Ed Sheeran storms UK best-selling charts, honoured at BMI Awards

Ed Sheeran remains the biggest seller in the UK on both the album and singles charts so far in 2017.

Figures by the Official Charts Company show that Sheeran’s ÷ (Divide) album is outselling the runner-up,Human byRag’n’Bone Manthree-to-one.

Spending more than 30 consecutive weeks in the Top 3, ÷is the fastest-selling album by a male of all time in the UK, and pulled out more Top 10 singles than any other studio album in history

It’s notched up 2.2 million sales in the songwriter’s home territory, made up of 1.7 million physical and download sales and 511,000 streaming equivalent units.

In the meantime, his 2014 record X (Multiply)is also 2017’s third-biggest seller. It’s sold a total 3.1 million, and moving 280,000 combined units this year alone.

Fourth-biggest seller was Drake’s More Life (271,000) while Little Mix’s Glory Days (271,000) rounded off the fifth spot.

In the songs charts, ‘Shape of You’ is the top seller of the year, with combined sales of 2.95 million across all formats.

Obviously it’s going to cross the 3 million mark soon. Only Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ and Elton John’s ‘Candle In The Wind ’97’ have previously achieved the milestone in the UK.

‘Shape Of You’ is also the most streamed track of all time in the UK (220 million plays) – making up three quarters of its sales – and 761,000 from digital downloads.

Sheeran’s ‘Castle On The Hill’ is third-biggest song (1.7 million equivalent) and ‘Galway Girl’ is fourth with 1.2 million.

Luis Fonsiand Daddy Yankee’s‘Despacito (Remix)’ featuringJustin Bieberwas second biggest song of the year (2 million).

French rapper French Montana was at fifth place ‘Unforgettable’ ft. Swae Lee (1.11 million), followed by Clean Bandit’s ‘Symphony’ ft. Zara Larsson (1.12 million).

British acts dominate the Top 40 singles of 2017 so far, with 20 songs by British-born acts – 22 if you include Coldplay’s collaboration on ‘Something Just Like This’ with The Chainsmokers, and Dua Lipa’s ‘Scared To Be Lonely’ with Martin Garrix.

In the meantime, Sheeran was also honoured at the BMI London Awards, recognising the most performed songs in 2016 on American radio and television from UK and European songwriters, producers and publishers represented by the US collecting society.

He won Song of The Year for ’Love Yourself’, performed by Justin Bieber.

Sheeran sent a message from the United States where he was touring, “I wrote this song in the back of a tour bus and the original [demo] has a whirring in the background.

“So to have it played all around the world and have Justin singing it so well is amazing.”

Sheeran also took Dance Song Of The Year for ‘Cold Water’, which he co-wrote with Jamie Scott and MØ, and which was recorded by Major Lazer, Justin Bieber and MØ.

Other winners included were Foals, Bipolar Sunshine aka Adio Marchant, David Bowie and Sam Smith.

Kyla, Corey Johnson and DJ Paleface had their moment in the spotlight for ‘Do You Mind’ which was sampled on Drake’s ‘One Dance’.

Norwegian songwriting duo Espionage also got a nod for 1 million plays for their song ‘Irreplaceable’, performed by Beyoncé.