# Julianne Hough
**Julianne Hough** (born 1988) is an American dancer, choreographer, singer, and actress best known as a two-time champion professional dancer on ABC's *Dancing with the Stars* and for lead roles in the films *Footloose* (2011) and *Safe Haven* (2013).[1](https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/julianne-hough) She later served as a judge and then host on the same series, won a Primetime Emmy Award for choreography, and recorded a country album that reached number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/julianne-hough) • [3](https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/julianne-hough)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1988, Salt Lake City, Utah; hometown Orem, Utah[1](https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/julianne-hough) • [4](https://www.detpress.com/storage/uploads/E9/1F/E91F43AA-378A-3176-D632-5A45F881748A/DWTS_S32_Julianne_Hough_Bio_2023.pdf) |
| *Dancing with the Stars* | Won Seasons 4 and 5 back-to-back with Apolo Anton Ohno and Helio Castroneves; the first female professional dancer to win two consecutive seasons[5](https://ifann.net/wiki/julianne-hough/awards) |
| Emmy Awards | 3 nominations, 1 win: Outstanding Choreography in 2015 for the "Elastic Heart" routine on *Dancing With the Stars*[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/julianne-hough) |
| Music | Self-titled debut album (2008) topped the Billboard Top Country Albums chart; two ACM Awards in 2009, Top New Artist and Top New Female Vocalist[3](https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/julianne-hough) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2584600/awards/) |
| Acting | Starred in *Burlesque*, *Footloose*, *Rock of Ages*, *Safe Haven*, and *Grease Live!*; Broadway debut in 2022 in *POTUS*[7](https://abc.com/cast/ffa6f957-a828-4289-bb9a-5883a9e691e3) |
| Business ventures | Founder of KINRGY and Canary House Productions; co-owner of Fresh Vine Wine[4](https://www.detpress.com/storage/uploads/E9/1F/E91F43AA-378A-3176-D632-5A45F881748A/DWTS_S32_Julianne_Hough_Bio_2023.pdf) |
## Early life and dance training
Hough was born in [Salt Lake City](https://www.edgepedia.org/salt-lake-city), Utah, to Marriann Heaton and Bruce Hough and raised in a Mormon family in Sandy, Utah, with her brother Derek and three sisters, Sharee, Marabeth, and [Katherine](https://www.edgepedia.org/katherine). The family toured Utah as White Lightning, a singing and dancing country band.[1](https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/julianne-hough) She has said she begged to leave home at age 10 to attend a performing-arts school in London to study dance.[3](https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/julianne-hough)
**London years.** After her parents divorced in 1998, Hough and her brother moved to London to train under the dance coaches Corky and [Shirley Ballas](https://www.edgepedia.org/shirley-ballas), whose son [Mark Ballas](https://www.edgepedia.org/mark-ballas) later became her partner in international competitions. She attended the [Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts](https://www.edgepedia.org/italia-conti-academy-of-theatre-arts) for five years and won the Blackpool Dance Festival's International Latin Youth Champion and Junior World Latin Champion titles.[1](https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/julianne-hough) She has said in interviews that she was mentally and physically abused during her time in London; at fifteen she returned to the United States and graduated from Alta High School in 2006.[1](https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/julianne-hough)
## Dancing with the Stars
Hough joined *Dancing with the Stars* as a professional dancer in 2007 and won her first two seasons, taking the mirror-ball trophy with speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno in Season 4 and race car driver Helio Castroneves in Season 5.[1](https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/julianne-hough) • [5](https://ifann.net/wiki/julianne-hough/awards) Her choreography on the show earned three Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Choreography, in 2008 for a mambo to "Para Los Rumberos," in 2009 for a jive to "Great Balls of Fire," and a win in 2015 for the "Elastic Heart" routine.[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/julianne-hough) The 2015 win was shared with her brother [Derek Hough](https://www.edgepedia.org/derek-hough).[8](https://www.italiaconti.com/alumni/julianne-hough/)
She left the professional lineup after Season 8 in the spring of 2009 to pursue music and acting.[9](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/Julianne-Hough/) In 2014 she returned to the series as a judge, serving three seasons before leaving the role in 2017.[9](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/Julianne-Hough/) In March 2023 it was announced that she would return for Season 32 as co-host, following [Tyra Banks](https://www.edgepedia.org/tyra-banks)'s exit from the show.[10](https://www.detpress.com/storage/uploads/AE/1D/AE1D281E-38BD-959E-E9F9-E6C8FB6C3DD8/press-release-11-1307341.pdf)
## Music career
Hough's path to a recording contract did not follow the usual Nashville route. While working as a backup dancer on the *Dancing with the Stars* tour, she sang for an audience guest who turned out to be the music executive [Irving Azoff](https://www.edgepedia.org/irving-azoff), who arranged a meeting with her future manager.[11](https://news.pollstar.com/2008/07/28/julianne-hough/) A single released on iTunes the day after her first mirror-ball win reached number 8 on the iTunes chart, and her debut album was recorded quickly, with songs selected, tracked, mixed, and produced in a month and a half as the next tour wrapped in early 2008.[11](https://news.pollstar.com/2008/07/28/julianne-hough/)
