Who Is Jóhann Jóhannsson? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Jóhann Jóhannsson was born on September 19, 1969, in Reykjavík, Iceland. He was a talented musician and composer who gained international acclaim for his unique sound and emotive scores. His work, which often blended electronic and classical elements, earned him several prestigious awards, including a Golden Globe and nominations for Academy Awards. Tragically, he passed away on February 9, 2018, but his musical legacy continues to resonate.
| Occupation | Musicians |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | September 19, 1969 |
| Age | 48 Years |
| Birth Place | Reykjavík, Iceland |
| Horoscope | Virgo |
| Country | Iceland |
| Date of death | 9 February, 2018 |
| Died Place | N/A |
Popularity
Jóhann Jóhannsson's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While specific details about Jóhann's physical measurements were not widely reported, it is known that he maintained a typically healthy physique aligned with an active lifestyle, which many artists in the music industry often embrace as part of their creative processes.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
As an artist reserved about his personal life, Jóhann maintained a degree of privacy regarding his relationships. There are no public records of any long-term boyfriend or girlfriend during his lifetime, indicating that he may have prioritized his music career over romantic pursuits. His family, including siblings and parents, played an essential role in his early musical influences, fostering his unique talent.
Jóhann released solo albums from 2002 onward. In 2016, he signed with Deutsche Grammophon, through which he released his last solo album, Orphée. Some of his works in film include the original scores for Denis Villeneuve's Prisoners, Sicario, and Arrival, and James Marsh's The Theory of Everything.
Jóhannsson was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score for both The Theory of Everything and Sicario, and won a Golden Globe for Best Original Score for the former. He earned a second Golden Globe nomination for Arrival. He was a music and sound consultant on Mother!, directed by Darren Aronofsky in 2017.
His scores for Mary Magdalene and Mandy were released posthumously.
Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his passing in 2018, Jóhann Jóhannsson's net worth was estimated to be around $1 million. His earnings primarily came from his successful film scores, collaborations, and live performances. Although the exact salary details remain unclear, he was well-compensated for his contributions to music, particularly in the film industry.
Career, Business, and Investments
Jóhann's career began in the late 1990s when he co-founded the band Daisy Hill Puppy Farm. However, his real breakthrough came when he shifted focus to film scores, where he worked on acclaimed projects like Sicario, Arrival, and The Theory of Everything. He garnered a reputation for creating hauntingly beautiful soundscapes, making him one of the most sought-after composers in Hollywood.
Over his career, Jóhann also invested in various musical projects and collaborations, showing his commitment to continually evolving as an artist. In 2025, his music remains influential, inspiring a new generation of composers and musicians.
In 2010, Jóhann collaborated with filmmaker Bill Morrison on The Miners' Hymns (2011), a film and accompanying composition for a brass band, pipe organ and electronics, based on coal-mining in County Durham.
The film was noted for celebrating "social, cultural, and political aspects of the extinct industry, and the strong regional tradition of colliery brass bands". The overall piece was itself a tribute to the miners strikes which occurred in the area during the 1980s.
The piece premiered live in Durham Cathedral in July 2010 and was released on CD and DVD in May 2011. The album was described by the BBC as "a gorgeous brass-based requiem for northeast England's former mining community".
Writing in The Observer, Fiona Maddocks gave the London debut performance of the score at the Barbican five stars, writing, "The strange counterpoint between an Icelandic minimalist, an American filmmaker and a bitter episode in recent British history has resulted in a work as unclassifiable as it is unforgettable."
Social Network
Despite his limited social media presence during his lifetime, Jóhann's music has left a lasting imprint across platforms. Many fans and fellow artists celebrate his contributions through social media, sharing playlists and discussions about his work. Fans can still find tributes, interviews, and performances on platforms like YouTube and Spotify, paying homage to his genius.
Jóhann started his musical career in the late 1980s in the proto-shoegaze-influenced band Daisy Hill Puppy Farm, who released a couple of EPs which were played by British DJ John Peel and received a fan letter from Steve Albini. He went on to work as a guitarist and producer playing in Icelandic indie rock bands, like Olympia, Unun and HAM.
In 1999, Jóhann co-founded Kitchen Motors; a think tank, art organisation and music label that encouraged interdisciplinary collaborations between artists from punk, jazz, classical, metal and electronic music. His own sound arose out of these musical experimentations.
Education
Jóhann Jóhannsson pursued his passion for music at the University of Iceland, where he studied musicology and further developed his skills in composition. This educational background, combined with his eclectic influences, allowed him to create a distinctive style that captivated audiences worldwide.
He learned the piano and trombone from the age of 11, but had given them up during his teenage years. Jóhann attended the University of Iceland, where he studied languages and literature.
