Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Scherzinger ( SHUR-zing-ər; née Valiente; born June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress and television personality. She is the lead singer of the R&B and pop group the Pussycat Dolls, one of the world's best-selling female groups of all time. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Scherzinger began acting at the age of 14 and studied musical theatre at Wright State University. In pursuit of a musical career, Scherzinger accepted an offer to sing background vocals to American rock band Days of the New's second self-titled album and its supporting tour. She later found mild success with Eden's Crush, a girl group created through The WB's television talent competition Popstars. Scherzinger pursued further acting and music opportunities, before gaining international recognition as the lead singer of the girl group the Pussycat Dolls, which released two albums and sold over 55 million records worldwide. Following the group's initial disbandment, Scherzinger pursued a solo career, releasing the albums Killer Love (2011) and Big Fat Lie (2014). Scherzinger has served as a judge on television talent shows, including The Sing-Off (2009–2010), The X Factor USA (2011), The X Factor UK (2012–2013, 2016–2017), Australia's Got Talent (2019), and The Masked Singer US (2019–2023). In 2010, she competed on the television dancing competition Dancing with the Stars, in which she won. Other work during this period includes her theatrical roles in Cats (2014) and Sunset Boulevard (2023–2025), as well as roles in the Disney animated film Moana (2016), the ABC film Dirty Dancing (2017), and the NBC special Annie Live! (2021). During her career, Scherzinger has received nominations for a Grammy, two Laurence Olivier Awards and a Tony Award. She won the 2024 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Norma Desmond in the 2023 West End revival of Sunset Boulevard and received the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical in 2025 when the show transferred to Broadway in 2024. Her other ventures include clothing lines; a fragrance; and serving as an ambassador for the Special Olympics and as a supporter of UNICEF UK.