Laura Voutilainen

Early Life and Background

Laura Voutilainen was born Sanna Laura Voutilainen on 17 May 1975 in Jyväskylä, Finland. She grew up with a passion for music and began performing in her teens. By 1993, she had launched her professional singing career, and she has been active in the music industry ever since. Voutilainen’s music blends Finnish iskelmä (schlager) and pop styles.

Career Breakthrough in the 1990s

Voutilainen’s breakthrough came in 1993 with the hit song “Kerran,” which reached the Top Ten in Finland. Her self-titled debut album followed in 1994 and sold over 120,000 copies in Finland, making her one of the year’s best-selling new artists. She was consequently honored as Finland’s top female vocalist with the Emma Award in 1994, and she earned the same award again in 1996. These early accolades cemented Voutilainen’s status as a leading pop star in Finland. By the end of the 1990s, she had released several successful albums and even hosted her own TV music show starting in 1999, expanding her presence beyond just recording.

Laura Voutilainen Eurovision 2002 and International Attention

In 2002, Laura Voutilainen gained international attention when she was selected to represent Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest. She won the Finnish national competition in a landslide with her upbeat song “Addicted to You”. The song received the highest jury score and over a third of the public vote. Despite high expectations and extensive promotion, her performance at Eurovision 2002 finished 20th out of 24 finalists. The result was a disappointment at home. “Addicted to You” failed to break into Finland’s top ten charts, peaking at number 11 after the contest. 

Continued Success and Albums

After Eurovision, Voutilainen continued to thrive in Finland’s music scene. She kept releasing new music throughout the 2000s and 2010s, eventually reaching a total of 15 albums by the 2020s. Many of those records achieved gold or platinum status in Finland, reflecting her lasting commercial success. She also maintained a busy live performance schedule, headlining concert tours across the country since 1995 and drawing steady audiences over the years.

Voutilainen’s popularity endured into the digital era as well. For example, her song “Mä en kestä” (“I Can’t Take It”) became a streaming hit decades into her career, exceeding 10 million plays on Spotify. Moreover, she remained engaged with Eurovision fandom: in 2007, Voutilainen attempted to return to the contest and finished fourth in Finland’s national selection that year. 

Acting and Television Work

Beyond music, Voutilainen has built a parallel career in acting and television. She took on major roles in musical theater – notably starring in the Finnish stage production of Mamma Mia! in 2018. Earlier in her career she also performed in original Finnish musical productions. In addition, Voutilainen became a sought-after voice actress for Finnish-dubbed films. She has lent her voice to popular characters like Megara in Disney’s Hercules and Gloria the hippo in the Madagascar animated films, among others. This voice work broadened her artistic repertoire and brought her familiar voice to younger audiences through animation.

Voutilainen has also been a familiar face on Finnish television. She has appeared on various music entertainment programs as both a performer and a mentor. For instance, she featured in the popular series Vain elämää in 2017, where she performed alongside other artists, and she served as a judge on Idols Finland in 2012. Moreover, she hit the dance floor as a contestant on Tanssii Tähtien Kanssa (the Finnish version of Dancing with the Stars) in 2012. 

Awards and Recognitions

Laura Voutilainen’s accomplishments have been recognized with numerous awards. She has won multiple Emma Awards, Finland’s top music award, as Best Female Artist, including wins in 1994 and 1996. In her later career, she also received the prestigious Iskelmä-Finlandia prize, an honor awarded to distinguished Finnish schlager music artists. Industry voters and media have repeatedly named her Female Artist of the Year in Finland (for example, in 1995, 1998, 2008, and 2010). 

Personal Life

In her personal life, Voutilainen was married to Juha Heikkilä, her longtime partner, for 17 years. The couple, who have two sons together, were together for over two decades before separating in 2015. Despite her public career, Voutilainen tends to keep her family life private. She has balanced motherhood with her busy schedule and continues to focus on her artistic endeavors while raising her children.

Recent Years and Projects

As of 2025, Voutilainen remains an active and innovative performer with over 30 years in the music industry. That year she took the stage in a new musical production called Kysy Siskoilta (“Ask the Sisters”) at the Espoo City Theatre, performing alongside an ensemble cast. She also released her first book in 2025 and launched a unique “book concert” tour, which blended live music with readings from her writing. In May 2025, Voutilainen celebrated her 50th birthday with special jubilee concerts, an event that highlighted the longevity of her career and delighted fans old and new.