Ed Sheeran facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ed Sheeran
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Sheeran in 2018
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Edward Christopher Sheeran
17 February 1991 Halifax, West Yorkshire, England
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| Years active | 2004–present |
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Cherry Seaborn
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| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
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Edward Christopher Sheeran (born 17 February 1991) is a famous English singer and songwriter. He was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, and grew up in Framlingham, Suffolk. Ed started writing songs when he was about eleven years old. In early 2011, he released an album called No. 5 Collaborations Project on his own. Later that year, he signed with Asylum Records.
Ed Sheeran's first album, + (pronounced "Plus"), came out in September 2011. It quickly became number one on the UK Albums Chart. This album included his first big hit song, "The A Team". In 2012, Ed won two Brit Awards: Best British Male Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act. His second album, × (pronounced "Multiply"), was released in June 2014. It topped music charts all over the world. In 2015, × was named the second best-selling album worldwide. That same year, he won Album of the Year at the 2015 Brit Awards. He also received the Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year. A song from ×, "Thinking Out Loud", won him two Grammy Awards in 2016.
Ed's third album, ÷ (pronounced "Divide"), was released in March 2017. It was the best-selling album worldwide in 2017. The first two songs from the album, "Shape of You" and "Castle on the Hill", broke records by being the top two songs on charts in many countries. He was also the first artist to have two songs start in the US top 10 at the same time. By March 2017, Ed had ten songs from ÷ in the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart. This broke the record for most top-10 UK songs from one album. His fourth song from ÷, "Perfect", became number one in the US, Australia, and the UK. It was also the Christmas number one in the UK in 2017. He was named the Global Recording Artist of the Year for 2017.
In 2019, Ed released his fourth album, No.6 Collaborations Project. This album was his first to feature many other artists. It became number one in most major music markets. It also had three UK number one songs: "I Don't Care", "Beautiful People", and "Take Me Back to London". His fifth album, = (pronounced "Equals"), was number one in most major markets in 2021. His sixth album, - (pronounced "Subtract"), came out on 5 May 2023. His seventh album, Autumn Variations, was released on 29 September 2023. This album was released under his own record label, Gingerbread Man Records.
Ed Sheeran has sold over 150 million records worldwide. This makes him one of the world's best-selling music artists. In the US, he has 119 million certified units. Two of his albums are among the best-selling albums in UK chart history. In December 2019, the Official Charts Company named him artist of the decade. This means he had the most success in the UK album and singles charts in the 2010s. As of July 2024, he is the 3rd most followed artist on Spotify. His ÷ Tour, which started in March 2017, became the highest-grossing concert tour of all time in August 2019. Ed also studied at the National Youth Theatre in London. He appeared as himself in the 2019 film Yesterday.
Contents
Early Life and School
Edward Christopher Sheeran was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, on 17 February 1991. His first home was in Hebden Bridge. His father worked at an art gallery, and his mother worked at another art gallery. In December 1995, his family moved to Framlingham in Suffolk. There, he went to Brandeston Hall preparatory school and then Thomas Mills High School. Ed has an older brother named Matthew, who is a composer. His parents, John and Imogen, are from London. Ed's grandparents on his father's side are Irish. John is an art curator and lecturer, and Imogen is a jewellery designer.
Ed sang in a church choir when he was four years old. He learned to play the guitar at age eleven and started writing songs while at Thomas Mills High School. He also played the cello when he was younger. A school report from 2004 said he was a "natural performer". His classmates also voted him "most likely to be famous". As a teenager, he was accepted into the National Youth Theatre in London. In 2007, he joined a musical production called Frankenstein – A New Musical. Ed now supports British Youth Music Theatre and Access to Music, where he studied how to develop as an artist.
Music Career
Starting Out (2004–2010)
Ed Sheeran began recording music in 2004. When he was thirteen, he released his first collection of songs called Spinning Man. He has been friends with singer Passenger since he was 15. They even played at the same show in Cambridge. In 2008, Ed moved to London and started playing music in small places. He also opened for the band Nizlopi in 2008. In late 2009, Ed started studying music at the Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM) in Guildford. However, he left school that same year to support hip-hop artist Just Jack.
In February 2010, Ed posted a video on SB.TV, a channel started by Jamal Edwards. Rapper Example then asked Ed to tour with him. That same month, Ed released his Loose Change EP. This EP included his future hit song, "The A Team".
