View source for Sting (musician)

{{Short description|British musician (born 1951)}}
{{Redirect|Gordon Sumner|the Australian rules footballer|Gordon Sumner (footballer)}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Sting
| honorific_suffix   = [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]]
| image              = Sting in April 2018.jpg
| caption            = Sting performing at [[The Queen's Birthday Party]] in 2018
| birth_name         = Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1951|10|2}}
| birth_place        = [[Wallsend]]<!-- Do not add Tyne & Wear; Wallsend was in Northumberland at the time of his birth -->, England
| alma_mater         = [[Northumbria University#Newcastle Polytechnic|Northern Counties College of Education]]
| occupation         = {{hlist|Musician|singer|songwriter|actor|activist}}
| years_active       = 1969–present
| awards             = [[List of awards and nominations received by Sting|Full list]]
| spouse             = {{ubl|{{marriage|[[Frances Tomelty]]|1976|1984|end=divorced}}|{{marriage|[[Trudie Styler]]|1992}}}}
| children           = 6, including [[Joe Sumner|Joe]], [[Mickey Sumner|Mickey]] and [[Eliot Sumner|Eliot]]
| module             = {{Infobox musical artist
| embed          = yes
| background     = solo_singer
| instruments    = {{hlist|Vocals|bass guitar|guitar|double bass|keyboards|saxophone|drums}}
| genre          = {{hlist|[[Rock music|Rock]]|[[pop music|pop]]|[[New wave music|new wave]]|[[post-punk]]|[[ska]]|[[reggae]]|[[jazz]]|[[Worldbeat|world]]|[[soft rock]]<ref>{{cite magazine|title= Readers Poll: Ten Best Post-Band Solo Artists – 7. Sting |date= 2 May 2012 |magazine= Rolling Stone |url= https://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/readers-poll-ten-best-post-band-solo-artists-20120502/7-sting-0980146}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first= Mike |last= Seely |title= The Ten Most Hated Men in Rock |date= 1 September 2004 |newspaper= [[The Riverfront Times]] |url= http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2004-09-01/music/the-ten-most-hated-men-in-rock/full/ |access-date= 21 September 2020 |archive-date= 25 May 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150525100057/http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2004-09-01/music/the-ten-most-hated-men-in-rock/full/ |url-status= dead }}</ref><ref name="Collins">{{cite news|first= Robert |last= Collins |title= Review: Sting and Paul Simon serenade Vancouver |date= 21 February 2014 |publisher= [[CIVT-DT|CTV Vancouver News]] |url= http://bc.ctvnews.ca/review-sting-and-paul-simon-serenade-vancouver-1.1698373}}</ref>}}
| label          = {{hlist|[[A&M Records|A&M]]|[[Deutsche Grammophon]]|[[Universal Music Group|Universal]]|[[Cherrytree Records|Cherrytree]]|[[Interscope Records|Interscope]]|[[Polydor Records|Polydor]]}}
| past_member_of = {{hlist|[[Last Exit (British band)|Last Exit]]|[[The Police]]|[[Strontium 90 (band)|Strontium 90]]}}
| website        = {{URL|sting.com}}
}}
| signature          = Sting-Logo.svg
| signature_alt      = Sting logo
}}
'''Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner''' {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE}} (born 2 October 1951), known as '''Sting''', is an English musician, activist and actor. He was the [[frontman]], principal songwriter and [[bassist]] for [[New wave music|new wave]] band [[the Police]] from 1977 until their breakup in 1986. He launched a solo career in 1985 and has included elements of rock, [[jazz]], [[reggae]], classical, [[New-age music|new-age]], and [[worldbeat]] in his music.<ref>[[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]]. [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=sting-p5536/biography|pure_url=yes}} Sting Biography]. [[AllMusic]]. Retrieved 7 November 2010</ref> 

