Taylor Henderson

Taylor Henderson
Born	Taylor James Henderson (1993-03-23) March 23, 1993 Ceres, Victoria, Australia
Occupation(s)	Vocalist, songwriter
Years active	2010–present
Known for	Runner-up on The X Factor Australia (2013)

Taylor James Henderson (born 23 March 1993) is an Australian vocalist and songwriter hailing from Ceres, Victoria. He first attracted public attention by securing third place in the fourth season of Australia's Got Talent in 2010. Later, in 2013, Henderson was the runner-up on the fifth season of The X Factor Australia, which resulted in him signing a deal with Sony Music Australia.

His eponymous debut album was released in November 2013, debuting at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart and earning platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association. This album included his chart-topping debut single, "Borrow My Heart". Henderson’s sophomore album, Burnt Letters (2014), also reached the top position and featured the top-five hit "When You Were Mine".

Early life

Born on 23 March 1993 in Ceres, Victoria, Taylor James Henderson grew up with two sisters as the son of Sonja and Cameron Henderson, who later divorced. He was once connected to the Geelong Revival Centre but has since distanced himself from the church. Henderson completed his education at Kardinia International College in Bell Post Hill, Victoria, graduating in 2011. Prior to launching his music career, he worked alongside his father as a labourer.

2010: Australia's Got Talent

In 2010, Henderson appeared on the fourth season of Australia's Got Talent together with his father Cam as a guitar-and-vocal duo called Father & Son. Their rendition of Michael Jackson’s "Man in the Mirror" prompted judge Brian McFadden to encourage them to pursue individual careers. Performing his original composition "My Baby Sister" as a solo act, Henderson earned three affirmative votes and advanced to the semi-finals. There, he performed another original track titled "What Goes Around Comes Around," which helped him reach the grand final. In the final round, he sang John Mayer’s "Man on the Side" and ultimately placed third, while his father finished second behind dance group Justice Crew.

2013: The X Factor Australia

Henderson auditioned for the fifth season of The X Factor Australia in 2013 with a cover of Fun’s "Some Nights," successfully moving through super bootcamp. Assigned to mentor Ronan Keating’s Boys category, he progressed through home visits held in Los Angeles after performing Stevie Wonder’s "Isn’t She Lovely." Henderson joined Omar Dean and Jai Waetford as finalists competing in live shows determined by public votes each week.

Throughout the live stages, Henderson showcased his versatility by performing across various themes including Judges’ Choice, Legends, Top 10 Hits, and Rock. He also played electric guitar during several performances and received multiple standing ovations. His renditions frequently entered the ARIA Singles Chart; notable chart positions included "I Won’t Let You Go" at No. 84, "I Will Wait" at No. 64, "Choirgirl" at No. 51, and "The Horses" reaching No. 27. His version of Avicii’s "Wake Me Up" debuted at No. 49, while "One Crowded Hour" peaked at No. 38.

During the ninth live show themed Power and Passion, Henderson performed Phil Collins’ "Against All Odds" and Cyndi Lauper’s "Girls Just Want to Have Fun." After landing in the bottom two alongside Third Degree, he survived elimination via a deadlock resolved by public vote. His performance of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" climbed to No. 2 on the ARIA Singles Chart and received gold certification for surpassing 35,000 sales.

In the grand final performance episode, Henderson delivered three songs: his initial audition piece "Some Nights," winner’s single "Borrow My Heart," and Damien Rice’s "The Blower’s Daughter." The latter two tracks debuted at Nos. 43 and 45 respectively on ARIA charts. Ultimately, Henderson concluded the competition as runner-up to Dami Im.

denotes a performance that entered the ARIA Singles
 denotes Runner-up
 denotes have been in the Bottom two

Performances on The X Factor

Stage	Song performed	Original performer	Theme	Outcome
Auditions	"Some Nights"	Fun	—	Advanced to Super bootcamp
Super bootcamp	"Ho Hey"	The Lumineers		Progressed to second day of bootcamp
	"Last Request"	Paolo Nutini		Moved on to third day of bootcamp
	"Human Nature"	Michael Jackson		Advanced to home visits
Home visits	"Isn't She Lovely?"	Stevie Wonder		Qualified for Live shows
Week 1	"I Won't Let You Go"	James Morrison	Judges' Choice	Safe
Week 2	"Run to You"	Bryan Adams	Legends theme	Safe
Week 3	"I Will Wait"	Mumford & Sons	Top 10 Hits theme	Safe
Week 4	"Let Her Go"	Passenger	Latest and Greatest theme	Safe
Week 5	"Choirgirl"	Cold Chisel	Rock genre theme	Safe
Week 6	"The Horses"	Daryl Braithwaite	Family Heroes theme	Safe
Week 7	"Wake Me Up"	Avicii	Judges' Challenge theme	Safe
Week 8	"One Crowded Hour"	Augie March	Aussie Week theme	Safe
Week 9	"Against All Odds"	Phil Collins	Power and Passion theme	Placed in bottom two (third time)
	"Girls Just Want to Have Fun"	Cyndi Lauper
	"Stand by Me"	Ben E. King	Save me performance	Saved via deadlock decision
Week 10	"Some Nights"	Fun	Audition reprise song	Finished as runner-up
	"The Blower's Daughter"	Damien Rice	Last chance performance song
	"Borrow My Heart"	"Henderson"	"Winner's single"
	"Wake Me Up"	"Avicii"	"Highlight moment of live shows song"