More people started to discover Ed Sheeran through YouTube. His fan base grew, and he even received praise from The Independent newspaper and Elton John. In June 2010, he played a "Station Session" at St. Pancras International train station. Ed also released two other EPs in 2010: Ed Sheeran: Live at the Bedford and Songs I Wrote with Amy. The second one was a collection of love songs he wrote with Amy Wadge. When he was in Los Angeles in 2010, actor Jamie Foxx invited him to perform at his club. This led to an invitation for Ed to stay at Foxx's home.
On 8 January 2011, Ed released another EP called No. 5 Collaborations Project. It featured grime artists like Wiley and Jme. This EP got a lot of attention because it reached number 2 on the iTunes chart without any advertising. It sold over 7,000 copies in its first week. Three months later, Ed put on a free show for fans at the Barfly in Camden Town. Over 1,000 fans showed up, so Ed played four different shows. He even played outside on the street after the venue closed. Later that month, Ed signed with Asylum Records.
The + Album (2011–2013)
On 26 April 2011, Ed Sheeran appeared on the BBC music show Later... with Jools Holland. He performed his first song, "The A Team". Six weeks later, "The A Team" was released in the UK. It was the main song from his first album, + ("Plus"). "The A Team" entered the UK Singles Chart at number three. It sold over 58,000 copies in its first week. It was the best-selling first song by an artist and the eighth best-selling song overall in 2011. The song also became a top ten hit in many other countries. At the Glastonbury Festival 2011, Ed announced that "You Need Me, I Don't Need You" would be his second song from the album. This song reached number four on the UK Singles Chart. "Lego House" was released as the third song. It reached the top ten in Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand. The music video for "Lego House" stars actor Rupert Grint, who looks a bit like Ed.
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Ed Sheeran released + on 12 September 2011. Music critics generally liked the album. It became number one on the UK Albums Chart, selling 102,000 copies. By the end of 2011, it was the second best-selling first album and the ninth biggest-selling album in the UK. The album has been certified platinum six times, meaning it sold 1.8 million copies. By March 2012, the album had sold over 1 million copies in the UK. It also reached the top five in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the US.
Ed co-wrote the song "Moments" for the boy band One Direction's first album in November 2011. At the 2012 Brit Awards on 21 February, Ed won Best British Male Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act of the Year. In January 2012, it was announced that Ed would support Snow Patrol on their US tour. His song, "Give Me Love", was used in an episode of The Vampire Diaries. In May 2012, Ed's "The A Team" won Best Song Musically and Lyrically at the Ivor Novello Awards. Ed performed "The A Team" at the Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee concert in June 2012. He also sang a cover of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Taylor Swift contacted Ed after hearing his music in 2012. He later helped write and sang on "Everything Has Changed", a song on Taylor Swift's album, Red. Ed also wrote two songs for One Direction's second album, Take Me Home, released in November 2012. The song "Little Things" became the group's second number-one song in the UK. Ed's album reached number 5 on the US Billboard 200 chart. "The A Team" reached number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2013, "The A Team" was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2013 Grammy Awards. Elton John, who helps manage Ed's career, helped Ed get a performance spot at the ceremony. Ed also appeared on some songs from Irish singer Foy Vance's album Joy of Nothing.
From March to September 2013, Ed played in large venues across North America. He was the opening act for Taylor Swift's The Red Tour. Ed said it was his biggest tour at the time. In October 2013, Ed performed three sold-out shows at New York's Madison Square Garden. At these concerts, he played new songs, including "Tenerife Sea". Ed released "I See Fire" on 5 November 2013. This song was featured in the movie The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Ed was nominated for Best New Artist at the 2014 Grammy Awards.
The × Album (2014–2015)
On 24 March 2014, Ed Sheeran performed at a Teenage Cancer Trust charity concert in London. There, he showed off "Take It Back", a song that would be on the deluxe version of his second album. "Sing", the first song from the album, was released on 7 April 2014. This song sounded different from Ed's earlier music. "Sing" was meant to create excitement for the album. However, because some worried it might not appeal to all his fans, "One", a calmer acoustic song, was released on 16 May 2014. By early June 2014, "Sing" became Ed's first number-one song in the UK.
Ed Sheeran's second album, × ("Multiply"), was released worldwide on 23 June 2014. Ed wrote more than 120 songs for this album over three years. The album included songs produced by Rick Rubin, Pharrell Williams, and Benny Blanco. × reached number one on both the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200. To support the album, Ed started a world tour on 6 August 2014, in Japan. On 27 September 2014, Ed was one of the main performers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground before a big football game.
