Who is Ellie Goulding
Ellie Goulding is the professional name of Elena Jane Goulding, born on 30 December 1986 in Hereford, England. A singer and songwriter, she combines voice, guitar and electronic production. Her catalogue spans pop, dance music and acoustically oriented songs, through solo projects and collaborations with performers and producers. [4]
Education and early career
She studied Drama and Theatre Studies at the University of Kent, leaving after her second year to pursue music. In July 2019 she returned to receive an honorary Doctor of Arts degree. This recognised her career and was distinct from completing the undergraduate programme she had left. [5]
From Lights to Delirium
Lights was her 2010 debut album. It entered the UK albums chart at number one in March, according to Official Charts. That established the beginning of her recorded career in the domestic market before the international development of subsequent songs and tours. [6]
Starry Eyed was among the songs from that early period. In 2010 she also released her version of Elton John’s Your Song, used in John Lewis’s Christmas campaign. Combining original songs with reinterpretations broadened the repertoire through which British audiences came to know her. [7]
Her second album, Halcyon, appeared in October 2012 with Anything Could Happen and Hanging On. That period continued with the expanded Halcyon Days edition and Burn. The original album and its expanded edition are distinct releases within the same creative cycle. [8, 24]
Delirium was released in November 2015 as her third studio album, during the period of On My Mind and Love Me Like You Do. Her catalogue moved beyond its debut and follow-up towards larger-scale pop production while continuing collaborations with songwriters and producers. [10]
Brightest Blue, Higher Than Heaven and a new chapter
Brightest Blue arrived on 17 July 2020 in two parts. Goulding and Joe Kearns executive-produced the first, while EG.0 brought together collaborations with artists including Lauv, Swae Lee and Juice WRLD. The division presented a more introspective strand alongside collaborative pop tracks. [11]
Higher Than Heaven, released on 7 April 2023, was her fifth album. It includes By the End of the Night, Easy Lover, Let It Die and Like a Saviour, with contributions from Greg Kurstin, Jessie Shatkin, Koz and Andrew Wells to its pop and dance-oriented production. [12]
That month she simultaneously topped the UK album and singles charts: Higher Than Heaven led the former and Miracle, with Calvin Harris, the latter. Official Charts recorded it as her first chart double. [13]
On 4 September 2026 she released her sixth album, I Know Too Much, through Polydor. It includes For Your Entertainment, Black Prada Dress, Always Think of You and Ravers. Introducing it, Goulding described an exploration of love, power, trust and instinct through different musical textures. [14]
Collaborations, film and music awards
Love Me Like You Do featured on the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack in 2015 and later on Delirium. It earned a 2016 Grammy nomination for solo pop performance. Miracle, with Calvin Harris, received a 2024 pop dance recording nomination; both were nominations rather than wins. [1]
The BRIT Awards recognised her with Critics’ Choice in 2010 and British Female Solo Artist in 2014. At the 2014 ceremony she performed Burn and I Need Your Love, the latter associated with Calvin Harris. The awards mark two stages: her emergence and subsequent establishment. [9]
Our Planet and environmental communication
In 2019 she worked with composer Steven Price on In This Together for the David Attenborough-narrated documentary series Our Planet, providing the vocals. That year she also released Hate Me with Juice WRLD, representing two different forms of collaboration: documentary music and a shared single. [15]
Campaigns with the United Nations and WWF
UN Environment announced her appointment as a global goodwill ambassador in Nairobi on 2 December 2017. The collaboration focused on communicating about pollution, climate and species protection, with attention to youth activism. Her institutional profile lists the ambassadorial period as 2018–2024. [16, 2]
WWF-UK announced her appointment as an ambassador in March 2022 alongside Earth Hour. She encouraged the public to support climate and nature protection and use the organisation’s tools. This work involves communication and support for conservation campaigns. [17]
Supporting people experiencing homelessness
Her support for Crisis began in 2015 and became a formal ambassadorial role in 2020. She participated in Christmas fundraising and public conversations with the charity’s staff and people who had experienced homelessness, connecting her communication work with a specialist organisation’s services and campaigns. [18]
Crisis also documented her volunteering in December 2022 at a London hotel accommodating people experiencing homelessness. She spoke with guests and volunteers, prepared drinks and helped sort and distribute clothing, adding practical participation to public campaigning. [19]
She is patron of the Marylebone Project, a Church Army initiative providing accommodation and support to women experiencing homelessness in London. Her role supports and raises the profile of the project, while the organisation and its professionals deliver its services. [20]
In October 2021 she participated in the reopening of the refurbished Sanctuary day centre, unveiling its plaque with Hannah Bernard. The expanded service offers round-the-clock support to vulnerable women. Goulding’s contribution was public support for that development of the organisation’s services. [21]
Book and public recognition
In 2021 she published Fitter. Calmer. Stronger., drawing on her experiences of exercise, habits and self-care. The book extends her writing beyond song lyrics and presents a personal perspective on wellbeing and training. [22]
The 2026 UK New Year Honours appointed her a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to biodiversity and climate. The University of Kent reported the distinction among honours received by its alumni, separately from her musical awards. [23]
