Matthew Santos (MA/SA) is a Fil-Am artist, singer, songwriter, composer, producer, vocal coach, and Grammy-nominated, 3x Platinum-selling vocalist based in Los Angeles. Praised for his singular and emotionally resonant voice, Santos has been described by the Chicago Tribune as “special” and “haunting,” while John Legend has called his voice “beautiful,” and CBS Radio’s John Sebastian has described him as “captivating.”
Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Santos discovered his passion for singing and songwriting as a teenager and later studied music composition and performance at Columbia College Chicago. He began recording original music in the early 2000s, releasing his debut album Change Is Better in 2004, followed by the EP As a Crow Flies in 2006. During that period, he crossed paths with Lupe Fiasco at Attic Studios, launching a creative partnership that led to his contributions to The Cool and the Grammy-nominated hit “Superstar,” helping establish Santos as a distinctive voice in contemporary music.
Matthew Santos was Grammy nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for ‘Superstar,’ and appears to have been the first Filipino-American singer ever nominated in that category.
His career has taken him to some of the world’s biggest stages, including the 2008 Glow in the Dark tour alongside Rihanna, Kanye West, and Pharrell Williams, as well as major festivals such as Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Bonnaroo. He has also appeared on national television programs including Letterman, Kimmel, and Ellen.
After stepping away from the mainstream spotlight to pursue greater creative autonomy, Santos released additional solo projects and became the frontman of the electro-pop band MONAKR, which went on to sign with Embassy of Music and Songs Music Publishing/Kobalt. MONAKR’s music was featured in the film Love, Simonand the television series Shades of Blue.
Across more than two decades as a songwriter, recording artist, and creative collaborator, Santos has worked with artists including Daveed Diggs, Rafael Casal, Jasmine Cephas-Jones, NGHTMRE, Eryn Allen Kane, Saba, and Dessa, with whom he toured extensively across Europe, China, and North America. His music has been featured in film and television projects including Games People Play, Sacrifice, LEGO Masters, Claim to Fame, Temptation Island, The Chi, Berlin, I Love You, and Netflix’s First Kill, for which he contributed songs including “Lil’ Drop,” “Too Late, Too Little,” and “Give My Life for You.”
In film and television, Santos works across original score, custom songwriting, trailer music, production music, and music-intensive vocal consulting. Most recently, he served as the official vocal coach to lead actor Sam Reid on AMC’s The Vampire Lestat (Interview with the Vampire Season 3), contributed additional music to the production, and acted as Assistant Head of Music to composer, producer, and songwriter Daniel Hart. Recent scoring and sync work also includes custom trailer spots for the acclaimed Netflix film Rustin and the SXSW-winning drama The Long Game, along with original scores for short films, documentaries, and branded content.
Known for crafting visceral, emotionally charged soundscapes, Santos brings a modern, genre-fluid sensibility to his work—blending hybrid orchestral and electronic elements, intimate piano textures, experimental sound design, percussive detail, and rich vocal arrangement into music that deepens story and leaves a lasting emotional imprint.