After "Don't", "Thinking Out Loud" was released on 24 September 2014 as the album's third song. In its music video, Ed took the main role and performed a ballroom dance. It became his second song to reach number one in the UK. It also spent eight weeks at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2014, Ed's songs were streamed 860 million times on Spotify. Spotify named him the most-streamed artist, and × the most-streamed album. That same year, the album made Ed iTunes' best-selling artist in the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand.
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× was nominated for Album of the Year at the 57th Grammy Awards. Ed performed "Thinking Out Loud" with John Mayer and others at the ceremony. On 25 February, Ed won British Male Solo Artist and British Album of the Year for × at the 2015 Brit Awards. On 21 May, he received the Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year. On 21 June, Ed helped host the 2015 Much Music Video Awards in Toronto. He performed "Thinking Out Loud" and "Photograph" and won two awards. On 27 June, Ed opened for The Rolling Stones at their concert in Kansas City. On 10–12 July 2015, Ed performed sold-out shows at London's Wembley Stadium. These shows were part of his world tour. A one-hour TV special called Ed Sheeran – Live at Wembley Stadium showed the concert and behind-the-scenes footage. In November 2015, Ed released the DVD Jumpers for Goalposts: Live at Wembley Stadium.
In 2015, Ed wrote "Love Yourself" for Justin Bieber's album. Ed had planned to put the song on his own album, but Justin Bieber took the song. In August 2015, he sang with Macklemore on the song "Growing Up". On 26 September, Ed performed at the 2015 Global Citizen Festival in New York. This event helps end extreme global poverty. Ed was a main performer along with Beyoncé and Coldplay. Ed co-hosted the 2015 MTV Europe Music Awards on 25 October in Milan, Italy. He won awards for Best Live Act and Best Live Stage. His song from ×, "Thinking Out Loud", won him two Grammy Awards in 2016. In May 2016, × was named the second best-selling album worldwide in 2015, after Adele's 25.
The ÷ Album (2016–2018)
On 13 December 2016, after a year-long break, Ed Sheeran hinted at a new album. He changed his social media pictures to a light blue, matching his previous albums' math symbols. On 2 January, he posted a 10-second video showing the songs and cover art for his fourth album, ÷ ("Divide"). It was released on 3 March 2017. The album became number one in the UK, US, Germany, Australia, Canada, and other major markets. With 672,000 sales in its first week, it was the fastest-selling album by a male solo artist in the UK.
On 6 January, Ed released two songs: "Shape of You" and "Castle on the Hill". "Castle on the Hill" is about his childhood in Framlingham, Suffolk, and the Framlingham Castle. Both songs broke the Spotify record for daily streams, with over 13 million streams in 24 hours.
On 13 January, "Shape of You" and "Castle on the Hill" became number one and number two on the UK Singles Chart. This was the first time an artist had two new songs in the top two spots in UK history. The same day, he also became the first artist to have two songs debut at number one and number two on the German charts. On 15 January, the songs debuted at number one and number two on the Australian charts. On 17 January, "Shape of You" became number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, and "Castle on the Hill" entered at number six. This made Ed the first artist ever to have two songs start in the US top 10 at the same time.
On 26 January, Ed announced dates for his Divide Tour. It included shows in Europe, South America, and North America from March to June 2017. On 17 February, Ed released "How Would You Feel (Paean)". Although not an official single, the song reached number two in the UK. By 11 March 2017, Ed had ten top-10 songs from ÷ on the UK Singles Chart. This broke Calvin Harris's record of nine top-10 songs from one album. On 25 June, Ed was the main performer on the last night of Glastonbury. He played for 135,000 people. At the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards, Ed was named Artist of the Year. The fourth song from ÷, "Perfect", reached number one in the UK and Australia. A simpler version of the song, "Perfect Duet", with Beyoncé, reached number one in the US and UK. It became the UK Christmas number one that year. On 7 November, Taylor Swift said that Ed helped with her song "End Game" for her album Reputation. This song also features rapper Future.
On 4 December, Ed was named Spotify's most-streamed artist of 2017 with 6.3 billion streams. His album ÷ was Spotify's biggest album of the year. "Shape of You" was the top song with 1.4 billion streams. On 5 December 2017, rapper Eminem announced that Ed had helped with the song "River" for his album Revival. Ed said working with Eminem was a pleasure because Eminem was one of the reasons he started writing songs. In December 2017, Ed appeared on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. He performed "Perfect" and a duet of "Fairytale of New York" with Anne-Marie.
