Sanjaya Malakar

Sanjaya Malakar
Sanjaya Malakar at the Mural Amphitheater, Seattle Center, Seattle, WA on May 12, 2007.
Background information
Birth nameSanjaya Joseph Malakar
Born (1989-09-10) September 10, 1989
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
OriginFederal Way, Washington, U.S.
GenresPop
Occupation(s)Singer, reality television personality, writer
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, keyboard
Years active2006–present

Sanjaya Joseph Malakar (born September 10, 1989) is an American singer who was a finalist on the sixth season of American Idol. He gained national attention on the series, controversially advancing to 7th place with public votes despite being poorly received by the show's judges, particularly Simon Cowell.

After Idol, Malakar made many television guest appearances and has been commonly parodied in popular culture. He placed fifth in the second season of the reality television show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.