Born in Cardiff, Wales, on May 23, 1981, Gwenno Mererid Saunders is also known as the artist Gwenno. Daughter of poet and linguist Tim Saunders, she grew up learning Cornish, a Cornish dialect she uses for some of her lyrics. She danced in her youth, performing in shows such as Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames, before landing a TV role in the series Pobol y Cwm in 2001. She then turned to music, releasing two independent EPs and representing Cornwall at the Liet International competition in 2003, before joining The Pipettes as lead singer from 2005 to 2011. After touring with Elton John, Gwenno returned to her solo career, releasing the Ymbelydredd EP on the Peski label in 2012, followed by the album Y Dydd Olaf (2014). Reissued by the Heavenly Recordings label with which the singer has just signed, this won the National Eisteddfod Award and the Welsh Music Prize in 2015. Gwenno continues with the Mercury Prize-nominated albums Le Kov (2018) and Tresor (2022), followed by Utopia in 2025.
