The year he turned 14, he self-released his first EP, The Orange Room. The year he turned 17, he was playing about two gigs a week in London and was asked to play a gig with Nizlopi. The year he turned 18, he started a music diploma in Guildford and left it as his career took off. The year he turned 19, he flew to Los Angeles in April on the strength of a single contact.
The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 20, he signed with Atlantic Records, and his debut single “The A Team” entered the UK chart at No. 3, selling 57,607 copies in its first week.
The year he turned 21, he won two Brit Awards, and “The A Team” won the Ivor Novello Award for best song musically and lyrically. The year he turned 22, he was preparing to tour with Taylor Swift while working toward a second album.
The year he turned 23, “Sing” gave him his first UK No. 1 single, and “Thinking Out Loud” reached No. 1 in November. The year he turned 24, he won Songwriter of the Year at the Ivor Novello Awards.
The year he turned 26, “Shape of You” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, ÷ became the fastest-selling album by a male artist in the UK, and “Perfect” was the Christmas No. 1. The year he turned 27, he won Top Artist at the Billboard Music Awards.
The year he turned 28, the Divide tour passed U2’s attendance record, and the Official Charts Company named him the UK’s artist of the decade. The year he turned 29, he announced the birth of his first child. The year he turned 30, “Bad Habits” debuted at No. 1 in the UK and the album = reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
The year he turned 31, a second child was born. The year he turned 32, a jury found he did not copy key parts of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”, and he released two albums, - and Autumn Variations.
The year he turned 33, he announced a six-city tour of India for 2025. The year he turned 34, he released the single “Azizam” and the album Play. The year he turned 35, he was reported to be signing with Interscope Records.
Ed Sheeran self-released his first record in 2005, the year he turned 14, and became known on Jun 19, 2011, the year he turned 20, when his debut single “The A Team” entered the UK chart at No. 3. His first UK No. 1 single, “Sing”, came in 2014, the year he turned 23.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
The Guardian says he self-released his debut album 20 years before Play in 2025. Wikipedia’s discography lists the EP The Orange Room, from 2005, as his first self-released work.
Source 01 · The Guardian · Play review · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Wikipedia · Ed Sheeran discography · opens in a new tab Year from the Guardian’s “20 years” count; the title and year are from Wikipedia; not confirmed in news reports.BBC Suffolk’s April 2008 profile described a teenager with two recorded albums who played about two gigs a week in London. Nizlopi had a No. 1 with The JCB Song in 2005.
Source 03 · BBC Suffolk · Introducing Ed Sheeran · opens in a new tab Day not given in the article.Started a diploma at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford, Surrey, and gave it up as his music career took off.
Source 04 · BBC News · Ipswich exhibition features college drop-out letter · opens in a new tabFlew to Los Angeles on the strength of a single contact.
Source 05 · British GQ · How Ed Sheeran became the biggest male popstar on the planet · opens in a new tabSigned a six-album deal with Atlantic Records after five self-funded releases.
Source 07 · BBC News · The A Team at number three · opens in a new tab BBC News says the deal was signed at the start of 2011; the day is not given.The self-funded EP stood at No. 2 on the iTunes album chart, behind only Rihanna’s Loud at the time of writing.
Source 06 · BBC Suffolk · Ed Sheeran battles Rihanna for top spot in album chart · opens in a new tabThe debut single sold 57,607 copies in its first week. It first appeared on the self-funded Loose Change EP in 2010.
Won British male solo artist and British breakthrough act. “The A Team” was also nominated for British single.
Source 10 · BBC News · Brit Awards 2012: List of winners · opens in a new tab“The A Team” won best song musically and lyrically. He said he was shocked to win because he was convinced Adele would.
Source 11 · BBC News · Adele wins Ivor Novello Awards double · opens in a new tabSource 09 · The Independent · Ed Sheeran: Boy next door who made it very big · opens in a new tabBillboard reported he was preparing to tour with Taylor Swift and working toward a second album. His debut album had earned a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year for “The A Team”.
Source 12 · Billboard · Ed Sheeran to Record New Album on Taylor Swift Tour · opens in a new tabSource 09 · The Independent · Ed Sheeran: Boy next door who made it very big · opens in a new tab The Independent says he spent half of 2013 on her US tour.The Official Charts Company said it was his first No. 1 single as a lead artist, after 12 Top 40 hits. It sold nearly 124,000 copies in seven days.
Source 13 · Official Charts · Ed Sheeran scores first ever Number 1 single with Sing · opens in a new tabHis second studio album. The Independent reported in December 2014 that it had passed a million sales and earned a Grammy nomination.
