Ed Sheeran Wins VMAs

ED SHEERAN IS TRIUMPHANT AT
THE 2014 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS;

ACCLAIMED SINGER/SONGWRITER TAKES HOME AWARD FOR
‘BEST MALE VIDEO’ FOR THE COMPANION VIDEO FOR HIS PLATINUM SINGLE “SING”;

3X-GRAMMY® NOMINEE CELEBRATES NEW SINGLE “DON’T” WITH UPCOMING APPEARANCE ON JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! THIS THURSDAY;

“DON’T EP,” WHICH INCLUDES THE RICK ROSS-FEATURED REMIX TO “DON’T,” ALONG WITH 3 BRAND NEW SONGS, IS AVAILABLE AT ALL DSPS TODAY;

NORTH AMERICAN HEADLINING ARENA TOUR CURRENTLY UNDERWAY AFTER KICKING OFF WITH SOLD OUT SHOW AT SEATTLE’S WAMU THEATER;

Atlantic recording artist & 3X-GRAMMY nominee, Ed Sheeran is celebrating last night’s victory at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. The 23-year old acclaimed singer/songwriter took home the award for “Best Male Video” for the companion video for “Sing,” the Pharrell Williams-produced lead single from his record breaking sophomore album, “x.” The video – directed by Emil Nava – has amassed over 39 million views at Ed’s official YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlYcUqEPN58. As if all that weren’t enough, “Sing” has recently become Platinum-certified by the RIAA.

“Don’t,” the next single from “x,” is currently impacting multi-format radio outlets nationwide. In addition to a sit down interview, Sheeran will perform “Don’t,” on Jimmy Kimmel Live! set to air this Thursday, August 28th (check local listings.) First unveiled as part of Sheeran’s memorable appearance on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, the track’s companion video has already become an instant fan favorite. Featuring epic choreography from Phillip Chbeeb, the Emil Nava-directed video was released earlier this month and has nearly 5 million views; watch here: http://youtu.be/iD2rhdFRehU. The song – produced by Rick Rubin and Benny Blanco – is also featured in the ad campaign for Beats by Dre’s “Beats Solo 2” headphones. The recently-released commercial has drawn more than 6 million individual views at the official Beats by Dre YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wZKyrq4jBM. “Don’t” follows the remarkable success of lead single “Sing” which arrived earlier this spring and instantly rocketed into the top 5 at Hot AC radio outlets nationwide while also ascending the top 10 at CHR/Pop and the top 15 on the overall Billboard “Hot 100.”
Fast becoming one of the planet’s most popular live performers, Sheeran recently kicked off his first-ever North American headlining arena tour, with a sold out show on August 21st at Seattle’s WaMu Theater. Big Beat/Atlantic labelmates Rudimental will be supporting on all dates (see attached itinerary). Sheeran was recently unveiled as the first announced performer of a stellar line up performing at the 4th annual iHeartRadio Music Festival & Village, returning to Las Vegas’ MGM Grand on September 19th and 20th. For up-to-the-minute ticket information and tour updates, please visit www.edsheeran.com.
To celebrate the rapid rise of “Don’t” on the charts, Sheeran has released the “Don’t EP,” a 4-song collection available at all DSPs today. The “Don’t EP” includes the Rick Ross-featured remix to “Don’t,” along with two brand new songs; “Friends” and “Everything You Are” and a live version of “Be My Husband” recorded during his recent critically-acclaimed performance at this year’s Glastonbury Festival. Purchase the “Don’t EP” here: http://smarturl.it/dontEP.
The follow-up to Sheeran’s breakthrough debut album “+,” “x” finds the British singer-songwriter collaborating with a stellar list of producers, including multiple GRAMMY Award®-winners Rick Rubin and Jeff Bhasker, multiple GRAMMY Award®-nominee Benny Blanco, Snow Patrol’s Johnny McDaid, and BRIT-Award nominee and “+” collaborator Jake Gosling. The album has earned Sheeran a remarkable amount of rapturous press attention, including cover stories in Billboard and Parade, as well as major feature profiles in Entertainment Weekly, Time, and the cover of the New York Times’ Sunday Arts & Leisure section. The summer issue of VIBE sees him starring on the cover alongside rising R&B crooners August Alsina and Mack Wilds.
Moreover, “x” debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart in the US, as well as topping the charts in over 14 countries including the UK, where the album has remained at #1 for an astonishing 8 consecutive weeks and has since become the country’s biggest selling album of the year. “x” has also drawn critical applause from all corners, with USA Today hailing it in a four-and-a-half-starred rave as “the rare album that satisfies expectations while simultaneously raising them… As good as Sheeran was before, he’s even better now.” “Mr. Sheeran is a gifted singer with a tender tone and a naturalistic way with storytelling,” declared the New York Times, adding, “Though he may well be the most prominent folk-minded singer in contemporary pop, he’s an open-eared experimenter at core, and saddled with none of the modesty, false or otherwise, that typically go with the folkie role.” “(Sheeran) is a polyglot,” noted Time, “raised on folk, R&B, hip-hop and rock in equal measure and comfortable incorporating each of those genres into his compositions.”