The self-titled album topped the Billboard Country Albums chart in 2008.[3](https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/julianne-hough) In 2009 she won two [Academy of Country Music Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/academy-of-country-music-awards), Top New Artist and Top New Female Vocalist.[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2584600/awards/) Apple Music lists her catalog as including *The Julianne Hough Holiday Collection* (2008), the single "All I Want For Christmas Is Love" (2019), and "Everything We Never Knew" (2024).[12](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621233818)
## Acting
Hough's screen career centers on musicals and romantic leads. She appeared in *Burlesque*, starred in the 2011 remake of *Footloose* opposite [Kenny Wormald](https://www.edgepedia.org/kenny-wormald) and [Dennis Quaid](https://www.edgepedia.org/dennis-quaid), played a girl chasing stardom on the [Sunset Strip](https://www.edgepedia.org/sunset-strip) in Adam Shankman's *Rock of Ages* (2012) opposite Tom Cruise, and starred opposite Josh Duhamel in *Safe Haven* (2013).[3](https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/julianne-hough) • [4](https://www.detpress.com/storage/uploads/E9/1F/E91F43AA-378A-3176-D632-5A45F881748A/DWTS_S32_Julianne_Hough_Bio_2023.pdf) She played Sandy in *Grease Live!* in 2016, and the "You're the One That I Want" number with Aaron Tveit won the 2017 MTV Movie + TV Award for Best Musical Moment.[7](https://abc.com/cast/ffa6f957-a828-4289-bb9a-5883a9e691e3) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2584600/awards/) She received a Razzie Award nomination for Worst Supporting Actress for *Dirty Grandpa* (2016).[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2584600/awards/)
Her acting work was recognized early with a CinemaCon Rising Star Award in 2011.[6](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2584600/awards/) In 2022 she made her Broadway debut playing Dusty in the Tony Award-nominated political farce *POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive* at the Shubert Theatre, and that year she also hosted the 75th [Tony Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/tony-awards): Act One alongside [Darren Criss](https://www.edgepedia.org/darren-criss).[4](https://www.detpress.com/storage/uploads/E9/1F/E91F43AA-378A-3176-D632-5A45F881748A/DWTS_S32_Julianne_Hough_Bio_2023.pdf) She returns to film in 2026 in [Maggie Gyllenhaal](https://www.edgepedia.org/maggie-gyllenhaal)'s *The Bride*.[7](https://abc.com/cast/ffa6f957-a828-4289-bb9a-5883a9e691e3)
## Business ventures and advocacy
Hough founded KINRGY, a movement and wellness platform with a flagship studio in West Hollywood and worldwide digital access, which her official biography describes as a trauma-informed dance fitness method; she also founded the production company Canary House Productions and is a co-owner of Fresh Vine Wine, a line of low-carb, low-calorie wines.[7](https://abc.com/cast/ffa6f957-a828-4289-bb9a-5883a9e691e3) • [4](https://www.detpress.com/storage/uploads/E9/1F/E91F43AA-378A-3176-D632-5A45F881748A/DWTS_S32_Julianne_Hough_Bio_2023.pdf) With her brother Derek Hough and DanceOne, she co-founded Ovation, a dance convention and competition tour.[7](https://abc.com/cast/ffa6f957-a828-4289-bb9a-5883a9e691e3) She serves on the board of Kind Campaign, a nonprofit working to end girl-against-girl bullying, and has advocated for mental health awareness, animal rights, and women's empowerment.[13](https://www.juliannehough.com/about)
## Personal life
Hough married professional hockey player Brooks Laich in 2017.[1](https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/julianne-hough) Her brother Derek Hough, a fellow *Dancing with the Stars* professional and judge, has been her frequent collaborator, including the shared 2015 Emmy win and the sibling stage tours *MOVE Live on Tour*.[8](https://www.italiaconti.com/alumni/julianne-hough/) • [14](https://abc.com/cast/90393095-7d7e-4c40-9cc9-0406f8a556ee)
## References
1. [Julianne Hough, Research Starters, EBSCOhost](https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/julianne-hough)
2. [Julianne Hough, Emmy Awards and Nominations, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/julianne-hough)
3. [Julianne Hough, Interview Magazine, May 30, 2012](https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/julianne-hough)
4. [Julianne Hough biography, ABC Entertainment press materials (Dancing with the Stars Season 32)](https://www.detpress.com/storage/uploads/E9/1F/E91F43AA-378A-3176-D632-5A45F881748A/DWTS_S32_Julianne_Hough_Bio_2023.pdf)
5. [Julianne Hough, Awards & Honours, iFANN](https://ifann.net/wiki/julianne-hough/awards)
6. [Julianne Hough, Awards, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2584600/awards/)
7. [Julianne Hough, Host Biography, Dancing with the Stars, ABC](https://abc.com/cast/ffa6f957-a828-4289-bb9a-5883a9e691e3)
8. [Julianne Hough, Italia Conti Performing Arts Alumni](https://www.italiaconti.com/alumni/julianne-hough/)
9. [Julianne Hough, Dancer, Actress, Singer, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/Julianne-Hough/)
10. [Dancing with the Stars Season 32 press release, ABC Entertainment, August 31, 2023](https://www.detpress.com/storage/uploads/AE/1D/AE1D281E-38BD-959E-E9F9-E6C8FB6C3DD8/press-release-11-1307341.pdf)
11. [Julianne Hough, Pollstar News, July 28, 2008](https://news.pollstar.com/2008/07/28/julianne-hough/)
12. [Julianne Hough, Apple Snapshot](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621233818)
13. [Meet Julianne, juliannehough.com](https://www.juliannehough.com/about)
14. [Derek Hough, Step Into...The Movies with Derek and Julianne Hough, ABC](https://abc.com/cast/90393095-7d7e-4c40-9cc9-0406f8a556ee)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames He to Hs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license