Johnny McDaid Biography: Girlfriend, Songs, Height, Parents, Age, Net Worth, Siblings, Awards, Playlist

Johnny McDaid, born John McDaid, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer from Derry, Northern Ireland.

Best known as a member of Snow Patrol and for co-writing hits like Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You and Photograph, he’s a versatile talent in the global music scene.

Profile

• Full Name: John McDaid
• Stage Name: Johnny McDaid
• Born: July 24, 1976
• Age: 49 years old
• Birthplace: Derry, Northern Ireland, UK
• Nationality: British-Irish
• Occupation: Singer-Songwriter, Musician, Record Producer
• Height: 5 feet 6 inches (168 cm)
• Religion: Unknown
• Parents: John McDaid Sr., Pauline McDaid
• Siblings: Maev McDaid
• Spouse: Courteney Cox
• Children: None
• Relationship: Dating
• Net Worth: $1 million to $5 million

Early Life

Johnny McDaid was born on July 24, 1976, in Derry, Northern Ireland, to John McDaid Sr. and Pauline McDaid. Of Northern Irish nationality and mixed Irish-English ethnicity, his religious beliefs are not documented. Growing up in Derry with his parents and six siblings, including his sister Maev, Johnny was immersed in a musically rich environment.

His father’s death in July 2011 deeply impacted him, inspiring a tribute tattoo with his sister Maev, Ed Sheeran, and Foy Vance, featuring lyrics from Vance’s song Guiding Light.

Education

Johnny attended St Brigid’s Primary School in Carnhill, Derry, and later St Columb’s College, a Catholic boys’ institution. He chose not to pursue college, moving to London at 17 to focus on music, a decision that shaped his self-taught approach to songwriting and production.

Career

Johnny started his career in 1999 as the lead vocalist and songwriter for the London-based alternative rock band Vega4, releasing albums Satellites (2002) and You and Others (2006), the latter featuring the hit Life Is Beautiful, used in My Sister’s Keeper’s trailer. Vega4 disbanded in 2008.

In 2009, he became the first artist signed to Snow Patrol’s Polar Patrol Publishing, joining the band as a guitarist, pianist, and backing vocalist for their 2011 album Fallen Empires and 2018’s Wildness, which debuted at #2 on the UK charts.

His songwriting and production work soared through collaborations with Ed Sheeran, co-writing seven tracks on X (2014), including Photograph (BMI Pop Award winner) and Bloodstream (Ivor Novello nominee), and eight tracks on ÷ (2017), including Shape of You, the most-streamed song ever, with over 3 billion streams.

He produced nine and co-wrote 10 tracks on Sheeran’s = (2021), including the UK #1 singles Bad Habits and Shivers. Other notable works include P!nk’s What About Us (2017), Robbie Williams’ Love My Life (2016), Alicia Keys’ Underdog (2020), and Kelly Clarkson’s Broken & Beautiful (2019) for UglyDolls.

He also collaborated with Paul van Dyk on Time of Our Lives (2003) and Home. Johnny owns Fieldwork Music studio in North London, producing for artists like Harry Styles and Ingrid Michaelson. In 2025, he continues to grow and perform with Snow Patrol.

Awards & Nominations

• 2015: BRIT Award, Album of the Year (X by Ed Sheeran, co-writer) – Winner
• 2015: Grammy Award, Album of the Year (X by Ed Sheeran, co-writer) – Nominated
• 2016: Ivor Novello Award, Best Song Musically and Lyrically (Bloodstream by Ed Sheeran, co-writer) – Nominated
• 2018: BMI Pop Award, Pop Song of the Year (Photograph by Ed Sheeran, co-writer) – Winner
• 2018: Ivor Novello Award, Most Performed Work (Shape of You by Ed Sheeran, co-writer) – Winner
• 2018: IMRO Outstanding Achievement Award – Winner
• 2022: Grammy Award, Song of the Year (Bad Habits by Ed Sheeran, co-writer) – Nominated

Social Media

• Instagram handle: @johnnymcdaid

Personal Life

Johnny, 49, splits his time between London, Los Angeles, and Derry, and has been in a relationship with actress Courteney Cox since 2013, introduced by mutual friend Ed Sheeran. They got engaged in June 2014 but called it off in 2015 during a therapy session, only to reunite in 2016.

Cox described the breakup as transformative, strengthening their bond. They remain together, with no children or marriage reported. Standing at 5 feet 6 inches, he’s a Leo known for his kind and humble demeanor. Johnny is close to his family, particularly his sister Maev, and got a tattoo in memory of his father.

Net Worth

Johnny McDaid’s net Worth is estimated at $1 million to $5 million. His income stems from songwriting, production, Snow Patrol performances, and studio work at Fieldwork Music. Instagram sponsorships with 10,000 followers likely cost $500-$1,000 per post.

Discography

• Satellites (2002) – Album with Vega4
• You and Others (2006) – Album with Vega4 (Life Is Beautiful)
• Time of Our Lives (2003) – Single with Paul van Dyk and Vega4
• Home (2009) – Single with Paul van Dyk
• Fallen Empires (2011) – Album with Snow Patrol
• Wildness (2018) – Album with Snow Patrol
• Photograph (2014) – Single with Ed Sheeran (X album)
• Bloodstream (2014) – Single with Ed Sheeran (X album)
• Shape of You (2017) – Single with Ed Sheeran (÷ album)
• Love My Life (2016) – Single with Robbie Williams (Heavy Entertainment Show)
• What About Us (2017) – Single with P!nk
• Parallel Line (2018) – Single with Keith Urban
• Broken & Beautiful (2019) – Single with Kelly Clarkson (UglyDolls)
• Underdog (2020) – Single with Alicia Keys (ALICIA)
• Bad Habits (2021) – Single with Ed Sheeran (= album)
• Shivers (2021) – Single with Ed Sheeran (= album)

Filmography

• My Sister’s Keeper (2009) – Film, Soundtrack (Life Is Beautiful by Vega4)
• The Fault in Our Stars (2014) – Film, Soundtrack (Composer)
• Just Before I Go (2014) – Film, Soundtrack (Snow Patrol songs, with Gary Lightbody)
• Gifted (2017) – Film, Soundtrack (Composer)
• UglyDolls (2019) – Film, Soundtrack (Broken & Beautiful by Kelly Clarkson)