Source 14 · Official Charts · Thinking Out Loud claims longest climb to Number 1 · opens in a new tabSource 15 · BBC Newsbeat · Ed Sheeran to play biggest solo show to date at Wembley · opens in a new tabSource 09 · The Independent · Ed Sheeran: Boy next door who made it very big · opens in a new tabSource 02 · Wikipedia · Ed Sheeran discography · opens in a new tab The news sources say June; the day is from Wikipedia; not confirmed in news reports.It spent 19 weeks in the Top 40 before reaching No. 1, the longest climb in Official Chart history. The previous record was 13 weeks, for Celine Dion’s “Think Twice” in 1994.
Source 14 · Official Charts · Thinking Out Loud claims longest climb to Number 1 · opens in a new tabAnnounced a show for July 10, 2015, his biggest solo concert to date, as part of the Multiply world tour.
Source 15 · BBC Newsbeat · Ed Sheeran to play biggest solo show to date at Wembley · opens in a new tabWon Songwriter of the Year at the awards in London.
Source 16 · The Independent · Ivor Novello Awards 2015 winners list · opens in a new tabHis first Hot 100 No. 1 as a performer. “Castle on the Hill” entered at No. 6 the same week, making him the first act to debut in the top 10 with two songs at once, Billboard said.
Source 17 · Billboard · Debuts Atop Hot 100 With “Shape of You” · opens in a new tabThe album sold 672,000 copies in its opening week, the highest first-week sales for a male artist in Official Chart history.
Source 18 · Official Charts · ÷ is the fastest-selling album by a male artist ever · opens in a new tabPrince Charles presented the award for services to music and charity.
Source 19 · BBC News · Ed Sheeran picks up MBE at Buckingham Palace · opens in a new tabHis first Christmas No. 1. He released six versions of the single, including duets with Beyoncé and Andrea Bocelli.
Source 20 · The Guardian · Ed Sheeran scores first Christmas No 1 with Perfect · opens in a new tabWon Top Artist, Top Male Artist and Top Hot 100 Artist.
Source 21 · Billboard · 2018 Billboard Music Awards winners list · opens in a new tabHis third No. 1 album on the chart. It features Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars and Eminem.
Source 22 · Billboard · “No. 6 Collaborations Project” debuts at No. 1 · opens in a new tabSource 23 · BBC News · Ed Sheeran breaks U2’s tour record · opens in a new tabBBC News reported that the tour, which began in March 2017, would become the most attended and highest-grossing of all time. It passed U2’s attendance record of 7.3 million with a show in France in May.
Source 23 · BBC News · Ed Sheeran breaks U2’s tour record · opens in a new tabThe Official Charts Company named him after a combined run of 12 number one singles and albums in the 2010s. “Shape of You” was the UK’s biggest single of the decade.
Source 24 · BBC News · Ed Sheeran named artist of the decade · opens in a new tabAnnounced on Instagram that he and his wife had welcomed their first child.
Source 25 · Arab News · Ed Sheeran welcomes first child · opens in a new tabIt earned 92,000 chart sales in its first week, including 8.7 million streams, and gave him his 10th UK No. 1 single.
Source 26 · Official Charts · Bad Habits scores 10th UK Number 1 single · opens in a new tabHis fourth No. 1 album on the chart.
Source 27 · Billboard · Fourth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with = · opens in a new tabBBC News later reported the birth of a second daughter in May 2022.
Source 28 · BBC News · Ed Sheeran announces new album Subtract · opens in a new tab Day not given in the article.A jury in New York found that he did not copy key parts of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” when writing “Thinking Out Loud”.
Source 29 · CBS News · Jury finds Sheeran didn’t steal key parts of “Let’s Get It On” · opens in a new tabHis sixth studio album, produced with Aaron Dessner of the National. He said he had spiraled through fear, depression and anxiety.
Source 30 · The Guardian · New Ed Sheeran album, Subtract · opens in a new tabSource 31 · Variety · Autumn Variations announced · opens in a new tabHis second album of 2023, also produced by Aaron Dessner.
Source 31 · Variety · Autumn Variations announced · opens in a new tabThe tour was set to begin in Pune on Jan. 30, 2025. He had played a sold-out show in Mumbai in March 2024.
Source 32 · CNBC-TV18 · Ed Sheeran announces tour of 6 Indian cities in 2025 · opens in a new tabBBC News described it as a return to pop after two introspective albums, with Middle Eastern influences inspired by producer Illya Salmanzadeh’s Persian heritage.
Source 33 · BBC News · Ed Sheeran launches new era with Persian-influenced song, Azizam · opens in a new tabThe Guardian called it his eighth album and noted that he self-released his debut album 20 years earlier.
Source 01 · The Guardian · Play review · opens in a new tabThe Hollywood Reporter reported that he was set to sign with Interscope after his deal with Warner Music Group ended earlier in 2026. He had released eight albums over 15 years with Warner.
Source 34 · The Hollywood Reporter · Ed Sheeran to Sign With Interscope Records · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2005–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
What did they do, and at what age?
AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
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Music · United Kingdom
Feb 17, 1991 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1991: the year of the event minus 1991, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.30 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.