Eleni "Elena" Paparizou, born 31 January 1982, is a Greek-Swedish singer, songwriter, and television personality. She began her career in 1999 as part of the Greek folk and Eurodance duo Antique, which participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 and gained popularity in Greece. After Antique disbanded in 2003, she signed with Sony Music Greece and released her debut solo single "Anapandites Kliseis" and the album Protereotita (2004). In 2005, she won the Eurovision Song Contest representing Greece with "My Number One," the country's first win in the contest. Her album was later certified double platinum in Greece. Subsequent albums Iparhi Logos (2006), The Game of Love (2006), Vrisko To Logo Na Zo (2008), and Giro Apo T' Oneiro (2010) all reached number one in Greece and achieved platinum status. Her 2011 release Greatest Hits & More included her biggest airplay hit "Baby It's Over."
Paparizou has been recognized with three Arion Music Awards, a European Border Breakers Award, 23 MAD Video Music Awards, and an MTV Europe Music Award. In 2010, Alpha TV ranked her the 14th top-certified domestic female artist since 1960. She was the most successful debuting female artist of the 2000s in Greece, with certified sales including 300,000 albums, 47,500 singles, and 30,000 digital downloads by IFPI Greece, plus sales as part of Antique and internationally. Forbes listed her as the 21st most powerful and influential celebrity in Greece in 2010. She has over 144 million views on YouTube and was the first female Greek artist to reach 600,000 Facebook likes. Paparizou has also endorsed brands such as Nokia, Ivi, and Koleston and appeared on television as a judge and contestant in the early 2010s. She lived with her manager and fiancé Toni Mavridis from 1999 until their separation in 2011.
Greece
