Anna Ternheim (born May 31, 1978, in Stockholm, Sweden) is a Swedish singer-songwriter whose music combines intimate folk writing with elements of alternative rock, blues, jazz, country, and atmospheric pop. A guitarist, pianist, vocalist, and composer, she is known for restrained arrangements, emotionally direct lyrics, and a vocal style that gives her songs a quietly dramatic intensity. Although she has recorded primarily in English, Swedish became increasingly prominent in her work from the mid-2010s onward.
Ternheim began playing guitar, writing songs, and performing while still young. During a year in Atlanta, Georgia, she formed the band Sova and played small festivals and club shows. She later continued performing while studying in Lausanne, Switzerland, before developing her solo career in Stockholm. Her first recordings appeared in 2003, followed by the debut album Somebody Outside in 2004. The record introduced her as a distinctive new voice in Swedish singer-songwriter music and earned her a Swedish Grammy for Best Newcomer.
Her early work was built around sparse guitar and piano arrangements, but it also showed an interest in reshaping familiar material. The Shoreline EP included her version of "Shoreline," originally recorded by Swedish band Broder Daniel, alongside interpretations of songs by Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie, the Eurythmics, and Tom Waits. The project helped establish Ternheim's ability to make cover versions feel consistent with her own introspective style.
Separation Road, released in 2006, became her major breakthrough in Sweden. The album reached the top of the Swedish charts and brought Ternheim further recognition, including Swedish Grammy awards for Best Female Artist and Best Lyricist. Its international profile was strengthened by the release of an alternate version, Halfway to Fivepoints, which served as her US debut in 2008.
The same year brought Leaving on a Mayday, one of the central albums of her career. More concentrated and studio-oriented than her earlier work, it emphasized piano, strings, electronic textures, and a carefully controlled sense of space. The album won Album of the Year and Best Female Artist at the 2009 Swedish Grammys. Songs such as "What Have I Done," "No, I Don't Remember," and "My Heart Still Beats for You" also brought her music to television and video game audiences.
Ternheim recorded The Night Visitor in Nashville, drawing more visibly on country, roots, and Americana influences. Released in 2011, it expanded her sound without abandoning the solitude and tension that had defined her previous records. Later albums took her in both stripped-down and more exploratory directions. For the Young (2015) favored shadowy folk and atmospheric arrangements, while All the Way to Rio (2017) presented a broader stylistic palette. She followed it with A Space for Lost Time in 2019 and This Is the One in 2021.
In addition to studio albums, Ternheim has released live and seasonal projects, including Live in Stockholm and The Winter Tapes. Her later catalog also includes the Swedish-language album Psalmer fran sjunde himlen, released in 2025. Across her career, she has maintained a balance between carefully produced recordings and direct solo performance, with songwriting remaining the consistent center of her work.