Sarah Dawn Finer

Sarah Dawn Finer (born 14 September 1981) is a Swedish singer, songwriter and actress. She is also known for playing Lynda Woodruff, a character created by Edward af Sillén to be a parody spokesperson of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in Melodifestivalen and the Eurovision Song Contest.

Background Finer was born and grew up in Sweden. Her father, David Finer, is English, while her mother, Francine Lee Mirro-Finer is Jewish American. Her sister Zoie Finer and half-brother Rennie Mirro are also singers. Her paternal grandmother Dorothy Irving was a music coach and professor in Stockholm.

In 1989, she appeared on Swedish television as a child actor, and as a result she toured Sweden with her sister Zoie and other children. In 1994, she had a principal part in the Bert TV series and was also in a soul gospel choir for seven years. While working as a backing vocalist behind several famous singers, she also attended the Adolf Fredrik's Music School, a high-profile song-and-chorus school in Stockholm, where she was also president of the students' union.

Melodifestivalen and Eurovision participation

Finer entered Melodifestivalen 2007 with "I Remember Love", which she co-wrote with Peter Hallström. The song qualified to the final in Globen, Stockholm, from the fourth heat in Gävle. In the final, the song placed fourth and became a chart success in Sweden (most played song on Swedish radio in 2007), and was also certified gold. She competed in Melodifestivalen 2009 with "Moving On", which qualified to the final through the Second Chance round. Finer later presented the Swedish votes in that year's Eurovision Song Contest final on 16 May. "Moving On" was also released with remixes and an acoustic version. It was the most played song on Swedish radio in 2009. Finer hosted Melodifestivalen 2012 alongside Helena Bergström and Gina Dirawi. In a sketch recorded for the final, Finer played Lynda Woodruff, an English EBU spokeswoman. She reprised her role for a European audience when delivering Sweden's votes in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. Finer reprised her role as Woodruff in Melodifestivalen 2013, where she first introduced Stockholm as host city of the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 before being made aware of it being hosted in Malmö, where she then continued her sketch. Finer returned as Woodruff for Eurovision 2013 in a series of sketches introducing Sweden to viewers. She also appeared as herself in the final, performing "The Winner Takes It All", which she later released as a single. Finer was a commentator for Eurovision Song Contest's Greatest Hits alongside Christer Björkman on 4 April 2015. She also reprised her role as Woodruff for a sketch filmed in London in conjunction with the special. In the fourth semi-final of Melodifestivalen 2016, Finer was once again a host alongside Gina Dirawi. In the contest's final, she appeared in the interval act medley, singing her 2009 entry "Moving On", and also reprised her role as Woodruff in a sketch welcoming viewers to Stockholm, the host city of the Eurovision Song Contest 2016. She later returned as Woodruff for a live sketch at the Eurovision 2016 final. Finer co-hosted all six shows of Melodifestivalen 2019 alongside Eric Saade, Marika Carlsson and Kodjo Akolor. Finer co-hosted Sveriges 12:a, the Swedish replacement programme for the cancelled Eurovision Song Contest 2020, alongside Björkman. Finer reprised her role as Woodruff in the interval act of the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, alongside Charlotte Perrelli, Käärijä and presenter Petra Mede. She also appeared as Woodruff in the final in a pre-recorded segment, performing a song about the contest's executive supervisor Martin Österdahl, "You're Good to Go", which was then released as a single. Finer appeared as the opening act of the fifth heat of Melodifestivalen 2026. She performed "Let Freedom Reign", a song written by co-presenter Hampus Nessvold and submitted to Melodifestivalen in the early 2010s but failed to make the cut. It samples the 1994 inauguration speech of then-South African president Nelson Mandela.

Discography

Albums

EPs

Singles Year Single Chart peak(SWE) Certification Album2007 "I Remember Love"4 "Du som tog mitt hjärta" (with Patrik Isaksson)452009 "Moving On"3 "Standing Strong"362010 "Kärleksvisan"7

Other non-charting 2007: "A Way Back to Love" 2007: "Stockholm by Morning" 2008: "Does She Know You" 2010: "I'll Be Your Wish Tonight" 2011: "Is Anybody There"

Filmography 2021 - Sing 2 (Swedish version, voice) 2015 - Arne Dahl - En midsommarnattsdröm 2014 - Kärlek deluxe 2014 - The Pirate Fairy (Swedish version, voice) 2012 - The Lorax (Swedish version, voice) 2012 - Secret of the Wings (Swedish version, voice) 2011 - Hop (Swedish version, voice) 2009 - Så olika 2009 - The Princess and the Frog (Swedish version, voice) 2007 - Elias and the Royal Yacht (Swedish version, voice) 2001 - Pokémon 3: The Movie (Swedish version, voice) 1995 - Bert: The Last Virgin 1994 - Bert (TV series) 1989 - Maskrosbarn (TV movie)