On 3 January 2018, "Shape of You" was named the best-selling song of 2017 in the UK. It was also the best-selling song of 2017 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. That same day, ÷ was named the best-selling album of 2017 in the UK and US. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) named him the Global Recording Artist of the Year for 2017. At the 2018 Brit Awards on 21 February, Ed performed "Supermarket Flowers". He received the Global Success Award from Elton John and Ronnie Wood. Ed played for over 950,000 people in Australia and New Zealand in March and April. This was the biggest concert tour in Australasian music history. In April, the IFPI named ÷ the best-selling album worldwide of 2017. At the 2018 Billboard Music Awards on 20 May, Ed performed "Galway Girl" from Phoenix Park in Dublin, Ireland. He won six awards, including Top Artist. In 2018, Ed wrote songs for boy bands. "Trust Fund Baby" by Why Don't We was released on 1 February 2018. "Summer On You" by PrettyMuch was released on 21 June 2018.
No.6 Collaborations Project and = (2019–2022)
On 10 May 2019, Ed Sheeran released the song "I Don't Care". It was a duet with Justin Bieber from his fourth album, No.6 Collaborations Project. On Spotify, "I Don't Care" broke the record for daily global streams. The song became number one in the UK, Australia, and other places. On 31 May, "Cross Me" featuring Chance the Rapper and PnB Rock debuted at number 9 in the UK. Released on 28 June 2019, "Beautiful People" featuring Khalid debuted at number 3 in the UK. On 5 July, Ed released two new songs: "Best Part of Me" featuring Yebba, and "Blow" with Bruno Mars and Chris Stapleton. On 12 July, he released the album, along with "Antisocial" with Travis Scott. The album became number one in the UK, US, Australia, and other countries. On 26 August, Ed finished his 260-show Divide Tour with four concerts in Ipswich, Suffolk. On 30 August, the seventh song from the album, "Take Me Back to London" featuring Stormzy, reached number one in the UK.
In 2019, Ed co-wrote country singer Kenny Chesney's song "Tip of My Tongue". In December 2019, Ed was named artist of the decade by the Official Charts Company. This was for being the most successful performer in the UK album and singles charts of the 2010s. Eight of his songs were in the chart of the decade, with three in the top 5. "Shape of You" was named number one. His four albums spent a total of 41 weeks at number one in the UK, the most in the 2010s. Globally, Spotify named him the second most streamed artist of the decade after Drake. On 21 December 2020, after a break, he released the surprise song, "Afterglow".
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On 25 June 2021, Ed Sheeran released "Bad Habits". This was the first song from his fifth album. It was his 10th UK number one song. It stayed at the top of the UK Singles Chart for eleven weeks. It also topped charts in Australia, Canada, and Germany. It reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100. His eleventh week at number one in the UK made him the first British solo artist to spend 52 weeks at Number 1 across all his songs. Only Elvis Presley and The Beatles have achieved more weeks at the top. On 19 August, Ed announced that his fifth album, = ("Equals"), would be released on 29 October 2021. He painted the cover during the first COVID-19 lockdown. It shows the changes in his life, like getting married and having a child. The song "Visiting Hours" was released with the announcement. On 9 September, he was part of the 2021 NFL season opening game event. Released on 10 September, "Shivers" took over "Bad Habits" at the top of the UK charts. = became his fifth UK number-one album and fourth US number one.
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On 29 November 2021, Ed Sheeran and Elton John released "Merry Christmas". This was a duet for charity. The music video paid tribute to past British Christmas hits. All UK profits from the song went to the Ed Sheeran Suffolk Music Foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. It became number one in the UK Singles Chart on 10 December. On 23 December, Ed was featured on the remix of Fireboy DML's song "Peru".
On 11 February 2022, Ed released a duet version of "The Joker and the Queen" featuring Taylor Swift. On 4 March, he was featured in "Bam Bam" with Camila Cabello. Later that month, he worked with Colombian singer J Balvin on the songs "Sigue" and "Forever My Love". Ed started his +–=÷x Tour (Mathematics Tour) on 21 March. He played warm-up shows in London before the main tour began in Dublin. On 22 April, Ed released the fifth song from =, "2step" featuring Lil Baby. He later released a version with Ukrainian band Antytila. In 2022, Ed also explored heavier music styles. He released a new version of "Bad Habits" with the pop metal group Bring Me the Horizon in February. In July, he launched a clothing line with Lucy & Yak inspired by the artwork of =.
