About
Biography
Early Life and Acting Debut (1980s)
Anna Cecilia Sahlin, known by her stage name Sahlene, was born on 11 May 1976 in Söderhamn, Sweden. She grew up as the oldest of seven children in a musical family. Sahlene began performing early. At age nine she landed a lead role in the 1986 film The Children of Noisy Village, based on Astrid Lindgren’s book, and reprised her character (Anna) in the 1987 sequel More About the Children of Noisy Village. These popular children’s movies marked her acting debut. After those films, Sahlene paused her acting career and focused on school.
Transition to Music and Backing Vocalist (1990s)
As a teenager, Sahlene shifted her ambitions to music. At 18, she moved to Stockholm to pursue singing. There, she joined One Voice, a gospel choir led by Gabriel Forss. This choir often provided backing vocals for prominent Swedish pop artists like Eric Gadd, Carola, and Robyn. Sahlene gained experience and exposure through these collaborations. She also performed on the Eurovision Song Contest stage as a backing vocalist. In 1999, she was part of the choir supporting Charlotte Nilsson’s winning entry “Take Me to Your Heaven” for Sweden. The next year, she returned to Eurovision 2000 as a backing singer for Malta’s entry “Desire” by Claudette Pace. During this period, Sahlene started recording her own music. In 1997, she fronted a band called Rhythm Avenue, contributing lead vocals to their album Twelve Steps Down the Avenue. These experiences set the stage for her solo career.
Eurovision 2002
Sahlene’s big breakthrough came via the Eurovision Song Contest. By late 2001, she had signed with Virgin Records Sweden and was seeking her first hit. In January 2002, Estonian songwriters from the band 2 Quick Start needed a singer for their song “Runaway” in Estonia’s national Eurovision selection Eurolaul. The song’s original singer, Ines, had backed out, so the Estonian team reached out to Sweden. Sahlene got a sudden phone call with the offer to perform “Runaway” just one day before the contest deadline. She listened to the pop track and agreed. The next morning, she flew to Tallinn to rehearse.
On 26 January 2002, Sahlene competed in Eurolaul 2002 and won first place, earning the right to represent Estonia at Eurovision. Just a few months later, on 25 May 2002, she performed “Runaway” in the Eurovision final (hosted in Tallinn that year) and achieved an impressive third-place finish for Estonia. This result brought her international recognition. The song “Runaway” also charted in Sweden, peaking at No. 20 and spending 14 weeks in the Top 40.
Solo Career and Albums (2000–2005)
Even before Eurovision, Sahlene had begun releasing her own pop music. Her debut solo single in 2000, “The Little Voice,” showcased her bright pop vocals. While it was only a minor hit in Sweden (reaching No. 51), the song found a second life abroad a few years later. Disney star Hilary Duff covered “The Little Voice” in 2004, bringing wider attention to the tune. Sahlene followed up with another single, “House,” in 2001 (peaking at No. 52). She worked on an album also titled The Little Voice, but due to record label restructuring, the album’s release was shelved. Despite this setback, Sahlene gained notable opportunities. She was an opening act for international rock icons Robert Plant and Bon Jovi during their tour stops in Sweden.
After her Eurovision success in 2002, Sahlene capitalized on her rising profile. In 2003, she released her official debut album It’s Been a While, under M&L Records (a Lionheart label). This album included “Runaway” and many songs originally meant for the unreleased Little Voice album. That same year, she attempted to represent her home country Sweden in Eurovision. Sahlene entered Melodifestivalen 2003, Sweden’s Eurovision selection, with the song “We’re Unbreakable.” The song placed fifth in its semi-final and didn’t advance. Sahlene admitted her main goal was to make “We’re Unbreakable” a radio hit in Sweden and Estonia, rather than to return to Eurovision so soon. Sahlene lent her voice to a gospel project, singing the title track of the Joybells choir’s album What a Wonderful World in 2004.
New stage name, second album
In 2005, the singer modified her stage name, adding her given name and billing herself as Anna Sahlene. That year she released her second studio album, Photograph, on the Lionheart label. The album’s lead single “Creeps” became a hit, reaching No. 28 in Sweden and even climbing to No. 13 in Finland. Around this time, Sahlene also expanded her acting résumé through voice acting. She provided the Swedish voice for the character “Cappy” in the animated feature Robots (2005)
Eurovision and Stage Endeavors (2006–2009)
Sahlene remained a familiar name in Scandinavian pop through the late 2000s. In 2006, she made another attempt at Eurovision glory for Sweden. Her self-composed song “This Woman” (written with Bobby Ljunggren and Henrik Wikström) competed in Melodifestivalen 2006. It finished fifth in its semi-final, narrowly missing the cut to the finals. However, the song found success on the charts. “This Woman” reached No. 19 in Sweden and gave Sahlene her first Top 20 single since “Runaway”.