2013–15: Taylor Henderson and Burnt Letters

Just four days following The X Factor finale, on 1 November 2013, Henderson signed a deal with Sony Music Australia. His debut single, "Borrow My Heart," was released the same day via the iTunes Store, entering the ARIA Singles Chart at number one and earning double platinum certification for sales exceeding 140,000 copies. On 23 November, Henderson participated in The X Factor Live Tour with fellow finalists, which wrapped up on 2 December.

His first album, named after himself and released on 29 November 2013, included studio versions of songs he performed during the show. It debuted atop the ARIA Albums Chart and received platinum certification for shipments surpassing 70,000 units.

On Australia Day, 24 January 2014, Henderson joined forces with notable Australian musicians on a rendition of "I Am Australian," which reached number 51 on the ARIA Singles Chart. He embarked on The Dawn Tour in March and later supported pop act MKTO during their Australian Thank You Tour in April.

On 4 July 2014, Henderson unveiled his initial extended play titled The Acoustic Sessions, exclusively available through JB Hi-Fi's online platform, featuring acoustic versions from his upcoming second album.

His follow-up album, Burnt Letters, was released on 11 July 2014, debuting at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart and earning gold certification for shipments over 35,000 copies. The album was preceded by singles including "When You Were Mine," which peaked at number five and went platinum, and "Already Gone," which reached number 42. To support Burnt Letters, Henderson toured nationally from July through September and opened for The Script at a special concert in Sydney during October.

2016–present: One More Minute

In August 2016, Henderson revealed the single "Light Up the Dark," featured in the Australian movie Spin Out, serving as the lead track for his anticipated third studio album, One More Minute. He subsequently launched an Acoustic Tour spanning September and October of the same year. Although initially scheduled for release on 4 November, the album's launch was postponed to 10 March 2017 and then delayed further without a confirmed new date, despite assurances of a forthcoming single titled "Back To You."

Towards the end of 2016, fans discovered two versions of the track "Yours Again" had surfaced on Henderson’s Apple Music Connect page, with these leaks becoming known in early 2017.

On 10 June 2017, Henderson secured representation with a new manager. By 11 May 2018, he declared his independence as an artist. On 21 September 2018, he introduced "Love Somebody," marking his first release in two years.

On 31 July 2019, Henderson appeared at Loyola College’s St Ignatius Feast Day event to promote his upcoming "Moving On" tour.

Artistry

In addition to his vocal talents, Henderson is proficient in guitar and composes his own music. He asserts that mastering an instrument enhances songwriting abilities by allowing experimentation with various melodies and keys. He contributed guitar performances on most songs from his second album, Burnt Letters (2014). His musical inspirations include artists such as Matt Corby, Michael Jackson, John Mayer, James Morrison, Jason Mraz, Ed Sheeran, and Justin Timberlake. Henderson has highlighted Ed Sheeran’s exceptional storytelling skill within songwriting as a significant influence. Additionally, his father Cameron played a role in shaping his guitar proficiency.

Discography

• Taylor Henderson (2013)
• Burnt Letters (2014)

Concert tours

Headlining

• The X Factor Live Tour (2013)
• The Dawn Tour (2014)
• Burnt Letters Tour (2014)
• Acoustic Tour (2016)
• Love Somebody Tour (2018–2019)

Supporting

• MKTO's Australian Thank You Tour (2014)

Awards and nominations

Year	Type	Recipient	Award	Result
2013	Poprepublic.tv Awards	Himself	Favourite Australian Male Artist	Template:Nom
			Breakthrough Artist of 2013	Template:Nom
		"Borrow My Heart"	Favourite Single of 2013	Template:Nom
2014	Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards	Himself	Aussies' Fave Hot New Talent	Template:Nom
	ARIA No. 1 Chart Awards	Taylor Henderson	Number One Album	Template:Won
		"Borrow My Heart"	Number One Single	Template:Won
	World Music Awards		World's Best Song	Template:Nom
		"Girls Just Want to Have Fun"		Template:Nom
	Channel [V] Awards	Himself	[V] Oz Artist of the Year	Template:Nom
	ARIA Music Awards	"Borrow My Heart"	Song of the Year	Template:Nom
2015	APRA Music Awards	"Borrow My Heart"	Pop Work of the Year	Template:Nom