On 29 September, Ed released the song "Celestial", a collaboration with the Japanese media franchise Pokémon. In November, "Shivers" became Ed's 11th song to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify. He celebrated this on Instagram. He was also seen filming a music video for his next album in Lowestoft.
- and Autumn Variations (2023–Present)
On 1 March 2023, Ed Sheeran announced that his sixth album, - ("Subtract"), would be released on 5 May 2023. Ed released the album's first song, "Eyes Closed", with its music video on 24 March 2023. "Boat" was released as the second song on 21 April 2023. The third song, "Life Goes On", was released on 5 May 2023.
In August 2023, Ed announced his second album of the year, Autumn Variations. It was released on 29 September 2023. This is his first album where he owns the copyright. It is also his first album released through his own record label, Gingerbread Man Records.
Musical Style and Influences
Ed Sheeran's music style is described as pop, folk-pop, and soft rock. He also includes rap in his songs. Ed's earliest memories include listening to music by Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and Elton John. He says the album that first got him into music was Van Morrison's Irish Heartbeat. When he was a child, his father took him to live concerts that inspired him. These included seeing Eric Clapton at the Royal Albert Hall, Paul McCartney in Birmingham, and Bob Dylan. Ed says Eric Clapton is "the reason I started playing guitar". He remembers seeing Clapton play at the Queen's Golden Jubilee concert in June 2002. He bought a guitar two days later and spent a month trying to play Clapton's "Layla" song.
Ed Sheeran has also said that The Beatles, Nizlopi, and Eminem are his biggest musical influences. He also likes heavier music and mentions bands like Cradle of Filth, Slipknot, and Bring Me the Horizon as other influences. As a teenager, he had a stutter when he spoke. He believes that rapping along to Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP helped him stammer less. He was also inspired by singer-songwriter Damien Rice in 2002. Ed said, "seeing him play this small club in Ireland, I was able to meet him, and he was unbelievably cool. I went straight home and started writing songs." He also played guitar to Westlife's greatest hits album when he was ten.
Ed collaborated with his idol Eric Clapton in April 2016. Ed sang on Eric Clapton's album I Still Do. He also performed with Clapton on stage. Clapton played a guitar solo on "Dive" on Ed's album ÷. Ed also said Taylor Swift is one of his influences. He believes their success drives each other.
Other Projects
Gingerbread Man Records
In March 2015, Ed Sheeran announced he was starting his own record label, Gingerbread Man Records. This was a deal with Warner Music Group. The label officially started in August 2015. Jamie Lawson was the first artist Ed signed. Lawson released his first album on 9 October 2015, which became number one in the UK. Ed signed his second artist, Foy Vance, in November 2015. Maisie Peters also signed with the label in 2021.
Bertie Blossoms
On 29 September 2019, Ed Sheeran announced he was opening a bar with his manager Stuart Camp. The bar is on Portobello Road in Notting Hill. It is called "Bertie Blossoms", named after his wife Cherry Seaborn.
Charity Work
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Ed Sheeran often gives his clothes to charity shops in Suffolk, his home county. He supports East Anglia's Children's Hospice. He has donated clothes to the St Elizabeth Hospice charity shop in Framlingham many times. In 2016, he gave 13 bags of clothes to the shop. A tartan shirt Ed wore in the film Bridget Jones's Baby was sold online to raise more money for the hospice.
On 15 November 2014, Ed joined the charity supergroup Band Aid 30. They recorded a new version of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" to raise money for the West African Ebola virus epidemic.
In November 2015, Ed supported the No Cold Homes campaign by the UK charity, Turn2us. Ed was one of nearly thirty celebrities who donated winter clothing to the campaign. The money raised helped people struggling to keep their homes warm.
Ed teamed up with the cast of the BBC3 sitcom People Just Do Nothing to perform a charity song for Comic Relief in March 2017. He appeared in a November 2017 episode of Gogglebox with other UK celebrities. This was part of a fundraising campaign for Cancer Research UK.
