Sam Ryder is a British singer and songwriter. Ryder co-founded the group The Morning After and had a brief stint as a guitarist for Blessed by a Broken Heart and as the lead singer for Close Your Eyes. He later rose to prominence through TikTok, after posting music covers during the first UK lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. His music has incorporated various genres such as rock music, pop, alternative rock, and metalcore, with praise given to his vocals and falsetto.
Ryder's breakthrough came after he represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 with the song "Space Man", finishing first in the jury vote and second in the contest. He is credited for helping to turn around the UK's Eurovision fortunes and for helping how the British public and press view the contest. His entry earned Ryder his first chart entry on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number two and becoming the highest-charting UK Eurovision entry since Gina G's "Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit" in 1996 and was certified gold by the BPI.
Ryder's debut album There's Nothing but Space, Man! (2022) debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart. He was nominated for Best New Artist at the 2023 Brit Awards, becoming the first Eurovision act to be nominated in this category.
