Ed Sheeran Unveils Major 2013 Headline Tour; Itinerary Includes Shows at Such World Famous Venues as Radio City Music Hall, the Hollywood Palladium, and Nashville's Ryman Auditorium; British Phenom Traveling North America Now on Sold Out "VH1 You Oughta Know Tour"; "The A Team" Ascends at Multi Format Radio Nationwide Following Jam-Packed Summer Schedule of Live Shows, Festival Appearances, and TV Performances

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Sep 24, 2012) - Elektra recording artist Ed Sheeran has announced plans for his biggest U.S. headline tour to date. The 2013 trek gets underway January 17^th at Houston's House of Blues and then continues through mid-February (see itinerary below). Among the tour's highlights are shows at some of America's most renowned venues, including Sheeran's debut performance on the Great Stage of New York's world famous Radio City Music Hall, set for January 30^th.

For presale information regarding all newly announced dates, as well as regular news updates and other exclusive announcements, fans are advised to sign up to the official Ed Sheeran mailing list at www.edsheeran.com. Ed will also be offering a limited number of exclusive, venue-specific poster bundles during the presale period. For complete details and ticket information, please see http://edsheeran.com/live.htm.

Currently traveling North America on the "VH1 You Oughta Know Tour with Ed Sheeran," the British singer/songwriter is proving as much a phenomenon here as he is in his native England. Every show on the trek -- Sheeran's first-ever North American headline tour -- has sold out, with many upgraded to larger venues in order to accommodate an increasingly fervent fanbase. The "VH1 You Oughta Know Tour with Ed Sheeran" continues through mid-October.

The current tour comes hot on the heels of Sheeran's epic summer schedule, a non-stop series of live shows and events that included countless main stage festival appearances around the globe as well as a memorable performance of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" (alongside Pink Floyd's Nick Mason, Genesis' Mike Rutherford, and Richard Jones of The Feeling) at the London 2012 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony. As if that weren't enough, Sheeran also found time to collaborate with Taylor Swift, co-writing and recording a new duet for her eagerly awaited new album.

Sheeran's jet-fueled schedule follows the stunning chart success of his acclaimed debut album, "+." Powered by the hit single, "The A Team," the album entered the SoundScan/Billboard 200 at #5 upon its U.S. release earlier this year -- the highest debut for a British solo artist's first full-length album since 2009.

"The A Team" is currently blowing up at multi format radio outlets across America, ascending into the top 30 at CHR/Top 40 while scoring top 10 airplay at Triple A, top 15 airplay at Hot AC, and heavy rotation at SiriusXM. In addition, the single has received strong support from Clear Channel's exclusive Artist Integration Program, the company's groundbreaking artist development platform across CHR and Hot AC formats.

"The A Team" is equally popular at MTV and VH1, where the companion clip is now in large rotation. Having recently hit #1 on VH1's Top 20 Countdown, "The A Team" is also an online blockbuster, earning over 43 million individual views at Sheeran's official YouTube channel, www.YouTube.com/EdSheeran.

Sheeran will celebrate the single's enduring popularity with an October 4^th performance on the nationally syndicated Ellen DeGeneres Show. The appearance follows prior appearances on NBC's TODAY, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and Last Call with Carson Daly, TBS' Conan, VH1's Big Morning Buzz Live, and mtvU's 2012 Woodie Awards extravaganza.

"+" has also earned Sheeran widespread critical acclaim, including rave reviews in such national publications as Entertainment Weekly and People, which awarded the album 3-and-a-half (out of 4) stars, noting that Sheeran's "folkified tunes (evoke) James Blunt and Damien Rice" while also "(boasting) a bit o' B-boy swagger."

Furthermore, many of Sheeran's musical peers have taken to Twitter to declare their own love for the album. Taylor Swift recently declared "+" to be her "favorite album right now," while One Direction's Louis Tomlinson went even further, pronouncing "+" his "favorite album of the last 12 months."

In addition to countless headline shows and festival appearances, Sheeran was among the superstars performing at this year's Royal Diamond Jubilee Concert, where he celebrated the 60^th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's reign by sharing the stage with such rock royalty as Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John, and Sir Tom Jones.

Masterfully blending soulful vocals with organic folk introspection and irresistible hip-hop hooks, Sheeran is a genuine phenomenon. Inspired by such diverse artists as James Morrison, Damien Rice, and Jay-Z, the gifted tunesmith, his major label debut single, "The A Team," arrived in June 2011 and instantly proved an unqualified sensation, entering among the top 3 on the U.K. Singles Chart. The track spent 11 consecutive weeks in the U.K. Top 10, making history as 2011's highest charting, biggest selling debut single.

Sheeran's full-length debut, "+," soon followed, featuring a host of truly special songs, from the heart-wrenching "Small Bump" to the hushed "Give Me Love." The album exploded onto the U.K. Albums Chart at #1 with the highest opening sales figures for a debut male solo artist ever and is now certified 4x platinum.

In addition to their popular success, Sheeran and "+" received extensive acclaim, including the prestigious "Breakthrough Artist" trophy at the Q Awards 2011. Even greater accolades came in early 2012 as Sheeran emerged victorious with a pair of top 2011 Brit Awards -- including "Best Male Artist" and "Best Breakthrough Artist" -- after having led the field with a remarkable four total nods. Furthermore, "The A Team" received the high honor of a 2012 Ivor Novello Award nomination in the "Best Song Musically and Lyrically" category.

Released in December 2011, Sheeran's U.S. debut EP, "THE A TEAM," features four extraordinary tracks previously unavailable stateside, including, of course, "The A Team." A special iTunes version of the EP -- available exclusively on the iTunes Store -- is augmented by an additional track, "Grade 8 (Live At The iTunes Festival London)."

As energetic and engaging on stage as he is on record, Sheeran spent much of last year doing what he does best -- playing sold out shows all over the U.K., including acclaimed festival appearances at such annual extravaganzas as Glastonbury, Lovebox, Bestival, Latitude, and Reading & Leeds Festivals. After kicking off the new year with a handful of sold-out shows in NYC and LA, Sheeran was a standout performer at this year's South by Southwest® Music & Media Conference (SXSW®) in Austin, Texas. Sheeran recently concluded his debut North American tour, serving as special guest alongside Snow Patrol. A further series of U.K. and European festivals are scheduled for the summer, as is a fully sold out tour of Australia and New Zealand. Sheeran's biggest U.K. tour thus far will follow in the fall, featuring sold out multiple night stands in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Doncaster, Newcastle, and Glasgow.

As if all that weren't enough, Sheeran kickstarted 2012 with "THE SLUMDON BRIDGE EP," a four-song collaboration with Shady Records/Get-O-Vision Entertainment/Interscope Records recording artist Yelawolf. Initially released as a free Valentine's Day download, the acclaimed EP is available now via all digital retailers.

For up-to-the-minute news and information, please see www.edsheeran.com, www.twitter.com/EdSheeran, www.facebook.com/EdSheeranMusic and www.elektrarecords.com.

(TOUR ITINERARY BELOW)

ED SHEERAN
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2012/2013

9/19-10/6 w/The "VH1 YOU OUGHTA KNOW TOUR WITH ED SHEERAN" Except *