In December 2019, he started his own music foundation, Ed Sheeran Suffolk Music Foundation (ESSMF). He said it would help artists under 18 with "small but hopefully useful grants". In May 2020, Ed donated £170,000 to his old school, Thomas Mills High School. This money helped the school buy things like MacBooks and cameras. The same month, Ed donated to Ipswich Hospital. In June 2020, Ed made a "founding gift" to help launch a local appeal for the COVID-19 pandemic. Ed has donated over £1 million to local charities in Suffolk during the pandemic.
Ed's parents organized The Ed Sheeran Made in Suffolk Legacy Auction in October 2020. The auction had 220 items, including things donated by other celebrities. Ed donated some of his personal items, like handwritten song lyrics and Lego bricks he played with as a kid. The auction raised money for Suffolk charities that help children and young adults. In November, Ed sold one of his paintings, called "Dab 2 2020", at the same auction. Later that month, Ed supported footballer Marcus Rashford's free school meals campaign. He opened his own breakfast club at his restaurant, Bertie Blossoms. He said it provided hot breakfasts for anyone who needed them. Ed's charity has also donated money to help a primary school teacher learn how to help children create songs with unusual instruments. This will help children with learning difficulties.
Acting Roles
Ed Sheeran first acted in 2014. He had a small role as himself in the New Zealand TV show Shortland Street. In May 2015, he appeared as himself and performed on a live episode of the NBC sitcom Undateable. Later that year, he filmed scenes for the TV show Home and Away in Australia.
After recording a song for Sons of Anarchy, Ed was cast as Sir Cormac in the drama The Bastard Executioner. Ed also appeared as himself in the 2016 film Bridget Jones's Baby. In the film, Bridget Jones meets him at the Glastonbury Festival.
In July 2017, Ed appeared in a scene on Game of Thrones with Maisie Williams. The show's creators wanted Ed to appear to surprise Maisie, who was a big fan.
In June 2019, Ed made his first advertisement for Heinz Tomato Ketchup. He loves the product and even has a Heinz Ketchup tattoo. He gave them an idea for their next TV ad, and they used it. The ad shows him in a fancy restaurant, putting ketchup on his food while other diners look shocked. The company also released a special ketchup product called "Heinz Edchup".
Released in June 2019, Ed appeared as himself in the film Yesterday. The film is about a singer-songwriter who wakes up to find that no one else remembers the Beatles.
His Impact on Music
Music journalist Alexis Petridis said that Ed Sheeran "brought pop back down to earth". He did this with his simple music style: "one unassuming man, his guitar and a loop pedal". Petridis called him "one of the most influential" artists of his time. After his album ×, the music charts were "packed with Sheeran-alikes". This was a "wave of earnest, dressed-down, boy-next-door troubadours". The Guardian writer Laura Snapes called him "the godfather of the current crop of singer-songwriters" in 2019. She said Ed inspired many similar artists to become popular.
iHeartMedia executive Sharon Dastur said Ed's success has helped newer artists get a chance in mainstream music. GQ magazine called Ed "the de facto voice of a generation". This is because his music reflects his personality and his audience's values, like being real and sincere. BBC Radio 1 executive George Ergatoudis said Ed's honest lyrics and strong drive appealed to younger listeners. His unique style helped him succeed in a music industry full of singer-songwriters. According to Vox, Ed has become famous all over the world. In 2017, the BBC named him the second-best performing artist of the decade, after Adele. In 2021, The Independent said he had "one of the biggest pop careers of this generation." Billboard and other publications have called him a "British music icon". In a 2023 poll, Ed ranked third among musical acts people most wanted to see live. Ed and his work have influenced many artists, including Shawn Mendes, Louis Tomlinson, and Camila Cabello.
Awards and Recognition
On 19 October 2015, Ed Sheeran received an honorary degree from the University of Suffolk. This was for his "outstanding contribution to music". Ed said, "Suffolk is very much where I call home. Receiving this recognition is a real privilege." He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2017 for his "services to music and charity". Ed received the award from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace on 7 December 2017. In 2012, he was named a baron of Sealand.
Ed has had the highest-grossing concert tour. He is also one of the world's best-selling music artists with over 150 million records sold. He has received many awards. As of 2019, he has won four Grammy Awards (including Song of the Year in 2016 for "Thinking Out Loud"). He has also won five Brit Awards (including British Male Solo Artist in 2015). He has six Billboard Music Awards (including Top Artist in 2018). In 2015 and 2018, he received the Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year.
Although he considers Suffolk his home, Ed was recognized by his birth county in a 2018 poll. He was ranked the fourth-greatest Yorkshireman ever.