The following year, Sahlene stepped into reality television. In early 2007, she participated in the popular TV dance competition Let’s Dance (Sweden’s version of Dancing with the Stars). Her ballroom journey was short-lived as she was eliminated during the season. Sahlene then returned to her theatrical roots. On August 11, 2007, she debuted in the lead role of Ariel Moore in a Swedish stage production of the musical Footloose. The show opened in Gothenburg and later moved to Stockholm in early 2008. Her performance in Footloose earned positive notices and kept her in the public eye as a performer beyond the pop charts.
Meanwhile, Sahlene continued exploring opportunities in the Eurovision scene. In 2008, there was buzz about her entering Selecția Națională, Romania’s Eurovision selection, with a duet called “Dr Frankenstein” alongside American-Swedish singer LaGaylia Frazier. The duo, briefly dubbed “LaSal,” ultimately had to withdraw due to Sahlene’s schedule. In 2009, Sahlene once again tried for Melodifestivalen. This time she teamed up with Norwegian Eurovision star Maria Haukaas Storeng for the duet “Killing Me Tenderly.” They competed in Melodifestivalen 2009, but the song finished seventh in its semi-final and did not advance. Nevertheless, the studio recording of “Killing Me Tenderly” hit No. 10 on the Swedish singles chart.
Continued Music and Acting (2010s)
Entering the 2010s, Sahlene balanced music projects with acting and live performances. In late 2010, she participated in a high-profile charity single titled “Ta min hand” (“Take My Hand”) to support SOS Children’s Villages. She joined several Swedish artists in recording this song, and they performed it at a televised fundraiser in Stockholm’s Kungsträdgården park on November 20, 2010. Around the same time, Sahlene reunited with LaGaylia Frazier for a touring live act called The Blues Mothers, an R&B/soul revue that traveled across Sweden. This project allowed her to showcase her vocal power in a genre outside of pop.
After a few years away from recording, Sahlene returned with new music in 2012. She released the single “Jamie” in February 2012, followed by “Horns of Mississippi” in July. These tracks led up to her third studio album, Roses, which was released on 26 September 2012. That same year, Sahlene returned to musical theater. In December 2012 it was announced that she would join a major Stockholm production of Jesus Christ Superstar, playing the role of Mary Magdalene. She took the stage in this role in early 2013 at Göta Lejon theater, adding another notable stage credit to her career. Also in 2013, Sahlene continued her voice acting work by dubbing the character Queen Tara in the Swedish version of the animated fantasy film Epic.
Backing vocals
Sahlene’s Eurovision connections also persisted. In May 2016, when Stockholm hosted the Eurovision Song Contest, Sahlene was invited to be a backing vocalist for Australia’s entry. She provided off-stage backing vocals for singer Dami Im on the powerful ballad “Sound of Silence,” which finished second in the contest. In late 2018, Sahlene once again stepped into a beloved musical theater role, this time in the classic show Annie. She portrayed Grace Farrell in a production at Nöjesteatern in Malmö, and reprised the role in early 2019 at the Lorensberg Theater in Gothenburg. To cap off the decade, Sahlene returned to the Eurovision stage in another behind-the-scenes role: at the Eurovision 2019 final in Tel Aviv, she sang backing vocals for the United Kingdom’s entry “Bigger Than Us” performed by Michael Rice.
Recent Years and Eurovision Comeback (2020s)
In the 2020s, Sahlene has continued to engage with both music and television. She made a surprise return to Estonia’s Eurovision selection after two decades. In 2022, Sahlene entered Eesti Laul 2022 (the Estonian national contest) with an upbeat song titled “Champion.” Her entry resonated with audiences and juries, earning her a strong fourth-place finish in the final. Sahlene stayed in the Eurovision orbit by trying again a few years later. She competed in Eesti Laul 2025 with the song “Love Me Low,” where she finished 11th.
Outside of music, Sahlene also appeared on an international reality TV platform. In 2023, she was a contestant on the Netflix series Squid Game: The Challenge, a high-stakes reality competition based on the hit drama series. This appearance introduced her to a global streaming audience and demonstrated her adventurous spirit beyond the music stage.
Entries
Runaway
Backings
Joel Sahlin
Charlotte Berg
Jüri Mazurtšak
Lena Olsson-Björkén
Jelena Juzvik
Results
Points: 111
Position: 3
Running order: 8
