ED SHEERAN TO RECEIVE HAL DAVID STARLIGHT AWARD
AT 2017 SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME GALA
Previously Announced Inductees Include: Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Berry Gordy, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Robert Lamm & James Pankow p/k/a “Chicago,” Max Martin, and Shawn “JAY Z” Carter
Pitbull will be the first-ever recipient of the Global Ambassador Award
New York, NY – March 21, 2017 – Ed Sheeran will be the recipient of the eminent Hal David Starlight Award, at the 48th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner slated for Thursday, June 15th at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. Additional special award honorees will be announced soon.
The Hal David Starlight Award, created in 2004, was named in honor of SHOF Chairman Emeritus Hal David, for his longtime support of young songwriters. Award recipients are gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry via their original songs. Ed joins the distinguished company of Nick Jonas, Nate Ruess, Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds, Taylor Swift, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Ne-Yo, Drake, Benny Blanco, Jason Mraz, John Mayer, Rob Thomas and John Rzeznik.
Commenting on the award to Sheeran, SHOF Co-Chairs Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff said, “Ed Sheeran has accomplished so much in pop music that it is hard to believe he is only 26. He is not an overnight sensation, however, having immersed himself in songwriting, recording and performing since his early teens. His natural talent as a singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer has brought him well-deserved success. SHOF President & CEO, Linda Moran added, “Ed is undoubtedly one of today’s most prolific and effective songwriters and is a most worthy and an ideal Hal David Starlight Award honoree.”
Multi-platinum, multiple GRAMMY Award winning singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has quickly established himself as one of the world’s biggest musical artists with over 26 million albums sold and 5 billion Spotify streams. His just released, third studio album “÷” (pronounced divide) has proven to be a global phenomenon of its own, selling over 4 million units worldwide in its first week. In the U.S., “÷” entered the Billboard 200 at #1, scoring the biggest debut of the year with first week sales equivalents exceeding 451,000 units and has already been certified Gold, while in Sheeran’s native U.K., the album sold a staggering 672,000 units, topping the Official Albums Chart with the third highest week one sales of any album in the chart’s history, and has been certified 2x-Platinum. The landmark album has also gone to #1 on iTunes in 102 countries around the world, and shattered the record for the highest first week Spotify streams ever, logging more than 375 million streams over the full week. The first two singles released from “÷” – “Shape Of You” and “Castle On The Hill” – entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #1 and #6 respectively, making Sheeran the first artist ever to have two singles make simultaneous top 10 debuts in the chart’s 58-year history. “Shape Of You” earned Sheeran his first #1 on the Hot 100, where it currently stands for the 8th week, and has already been certified 2x-Platinum by the RIAA.
“÷” follows the British singer-songwriter’s second full length album “x”(pronounced multiply), which was released in 2014 and proved to be both a critical and commercial success. After debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200, the album has since been certified 4x-Platinum in the US and earned two GRAMMY nominations, including “Album Of The Year.” Additionally, “x” spawned four consecutive multi-platinum singles in “Sing,” “Don’t,” “Photograph,” and his global smash and biggest single to date “Thinking Out Loud,” which has been been certified 7x-Platinum, marked his first #1 at Top 40 radio, and won a pair of GRAMMY awards, including “Song Of The Year.” “x” was also a global sensation, ranking as the second best-selling album worldwide in 2015. Ed first broke through to the mainstream in 2012 with his debut album “+” (pronounced plus), which was a top 5 debut and certified 2x-Platinum in the US, and spent three weeks at #1 in the UK where it has been certified 6x-Platinum. “+” is highlighted by “The A Team,” an international smash which earned Sheeran his first GRAMMY nomination (“Song Of The Year”) and has been certified 3x-Platinum in the US.
As one of the world’s most in-demand songwriters, Sheeran has penned hit songs for both himself and other top artists including Taylor Swift, One Direction, The Weeknd, Major Lazer, Tori Kelley, and Justin Bieber, who’s blockbuster single “Love Yourself” was the #1 song on Billboard’s 2016 year end Hot 100 chart and nominated for “Song of the Year” at this year’s GRAMMY Awards. The nod earned Sheeran his 11th GRAMMY nomination, and the third time in the prestigious, songwriting category. In 2015, Sheeran was named Songwriter of the Year at the Ivor Novello Awards, which celebrate, honor and reward excellence in British and Irish songwriting and composing. Sheeran’s “The A Team” had previously been recognized for Best Song Musically and Lyrically in 2012.
One of the planet’s most popular live performers, Ed has played sold out headline shows at some of the biggest venues around the world, including Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA, Suncorp Stadium in Sydney, and at London’s Wembley Stadium in front of 240,000 fans over 3 nights. Sheeran recently kicked off his world tour in support of “÷,” with the North American leg set to begin this summer.
Sheeran launched his own imprint, Gingerbread Man Records, in 2015, with the signing of fellow British singer songwriter Jamie Lawson – whose self-titled album debuted at #1 in the UK – and Irish troubadour Foy Vance.
2017 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees include musical titans Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Berry Gordy, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Robert Lamm & James Pankow p/k/a “Chicago,” Max Martin, and Shawn “JAY Z” Carter. Pitbull will be the first-ever recipient of the Global Ambassador Award.
About The Songwriters Hall of Fame:
The Songwriters Hall of Fame celebrates songwriters, educates the public with regard to their achievements, and produces a spectrum of professional programs devoted to the development of new songwriting talent through workshops, showcases and scholarships. To qualify for induction into the SHOF, a songwriter must be a published writer for a minimum of 20 years. Out of the tens of thousands of songwriters of our era, there are approximately 400 inductees who make up the impressive roster enshrined in the Hall of Fame. The list includes Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller, Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier & Brian Holland, Smokey Robinson, Albert Hammond, Desmond Child, Paul Williams, Hal David & Burt Bacharach, John Fogerty, Bob Dylan, Isaac Hayes & David Porter, Carole King, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi & Richie Sambora, Elton John & Bernie Taupin, Brian Wilson, James Taylor, Don Schlitz, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Loretta Lynn, Jimmy Webb, Van Morrison, Kris Kristofferson, Dolly Parton, Diane Warren, Paul Anka, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Bill Withers, Neil Diamond, Steven Tyler & Joe Perry, Leonard Cohen, Ray Davies, Donovan, Cyndi Lauper, Mick Jones & Lou Gramm, Chip Taylor, Elvis Costello, Marvin Gaye, Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards and Tom Petty among many others.
Full biographies and a complete list of inductees are available at the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Virtual Museum at http://songwritershalloffame.org/. Joining online is quick and easy: http://songhall.org/join
Ticket Information:
Tickets for the Songwriters Hall of Fame event begin at $1,250 each, and are available through Buckley Hall Events, 914-579-1000. Net proceeds from the event will go toward the Songwriters Hall of Fame programs. Songwriters Hall of Fame is a 501(c)3 organization. The non-deductible portion of each ticket is $170. Contributions, for which no goods or services are received in exchange, are fully tax-deductible as provided by law.