In 2024, he won a Primetime Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. This was for "A Beautiful Game" from the show Ted Lasso.
Personal Life
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In early 2011, after getting music deals, Ed Sheeran bought and fixed up a farm near Framlingham, Suffolk. This is where he grew up. He said he hoped to raise a family there. This property, which he has added buildings to, is sometimes called "Sheeranville" by the media. In 2013, he lived between Hendersonville, Tennessee and Los Angeles, California. In 2014, he bought a house in South London.
In July 2015, Ed started a relationship with his childhood friend and former schoolmate, Cherry Seaborn. They announced their engagement in January 2018 and got married a year later. Cherry is the inspiration for his song "Perfect". On 1 September 2020, Ed announced that Cherry had given birth to their first daughter, Lyra Antarctica Seaborn Sheeran. On 19 May 2022, it was announced that their second daughter, Jupiter Seaborn Sheeran, was born.
Ed Sheeran supports his local football club, Ipswich Town. His +–=÷x Tour sponsored their team kit for the 2021–22 season. Ed was even named in the club's squad list with the number 17. His sponsorship deal with Ipswich Town was renewed for the 2022–23 season. In August 2024, Ed bought a small part of the club, about 1.4%. He collects Panini's FIFA World Cup sticker albums and completed the 2014 World Cup album. On a radio show in May 2017, Ed chose His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman as his favorite book. He also said he would take a lifetime supply of ketchup with him to a desert island.
Ed Sheeran is one of the wealthiest musicians. In 2019, his net worth was estimated at £160 million. In 2023, his net worth is estimated at £300 million.
On 24 October 2021, Ed tested positive for COVID-19 just before his fifth album was released.
Political Views
Ed Sheeran has publicly said he was against Brexit (the United Kingdom leaving the European Union). He supported staying in the EU. After the vote in June 2016, Ed was among a group of British musicians who signed a letter to the Prime Minister. They asked for a second vote on Brexit. The letter said that Brexit would "impact every aspect of the music industry". It mentioned touring, sales, and copyright. The letter also said that British music is very successful around the world.
In 2017, Ed publicly supported the Labour Party and its leader, Jeremy Corbyn. He added that he votes based on his feelings but would not tell others what to do.
In 2021, Ed, along with other celebrities, asked the United States Congress to pass the Equality Act. This act would protect LGBT people from discrimination. Ed stated that the Act is "essential to protect [...] the most marginalized communities."
In 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ed Sheeran showed support for Ukraine. He took part in the Concert for Ukraine in Birmingham, England.
Discography
- + (2011)
- × (2014)
- ÷ (2017)
- No.6 Collaborations Project (2019)
- = (2021)
- − (2023)
- Autumn Variations (2023)
Film and Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Shortland Street | Himself | ||
| 2015 | Undateable | Himself | ||
| Home and Away | Teddy | |||
| The Bastard Executioner | Sir Cormac | 5 episodes | ||
| Jumpers for Goalposts: Live at Wembley Stadium | Himself | Concert film | ||
| 2016 | Bridget Jones's Baby | Himself | ||
| Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping | Himself | Uncredited | ||
| 2017 | Game of Thrones | Lannister soldier | Episode: "Dragonstone" | |
| 2018 | The Simpsons | Brendan (voice) | Episode: "Haw-Haw Land" | |
| Songwriter | Himself | Documentary | ||
| 2019 | Yesterday | Himself | ||
| Modern Love | Mick | Episode: "Hers was a World of One" | ||
| Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | Alien | Uncredited cameo | ||
| 2021 | Red Notice | Himself | Cameo | |
| 2023 | The Sum of It All | Himself | Docuseries | |
| 2023 | Sumotherhood | Crack Ed |
Commercials
| Year | Product(s) | Brand(s) | Role | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | "Edchup" | Heinz | Himself |
Tours
Headlining Act
- + Tour (2011–13)
- × Tour (2014–15)
- ÷ Tour (2017–19)
- +–=÷× Tour (2022–25)
- - Tour (2023)
Opening Act
- Snow Patrol's Fallen Empires Tour (North American select dates) (2012)
- Taylor Swift's The Red Tour (all North American dates) (2013)
- The Rolling Stones' Zip Code Tour (Kansas City only)
Images for kids
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Sheeran often wears hoodies or tartan shirts, and frequently donates his clothes to charity shops in Suffolk.
