Edward Christopher "
Ed"
Sheeran (born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He was born in
Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire and raised in
Framlingham, Suffolk. After dropping out of school at 16, he moved to
London the following year, in 2008, to pursue a career in music. In early 2011, Sheeran independently released the extended play,
No. 5 Collaborations Project, which caught the attention of
Elton John and
Jamie Foxx. After signing with
Asylum Records, his debut album,
+ (read as "plus"), was released on 9 September 2011 and has since been certified six-times platinum in the UK. The album contains the single "
The A Team", which earned him the
Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. In 2012, Sheeran won the
Brit Awards for Best British Male Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act.