Ed Sheeran Wins First-Ever Emmy for ‘Ted Lasso’ Song ‘A Beautiful Game’

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The acclaimed Grammy-award-winning singer takes a step closer to the prestigious EGOT status.

Did Ed Sheeran just figure out the ‘mathematical equation’ for winning big at major awards? Adding to his ever-growing collection of trophies, the multi-awarded singer-songwriter snagged the award for Best Original Music and Lyrics in a Television Show at the 2023 Creative Arts Emmys.

Despite the delay prompted by last year’s writers and actors strike, the Creative Arts Emmys proceeded this year to recognize excellence in American prime-time television, serving as a precursor to the main Emmy ceremony. The track, A Beautiful Game, co-written by Ed Sheeran in collaboration with prolific songwriter-producer Max Martin and Foy Vance for the Ted Lasso series, earned such a distinction—marking the first-ever Emmy win for the British singer-songwriter.

Ed Sheeran was Both Surprised and Honored to Receive His First Emmy

Readying for the Asia leg of his world tour, the Perfect and Shape of You singer was not able to attend the Creative Arts Emmy Awards held on January 6. Nonetheless, he took to social media to deliver his acceptance speech of some sort—including his surprise at winning in the said category for the popular Apple TV+ series.

“We won the Emmy last night. I was not expecting to win at all, it was a real real surprise waking up to the news, I wish I had been there but I’m just about to kick off the Asia tour so had to be elsewhere sadly. He continued with: “I wrote a song for Ted Lasso with Max Martin and Foy Vance called ‘A Beautiful Game’. We were all fans of the show and got asked to do a song for the finale, so 2 years ago this month we got in together and wrote a song about love and football, and how it is always about the journey rather than the destination. I recorded a crowd at one of my stadium shows for it singing the final chant to keep it in footie wibes.”

Ed Sheeran’s A Beautiful Game reigned over other artists’ songs, like “Weird Al” Yankovic’s Now You Know, Lily Hadyn and Ben Bromfield’s Marriage is a Dungeon, Heather McIntosh and Taura Stinson’s All About Me, Jamie Hartman and Sam Ryder’s Fought & Lost, and Thomas Mizer’s Your Personal Trash Can. “It was up against some fantastic artists and songs in its Emmy category for Best Original Music and Lyrics, hence not thinking we had a chance in hell of winning, but thank you so much for whoever voted for it, and Max, Foy, and all the Lasso crew. I really am honoured.”

Having previously won four Grammys—with a potential fifth in this year’s awards—Ed Sheeran is now halfway to the EGOT (an acronym for the four major performing arts awards in North America: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony).

A Beautiful Game was released in May—a day before the finale of Ted Lasso was set to air. Will the song be part of Ed Sheeran’s setlist for his upcoming concert tour in Singapore? Your guess is as good as ours. Make sure to secure your ticket and get ready to get up close and personal with Ed Sheeran on February 17 at the Capitol Theatre. See you!

^{Cover image credit: Ed Sheeran}