Edward Christopher Sheeran (born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently released the extended play No.5 Collaborations Project. He signed with Asylum Records the same year.

Sheeran's debut album, + ("Plus") (2011), topped the UK Albums Chart and featured his breakout hit, "The A Team". His second studio album, × ("Multiply") (2014), became the second-best-selling album worldwide of 2015 and won the Brit Award for British Album of the Year. Its third single, "Thinking Out Loud", won two Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year. That same year, he established his own record label, Gingerbread Man Records.