unreal Unearth’ North American Tour Dates” (January 2025), covering his tour expansion and artistic litmus test for songwriting.
- Parade, “Hozier Describes His Upcoming EP in 4 Words” (August 2024), a backstage Lollapalooza interview about the Unaired EP, headlining, and his love for Chicago’s Art Institute.
- Melodic Magazine, “Hozier Is Eager to Get Back in the Studio After Tour” (October 2024), where he discusses the touring life, the Unreal Unearth release strategy, and his hunger to write new material.
- GRAMMY.com, “Beyond the Hits: Hozier Keeps It Credible & Urgent With New Songwriting”, a Recording Academy profile covering his blues influences, self-taught guitar origins, and creative philosophy.
Public Appearances, Tours, & Festivals
- TIME100 Gala (April 24, 2025): Hozier attended the TIME100 Gala at Lincoln Center in New York City, having been named one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
- Electric Picnic (August 29, 2025): Hozier performed a homecoming set at Electric Picnic in Stradbally, Ireland, speaking on stage about empathy, activism, and global justice issues.
- Lollapalooza (August 1, 2024): Hozier headlined Night 1 of Lollapalooza in Chicago, performing an extended set that included the debut of “Nobody’s Soldier” and a call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
- Governors Ball Music Festival (June 2025): Hozier appeared at the festival in New York City as part of the extended 2025 touring leg.
- Austin City Limits Music Festival (October 2025): Hozier returned to Austin as a headliner, ten years after his first appearance at ACL as a rising act.
