Polad Murtuza oghlu Mammadov was born on 4 February 1945 in Baku. He took his father's nickname, Bulbul, as his surname. In 1968 he graduated from the Azerbaijan State Conservatory (class of Gara Garayev). Polad became known as the author and performer of a number of widely popular songs. He is the author of music for films, dramatic productions, symphonies, symphonic poems and other works. In 1973 he received the honorary title of Honoured Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR, and in 1982 that of People's Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR. From 1987 he served as director and artistic director of the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic. Polad Bulbuloglu, Azerbaijan's Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Russia, was awarded the Holy Prince Nevsky Prize. The ambassador received this award from Russia's Interregional Public Foundation. Polad Bulbuloglu has been honoured for his services in preserving peace and understanding between the peoples of Russia and Azerbaijan and in strengthening the ties of friendship between them. He was declared "Person of the Year 2009" in Azerbaijan for honestly presenting Azerbaijan's struggle for territorial integrity to the international community; for conveying, in his statements and interviews, the uncompromising justice of our country's position despite the natural constraints of diplomacy; for his visits to Nagorno-Karabakh — right into the midst of the Armenian side responsible for the conflict — in pursuit of Azerbaijan's interests, despite the misunderstandings and contradictions present in public opinion and society's unreadiness for any risky step; for his substantial contribution to our great culture through the staging of his ballet Love and Death in Moscow, the capital of the Russian Federation; and for approaching his efforts on behalf of our country's image from the standpoint of morality and patriotism. In 2005 he was awarded the Istiglal Order. On 3 February 2015 he was awarded the Sharaf Order. On 18 May 2016 a monument to Polad Bulbuloglu, created by the renowned sculptor and artist Zurab Tsereteli as part of his "My Contemporaries" series of sculptures, was unveiled in Moscow. In 2017 he was awarded the 25th-anniversary medal of the Russian Performing Arts (Russian: Русское исполнительное искусство) Public Foundation. In July 2019 Polad Bulbuloglu was awarded the 2nd degree Order "For Service to the Fatherland." In 2020 he was awarded Azerbaijan's highest order, the Heydar Aliyev Order, for his great services to the development of Azerbaijani culture and his long-term productive socio-political activity. On 14 September 2024 Polad Bulbuloglu became a laureate of the Hermitage Award. On 17 September he was given the title of People's Artist of Bashkortostan. On 1 September 2024 he won the snap parliamentary elections and was elected a deputy of the VII convocation of the Milli Majlis. On 23 September 2024, by presidential order, he was recalled from his post as Azerbaijan's Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to the Russian Federation. On 8 October 2024 he was elected head of the Azerbaijan-Russia interparliamentary relations working group. On 3 February 2025 President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev awarded him the 1st degree Order "For Service to the Fatherland" for his long-term productive activity in the socio-political and cultural life of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
