Matthew Donald Berninger (/ˌbɜːrnɪŋɜːr/, born February 13, 1971) is an American singer, primarily known as the frontman and lyricist of indie rock band The National.

[1] In May 2020, Berninger issued the title track from his solo debut album, Serpentine Prison, released in October 2020.

[4] He went on to study graphic design at the University of Cincinnati, where he met fellow band member Scott Devendorf in 1991.

"[5] Berninger is married to Carin Besser, a one-time fiction editor for The New Yorker, who has often contributed to the band's songwriting (in songs such as "Brainy" and "Ada" from the album Boxer, among others) and backup vocals.

[14] In 2020, Berninger was the subject of an episode of the fictional erotic podcast, Dirty Diana, produced by Demi Moore.