Ed Sheeran at the 2017 BRITs. (Getty)
While you probably know Ed Sheeran for his awards show appearances on stage accepting statues for his work in music, the performances he puts on at these ceremonies are some of his most memorable. Whether it’s just acoustic or a big-time pop performance with a full band, Sheeran has been blowing TV audiences away with his shows.
Before he releases his newest album, 2017’s Divide (÷), we’re taking a look at the top five awards show performances from his career. Relive Sheeran’s best moments right here.
1. 2015 MTV European Music Awards: ‘Lay it on Me,” with Rudimental
Sheeran was a co-host of the 2015 MTV European Music Awards with Australian actress and model, Ruby Rose, but that didn’t keep him from performing. His collaborative song with the UK dance band Rudimental, entitled “Lay it on Me,” came to life at the EMAs from the co-host and the band. This was clearly a different performance than his acoustic guitar and loop pedals that we’ve seen before. This time, he was just providing vocals and enjoying the freedom of the stage. We got to see how the seemingly shy singer can control a crowd.
“Lay it on Me” appears on Rudimental’s second record, We the Generation.
Meanwhile, Sheeran was not only a performer and a co-host this year. The singer took home two EMAs in 2015: Best Live Act and Best World Stage for the 2014 V Festival. He beat out acts like Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and the Foo Fighters in those categories.
2. 2015 Billboard Music Awards: ‘Bloodstream’
Ahead of the release of his now-critically acclaimed sophomore album, x, Sheeran took the stage at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards. He brought along his acoustic guitar, and kept the performance intimate while he sang “Bloodstream.”
Sheeran also used his loop pedals to build on the song’s layers while still keeping it a solo performance. These loops, mixed with the colorful imagery projected behind him, made for a memorable performance for the young, rising star.
This song was the fourth single off of x, preceded by “Afire Love,” “Don’t,” and “One.” The single released after “Bloodstream” was “Thinking Out Loud,” arguably Sheeran’s most successful song at that point of his career.
3. 2016 Grammy Awards: ‘Thinking Out Loud’
In 2016, Sheeran’s smash hit song, “Thinking Out Loud,” won the Song of the Year award at the Grammys. It also took home the Best Pop Solo Performance award. These were his first and only two Grammys of his career (so far).
Considering the song would go on to be named the best of the year at this ceremony, the live performance of it was one of Sheeran’s best. Joined by Questlove on drums, Herbie Hancock on keys and John Mayer on lead guitar, Sheeran gave a rousing performance of the tune that he co-wrote with Amy Wadge.
Watch this clip of Sheeran and Wadge excepting the Song of the Year award right here.
“Thinking Out Loud” was Sheeran’s highest charting single in North America for nearly three years. Then he released “Shape of You” in 2017.
4. 2017 Grammy Awards: ‘Shape of You’
Accompanied by a backing track, his loop pedals, and his guitar, Sheeran blew the 2017 Grammys audience away with his new single, “Shape of You.”
This was Sheeran’s return to the industry after taking a year-long break from fame. According to the Metro, it was a great return by the 25-year-old performer. Here are some great fan reactions via Twitter:
Me after watching @edsheeran #sogood #GRAMMYs
Ed Sheeran’s performance got me like
Watching Ed Sheeran performance on the Grammy’s like
5. 2017 BRITs: ‘Shape of You’ with Stormzy
Sheeran’s most recent awards show performance was at the 2017 Brit Awards. Leading up to the awards ceremony, Sheeran had “teased” that he had a special collaborative performance planned for the evening. Though some thought he’d bring out Little Mix or possibly even Harry Styles, Sheeran was joined by rapper Stormzy at the BRITs.
As you can see from the video below, they debuted the remix to Sheeran’s chart-topping single, “Shape of You.” This collaboration comes right after the two artists interviewed each other for NOISEY. Watch this interview right here:
Major Lazer made another remix of the song, with Nyla and Kranium.