Introduction
Michaja Nicolaï (Dutch: [ˈmixaːjaː ˈnikoːlɑi]; born 7 March 1996), known simply as Mia Nicolai, is a Dutch singer, songwriter and actress. She represented the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 alongside Dion Cooper with the song "Burning Daylight".
Early life
Michaja Nicolaï was born on 7 March 1996 in Amsterdam as the second daughter of lawyer and Party for the Animals politician Peter Nicolaï and Russian-born musician and composer Marynka Nicolaï-Krylova. She started taking drama and ballet classes at the age of three, which, according to herself, sparked an interest in music. She later started taking piano and violin lessons.
Career
2018–2022: First singles
In 2018, Mia Nicolai released her first single, a cover of American composer Glenn Miller's "At Last". In 2020, she released "Set Me Free" and "Mutual Needs", of which the latter was featured on DJ Zane Lowe's radio show. In 2021, she released two singles, "People Pleaser" and "Dream Go".
2023: Eurovision Song Contest
On 1 November 2022, the Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS announced that Nicolai would represent the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, alongside Dion Cooper. Nicolai had met Cooper in 2020 when fellow Dutch Eurovision entrant and winner of the 2019 edition, Duncan Laurence, along with Laurence's partner Jordan Garfield, paired the two up. Nicolai and Cooper performed in the first semi-final, but failed to qualify for the final.
Personal life and artistry
Nicolai has lived in London, Melbourne and New York City, before settling in Los Angeles in 2022. She has cited English singer David Bowie as one of her main artistic influences.
Discography
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NLD (100) |
NLD (40) | ||
| "At Last" | 2018 | — | — |
| "Set Me Free" | 2020 | — | — |
| "Mutual Needs" | — | — | |
| "People Pleaser" | 2021 | — | — |
| "Dream Go" | — | — | |
| "Loop" | 2022 | — | — |
| "Burning Daylight" | 2023 | 42 | 21 |
Songwriting discography
Eurovision Song Contest entries
| Year | Country | Song | Artist | Semi-final | Final | Co-written with | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Points | Place | Points | |||||
| 2023 |  Netherlands
|
"Burning Daylight" | Mia Nicolai and Dion Cooper | 13 | 7 | DNQ | Duncan de Moor, Jordan Garfield, Dion Cuiper, Loek van der Grinten | |
National selection entries
| Year | Country | Song | Artist | Result | Co-written with | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Points | |||||
| 2023 |  Moldova
|
"When Love's Real" | Corina Ivanov | 7 | 7 | Mike Connaris |
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Adios Amigos | Prostitute | — |
| Babatunde | Steffi | Short film | |
| 2018 | Doris | Lunchroom girl | — |
| 2021 | Flikken Rotterdam | Tara Tereshchenko | Episode: "Rex" |