WHAT SHE DOES: British recording artist and songwriter.
BORN:10 March 1987
FAMILY: Emeli Sandé was born in Sunderland to a Zambian father and English mother and raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
AMBITION: At the age of 11, when Sandé was still in primary school, she wrote her first song for a school talent show.
TALENT: The first song she wrote was called "Tomorrow Starts Again". At the age of 15, top London radio station, Choice FM invited her to take part in a competition they were holding, the "Rapology". She was al invited to sing gospel on MTV.
FIRSTS STEPS TO STARDOM: Emeli first became known to the public eye after she featured on the track "Diamond Rings" by the rapper Chipmunk (2009). It was their first top 10 single on the UK Singles Chart. In 2010, she featured on "Never Be Your Woman" by the rapper Wiley, which became another top ten hit.
AWARDS: In 2012, she received the Brit Awards Critics' Choice Award.
ANYTHING ELSE? She has written for a number of artists, including Cher Lloyd, Parade, Susan Boyle, Gabrielle, Preeya Kalidas, Rihanna, Leona Lewis, Alesha Dixon, Cheryl Cole, Tinie Tempah, and Mutya Keisha Siobhan.
ANY DEALS? In 2010, she signed a publishing deal with EMI Music Publishing. She later announced that Virgin Records had given her a record deal. Sandé released her first solo single "Heaven" in August 2011.
COLLABORATIONS: Sandé has three number-one singles across the United Kingdom and Ireland with "Read All About It" with Professor Green, "Next to Me" and "Beneath Your Beautiful" a collaboration with Labrinth.
SUCCESS: Her album Our Version of Events peaked at number one in the UK, soon after its release in February 2012 and became the best-selling album of 2012 in the UK, with over 1 million sales. In 2012 she performed in both the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the London Olympics. Emeli won best British album and best British female at the 2013 Brit Awards.
