Ed Sheeran has been named the UK's most played artist for the eighth time in 11 years, according to music licensing agency PPL. The 35-year-old singer-songwriter topped the chart ahead of Taylor Swift in second place and Dua Lipa in third.
PPL's data, which tracks plays across radio, television and public venues, shows that Sheeran's music is played an average of 574 times per day – equivalent to 24 plays every hour. The top ten also included Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Coldplay, Sir Elton John, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter and Lady Gaga.
Sheeran said: 'I am so grateful to be named most-played artist across TV, radio and venues across the UK for an incredible eighth time. A huge thanks to everyone who has played my music over the last year, and over the last 15 years.'
Meanwhile, Myles Smith's track 'Nice To Meet You' was named the most-played song of 2025 across all platforms. Smith said: 'Having the most-played song in the UK last year with “Nice To Meet You” and seeing “Stargazing” still in the top 10 – honestly it still doesn’t feel real.'
The most-played songs list also featured Lola Young's 'Messy' in second, Alex Warren's 'Ordinary' in third, and Sam Fender's 'People Watching' in fourth. Sheeran had two entries in the top ten: 'Sapphire' at eighth and 'Azizam' at ninth.