Sting has sold a combined total of more than 100 million records as a solo artist and as a member of the Police.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sting releases new album My Songs today|url=http://www.umusic.ca/press-releases/sting-releases-new-album-my-songs-today/|access-date=10 October 2020|website=Universal Music Canada|language=en-US|archive-date=17 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017101123/http://www.umusic.ca/press-releases/sting-releases-new-album-my-songs-today/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="katy">{{cite news|url=https://www.euronews.com/culture/2023/05/19/sting-awarded-a-fellowship-at-the-ivor-novello-awards |title=Sting awarded a Fellowship at the Ivor Novello Awards |website=euronews.com |last=Dartford |first=Katy |date=May 19, 2023}}</ref> He has received three [[Brit Awards]], including [[Brit Award for British Male Solo Artist|Best British Male Artist]] in 1994 and [[Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music|Outstanding Contribution to Music]] in 2002; a [[Golden Globe Award|Golden Globe]]; an [[Emmy Award|Emmy]]; and four [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] nominations.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://ew.com/oscars/2017/02/26/oscars-2017-sting-performs/|title=Oscars 2017: Sting performs 'The Empty Chair' |website=ew.com |last=Vain |first=Madison |date=February 26, 2017}}</ref> As a solo musician and as a member of the Police, Sting has received 17 [[Grammy Awards]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/louisville/news/2024/07/15/bourbon-and-beyond-sting-|title=Sting added to Bourbon & Beyond lineup, replaces Neil Young |website=spectrumnews1.com|last=Smith |first=Connor |date=July 15, 2024}}</ref> He was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] as a member of the Police in 2003. Sting has received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]; the [[Ivor Novello Award]] for Lifetime Achievement from the [[British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors]]; a [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire|CBE]] from [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] for services to music; [[Kennedy Center Honors]];<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tom-hanks-sting-others-saluted-at-kennedy-center-honors/ |title=
Tom Hanks, Sting, others saluted at Kennedy Center Honors |website=cbsnews.com |date=December 7, 2014}}</ref> and the [[Polar Music Prize]].<ref name="chow">{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/07/arts/music/sting-and-wayne-shorter-win-polar-music-prize.html | title=Sting and Wayne Shorter Win Polar Music Prize | work= [[The New York Times]] | first=Andrew R. | last=Chow | date=7 February 2017 | access-date=8 February 2017}}</ref> In May 2023, he was made an [[Ivor Novello]] Fellow.<ref name="katy" />

