Igor Yuryevich Nikolayev (Russian: И́горь Ю́рьевич Никола́ев; born 17 January 1960) is a Russian composer, singer and songwriter.
Biography
Nikolayev was born in Kholmsk, Sakhalin Oblast, into the family of the Sakhalin marinist poet Yury Nikolayev. He graduated from the pop branch (class of the composer Igor Yakushenko) of the Moscow Institute of Culture. In the early 1980s, he worked in Alla Pugacheva's ensemble "Recital" as a keyboardist and arranger. In 1983, Pugacheva and Nikolayev recorded the songs "Iceberg" and "Tell, Birds!", which established him as a celebrated composer. He has a daughter, Yulia Igorevna Nikolaeva, from his first marriage. His second marriage was to the singer Natasha Koroleva. He has a further daughter, Veronika Igorevna Nikolaeva, from his second marriage to the singer Yulia Proskuryakova, who in 2021 attracted public attention after insulting a neighbour who had occupied her parking space.
Solo career
His solo singing career began in 1986, with the release of his debut song, "Mill". He was the recipient of the national music award "Ovation 1995" in the category "Composer".
Nikolayev has won a number of prestigious music awards. These include: "Ovation-92", for the album Dolphin and Mermaid; "Ovation-95", in the nomination Composer of the Year; "Ovation-97", in the nomination Poet of the Year; "Ovation-99", in the nomination Composer of the Year; "Song-99", for his outstanding contribution to the development of song (the Isaak Dunayevsky Prize); the "Golden Gramophone Award-2001", for the song "Five Reasons"; and "Best Composer in 2002", a prize awarded at the "Pesnya Goda" festival.
In 2004, he served as a composer on Star Factory 4.
