Jerry Heil Biography: Height, Net Worth, Songs, Albums, Age, Partner, Movies, Awards, Parents, YouTube

Yana Oleksandrivna Shemaieva, known professionally as Jerry Heil, is a Ukrainian singer, songwriter, and YouTuber who first achieved national prominence as a video blogger covering popular songs.

She transitioned from a digital creator to a mainstream musical force with the release of her viral hit Okhrana, Otmena in 2019, which became a cultural phenomenon in Ukraine.

Her unique style, characterized by blending electronic pop with folk motifs and ironic, socially observant lyrics, led her to represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 alongside rapper Alyona Alyona.

Quick Facts

• Full Name: Yana Oleksandrivna Shemaieva
• NickName: Jerry Heil
• Date of Birth: October 21, 1995
• Age: 30 years old
• Gender: Female
• Place of Birth: Vasylkiv, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine
• Nationality: Ukrainian
• Profession: Singer, Songwriter, YouTuber, Voice Actress
• Height: 164 cm
• Weight: 49 kg
• Eye Color: Green
• Hair Color: Dark Brown
• Parents: Oleksandr Shemaiev and Liudmyla Shemaieva
• Siblings: Denys Shemaiev
• Spouse: N/A
• Children: N/A
• Relationship Status: Single
• Religion: Christian
• Ethnicity: Ukrainian
• Net Worth: $1.5 million

Early Life and Education

Yana Oleksandrivna Shemaieva is now at the age of 30 and was born on October 21, 1995.

She was raised in Vasylkiv, a town near Kyiv, by her parents Oleksandr and Liudmyla, both of whom worked in the private meat trade business.

She grew up alongside her brother, Denys, in a household where music was encouraged from a young age despite her parents’ non-artistic professions.

Her musical training began in early childhood, as she attended a local music school before moving to the capital to pursue a more rigorous formal education in music theory and performance.

She attended the R. Glier Kyiv Institute of Music and later the Kyiv Conservatory, specializing in choral conducting.

However, she did not complete her studies at the Conservatory, choosing instead to focus on her growing digital career and songwriting.

In 2022, she was accepted into the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, where she moved to study film scoring and contemporary writing.

Personal Life

Jerry Heil has maintained a relatively private personal life. She has been open about her choice to practice celibacy, a topic she has discussed in several interviews and even integrated into her songwriting.

This transparency sparked significant public discussion regarding modern values and personal boundaries in the Ukrainian media.

She has not been publicly linked to any long-term partners and has never been married.

Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, she spent a significant amount of time living between Europe and the United States for her studies and charitable performances.

Career

Jerry Heil began her career on YouTube in 2012, where she uploaded covers of songs by artists like Imagine Dragons and Twenty One Pilots.

In 2017, she signed with the Vidlik Records label, but it was her independent release of Okhrana, Otmena in 2019 that propelled her to the top of the Ukrainian charts.

Following this success, she released her debut studio album, Ya Yana, which solidified her reputation for satirical pop.

She participated in the Ukrainian national selection for Eurovision in 2020 with the song Vegan, though she did not win that year.

Her career reached a new international peak in 2024 when she won the national selection Vidbir alongside Alyona Alyona with the song Teresa & Maria.

The duo represented Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden, where they secured a third-place finish.

Throughout 2025 and into 2026, she has focused on releasing collaborative tracks with international producers and expanding her discography with more experimental, folk-infused electronic music.

She also operates her own music label, Nova Music, which aims to support emerging Ukrainian talent.

Awards

• M1 Music Awards – Breakthrough of the Year (2019)
• Jager Music Awards – Single of the Year for Okhrana, Otmena (2019)
• Music Moves Europe Awards – Public Choice Award (2023)
• Eurovision Song Contest – 3rd Place (2024)
• YUNA Music Award – Best Female Artist (2024)

Net Worth

Jerry Heil has an estimated net worth of $1.5 million. This figure is attributed to her high volume of digital streams on Spotify and YouTube, as well as her frequent live performances at major European festivals.

Controversy

Jerry Heil has faced several minor controversies throughout her career, often related to her unconventional public image.

In 2022, she was criticized by some segments of the public for her decision to move to the United States to study at Berklee while her country was at war, though she defended the move as a way to gain skills to better represent Ukraine globally.

There was also a brief legal dispute regarding copyright and creative control early in her career when she transitioned between management teams.

Furthermore, her Eurovision entry Teresa & Maria faced scrutiny from some critics who questioned the historical accuracy and appropriateness of the references to Mother Teresa, though the song remained a massive commercial and critical success.

Social Media

• Instagram: @thejerryheil
• X: @jerryheil
• TikTok: @jerryheil
• YouTube: Jerry Heil

Filmography

• The Stolen Princess (2018) – Song contributor
• The Addams Family (2019) – Voice role in Ukrainian dub
• Rock Dog 2 (2021) – Voice role in Ukrainian dub
• Mavka: The Forest Song (2023) – Voice role/Musical contributor

Discography

• Ya Yana (2019)
• Mandaryny i Oleni (2019)
• Osobyste (2021)
• Dai Boh (2022)
• Maria (2024)