* * * * *

Blending soulful vocals with organic folk introspection and irresistible hip-hop hooks, Ed Sheeran is a genuine global phenomenon. The 23-year-old British singer/songwriter’s masterful debut album, “+,” entered the UK Albums Chart at #1 with the highest opening sales figures for a debut male solo artist ever and is now certified 6x-platinum. Fueled by international hit singles like “The A Team” and “Lego House,” “+” has enjoyed multi-platinum, platinum, and gold sales in nine countries around the world.
Here in the US, “The A Team” proved a blockbuster, earning 2x-platinum certification from the RIAA as well as a GRAMMY® Award nomination as “Song Of The Year.” Sheeran also made a record-breaking chart debut with the stateside release of “+,” which entered the SoundScan/Billboard 200 at #5, becoming the highest debut for a U.K. solo artist’s first full-length album, since 2009. Along with his three GRAMMY® nods – including the prestigious “Best New Artist” – Sheeran has accrued an array of distinguished international honors, spanning two BRIT Awards (“Best Male Artist,” “Best Breakthrough Artist”) and the 2012 Ivor Novello Award for “Best Song Musically and Lyrically.”
Long acclaimed as a captivating and creative live performer, Sheeran spent much of the past two years traversing North America on back-to-back sold-out headline tours, the latter of which including a stop at the renowned Radio City Music Hall that sold out in a matter of minutes. Following a main support role on Taylor Swift’s massively successful “RED Tour,” Sheeran returned to New York City for a trio of sold-out headline shows at the legendary Madison Square Garden to close out his incredible 2013.
Sheeran’s honest songwriting and incredible live show has also connected with millions through the small screen with countless high profile television appearances including the 55th Annual GRAMMY® Awards (performing “The A Team” accompanied by Sir Elton John), the closing ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, NBC’s The Voice (as one of Team Christina’s mentors) and Today (where he pulled in one of last summer’s largest audiences into NYC’s Rockefeller Plaza for the show’s annual outdoor concert series), and as the youngest performer among the star-studded lineup on CBS’ special “The Beatles: The Night That Changed America – A GRAMMY® Salute.”
For additional news and information, please see www.edsheeran.com, www.twitter.com/EdSheeran (@EdSheeran), www.facebook.com/EdSheeranMusic and www.atlanticrecords.com. For press materials, please see http://press.atlanticrecords.com/ed-sheeran.

(TOUR ITINERARY ATTACHED)

ED SHEERAN
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2014
(Supported by Rudimental)

AUGUST
26 San Jose, CA SAP Center
27 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center
29 Las Vegas, NV The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan
30 Las Vegas, NV The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan
31 Glendale, AZ Jobing.com Arena

SEPTEMBER
2 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
4 Cleveland, OH Wolstein Center
6 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion
8 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
9 Boston, MA Xfinity Center
11 Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Arena
12 Atlanta, GA The Arena at Gwinnett Center
13 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
15 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
16 Chicago, IL Allstate Arena
17 Auburn Hill, MI The Palace of Auburn Hills
18 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre