ABOUT
Justin Utley’s music career took off in a big way after being a featured performer at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
In 2005, Justin broke ties with his Mormon roots and relocated to New York City where he became a sought after singer, songwriter, and public speaker, spending much of his music career touring as a performer at official pride events and music festivals worldwide. With nearly two decades of touring and activism, he has shared the stage with top international acts like Icona Pop, Tegan & Sara, Dan Reynolds (Imagine Dragons), Billy Porter, and Margaret Cho.
In June 2010, Utley released Stand for Something; a single written to inspire and motivate action towards securing LGBTQ marriage equality in the United States. The single was nominated by the LGBT Academy Of Recording Arts for 4 OUTMusic Awards, including Best Songwriter and Artist of the Year, winning Best Country/Folk Song of the Year.
Utley is also known as an outspoken personality against the use of conversion (ex-gay) therapy, a psychological method he endured for two years through his church. He is an inspiring and empowering speaker at colleges and universities across the nation about his experiences, in addition to providing insight on issues of faith in the LGBT community. He has been a Guest Contributor on CNN’s Faces of Faith Sunday News Segment, Huffington Post, NPR, SiriusXM and MSNBC.
He is a two-time recipient of the “Inspiring Citizen of the Year” award by the FBI’s Diversity Board of New Jersey, "Artist of the Year" by SiriusXM OutQ, the 2021 Impact Award from Equality Utah and 2022 PRISM Award from Roanoke Pride for his work in banning conversion therapy for minors across the United States.