About
Biography
Paul Oscar, born Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson on 16 March 1970 in Reykjavík, is an Icelandic pop singer, songwriter, and disc jockey. His musical range spans traditional Icelandic songs, ballads, love songs, disco, house and techno. Over more than three decades, he has built a career that stretches from chart-topping albums and Eurovision stages to theatre, television, and Pride anthems. Today, he stands as Iceland’s undisputed king of pop.
A Star from the Start
Paul Oscar grew up as the youngest of seven children. He displayed artistic talent from a very young age. His mother had him sing for the women in her sewing club and at family birthday parties. He spent much time singing in choirs and in media commercials. Oscar recorded his first album at the age of seven. Although his childhood had its difficult moments, music always gave him direction. At 18, he rediscovered his voice singing bass with the Hamrahlíð college choir. After that, he won a college talent contest before playing Frank-N-Furter in the school’s production of The Rocky Horror Show. That performance sold out 30 shows and launched his adult career.
New York, The Millionaires, and Solo Stardom
In the summer of 1993, Paul Oscar left Iceland for New York City. There he met fellow Icelanders Jóhann Jóhannsson and Sigurjón Kjartansson, who helped him release his first album, Stuð (Groove). Back in Iceland, he also joined forces with the band Milljónamæringarnir (The Millionaires), releasing several albums with them throughout the 1990s. Then, in 1995, he truly stepped into the spotlight on his own. He formed his own recording company, Paul Oscar Productions. Oscar released an album of ballads called Palli, which he personally arranged, performed, and produced. It became the best-selling Icelandic album of 1995. Furthermore, his 1996 follow-up album Seif cemented his bold, theatrical image.
Eurovision 1997 — A Daring Performance
In 1997, Paul Oscar represented Iceland on the Eurovision Song Contest stage in Dublin. He performed “Minn hinsti dans” (“My Final Dance”), which he co-wrote, backed by four women dressed in latex playing suggestively on a sofa behind him. Although the song reached only 20th place in a field of 25, the daring presentation attracted wide attention, especially amongst gay audiences, and made him known internationally. Only two of the 18 points it received came from juries, with the remaining 16 coming from countries that took part in televoting trials; a sign, many felt, that the song was simply ahead of its time.
Albums, Acting, and TV Judging
After Eurovision, Paul Oscar kept busy across multiple creative fields. He worked with easy-listening group Casino on their album Stereo (1998), then released the English-language album Deep Inside (1999) and two collaborations with harpist Monika Abendroth: Ef ég sofna ekki (2001) and Ljósin heima (2003). Additionally, he appeared as Dr. Love in the 2002 teenage movie Gemsar (Made in Iceland), and served as a judge in Iceland’s Idol Starsearch in 2005 and The X Factor in 2006. His 2007 album Allt fyrir ástina (All for Love) became a massive hit in Iceland, and in 2011 he recorded a live orchestral album with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.
Cultural Icon and Ongoing Legacy
Beyond music, Paul Oscar holds a unique place in Icelandic culture as an outspoken gay activist and entertainer. His Icelandic cover of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Am What I Am” has come to define the annual August Pride festivals in Reykjavík. In 2018, he starred in the Borgarleikhúsið production of Rocky Horror Show, playing the same Frank-N-Furter role he first played in high school, and the production set attendance records. Most recently, in September 2025 he collaborated with musician Benni Hemm Hemm on the album Alveg, described as progressively optimistic pop with political undertones. As of 2025, you can still find him headlining Reykjavík Pride, performing at city festivals, and lighting up club nights across Iceland. Paul Oscar shows no signs of slowing down.