==Early life==
[[File:Tanker Ottawa Launch, 1964.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|[[Wallsend]] [[shipyard]] on the [[River Tyne]] in 1964, near where Sting grew up. His childhood experiences and the local shipbuilding industry were the inspiration for his 2014 musical ''[[The Last Ship (musical)|The Last Ship]]'', which is also set in Wallsend.]]
Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner was born at [[Sir G B Hunter Memorial Hospital]] in [[Wallsend]], Northumberland<!-- Do not change to Tyne & Wear. Wallsend was in Northumberland at the time of his birth -->, England, on 2 October 1951,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I2nGCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA1 |title=Wallsend History Tour|last=Hutchinson|first=Ken|date=15 May 2015|publisher=Amberley Publishing Limited|isbn=978-1-4456-4863-7|language=en}}</ref><ref name="Wallsend">{{cite web |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Proud+history+and+lively+community%3B+Around+the+region%3A+Wallsend+has...-a0199889494 |title=Proud history and lively community; the region: Wallsend has grown out of its Roman and shipbuilding roots into a thriving community with plenty to offer buyers looking for a bargain. |last=Garrard|first=Aranda |year=2009 |publisher=[[TheFreeLibrary.com]] |access-date=16 February 2012}}</ref><ref name="bio">{{cite web|access-date=12 May 2008 |url=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_story/1016:812/1/Sting.htm |title=Sting |publisher=[[The Biography Channel]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612222921/http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_story/1016%3A812/1/Sting.htm |archive-date=12 June 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> the eldest of four children of Audrey (née Cowell), a hairdresser, and Ernest Matthew Sumner, a milkman and former fitter at an engineering works.<ref>Sting: The Secret Life of Gordon Sumner, Wensley Clarkson, Blake, 1996, p. 2</ref> He grew up near Wallsend's [[shipyard]]s, which made an impression on him. As a child, he was inspired by the [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother|Queen Mother]] waving at him from a [[Rolls-Royce Motor Cars|Rolls-Royce]] to divert from the shipyard prospect towards a more glamorous life.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sobel|first=Jon|date=27 October 2014|title=Sting Thanks Queen Elizabeth for Touching Off the Ambition Leading to Last Night's Broadway Opening of His Musical 'The Last Ship'|url=http://www.classicalite.com/articles/12434/20141027/sting-thanks-queen-elizabeth-ambition-broadway-last-ship.htm|access-date=20 November 2016|work=Classicalite|quote=On waving to the Queen as she rolled by in her Rolls Royce .. 10-year-old Gordon Sumner was "infected with the idea that I didn't want to be in this street, I didn't want to live in this house, I didn't want to end up in the shipyard—I wanted to be in that f*ing car."}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ted.com/talks/sting_how_i_started_writing_songs_again/transcript?language=en |title=Sting: How I started writing songs again – TED Talk Subtitles and Transcript |date=30 May 2014 |publisher=[[TED (conference)|TED Talk]] |access-date=20 November 2016|quote=12:58.. big, black Rolls-Royce. Inside the Rolls-Royce is the Queen Mother. This is a big deal. So the procession is moving at a stately pace down my street, and as it approaches my house, I start to wave my flag vigorously, and there is the Queen Mother. I see her, and she seems to see me. She acknowledges me. She waves, and she smiles. And I wave my flag even more vigorously. We're having a moment, me and the Queen Mother. She's acknowledged me. And then she's gone. 13:50 Well, I wasn't cured of anything. It was the opposite, actually. I was infected. I was infected with an idea. I don't belong in this street. I don't want to live in that house. I don't want to end up in that shipyard. I want to be in that car. (Laughter) I want a bigger life. I want a life beyond this town. I want a life that's out of the ordinary. It's my right. It's my right as much as hers.}}</ref> He helped his father deliver milk and by ten was "obsessed" with an old Spanish guitar left by an emigrating friend of his father.<ref name="BrokenMusic">{{cite book |last=Sting |title=Broken Music |year=2003 |publisher=Simon & Schuster}}</ref>

Sting attended [[St Cuthbert's High School|St Cuthbert's Grammar School]] in [[Newcastle upon Tyne]]. He visited nightclubs such as Club A'Gogo to see [[Cream (band)|Cream]] and [[Manfred Mann]], who influenced his music.{{sfn|Clarkson|1999|p=17}} He learned to sing and play simultaneously by listening to records at 78 rpm.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2 July 2020 |title=Sting |url=https://au.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/50-greatest-bassists-of-all-time-13565/sting-13585/ |access-date=9 November 2023 |website=Rolling Stone Australia |language=en-AU}}</ref> After leaving school in 1969, he enrolled at the [[University of Warwick]] in [[Coventry]], but left after a term. After working as a bus conductor, building labourer, and tax officer, he attended the Northern Counties College of Education (now [[Northumbria University]]) from 1971 to 1974 and qualified as a teacher.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/alumni-profiles/notable-alumni/ |title=Notable Alumni |publisher=[[Northumbria University]] |access-date=22 January 2019 |archive-date=28 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628115405/https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/alumni-profiles/notable-alumni/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> He taught at St Paul's First School in [[Cramlington]] for two years.<ref>{{cite book |first=James |last=Berryman |year=2000 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cLfhooLOKMEC&pg=PA135 |title=A Sting in the tale |page=135 |publisher=[[Mirage Publishing]] |access-date=29 December 2011 |isbn=978-1-902578-13-2}}</ref>

Sting performed [[jazz]] in the evenings, on weekends, and during breaks from college and teaching, playing with the Phoenix Jazzmen, Newcastle Big Band and [[Last Exit (British band)|Last Exit]].{{sfnp|Cannell|2012|loc=Kindle location 400–410}} He gained his nickname after his habit of wearing a black and yellow jumper with hooped stripes with the Phoenix Jazzmen. Bandleader Gordon Solomon thought he looked like a [[bee]] (or according to Sting himself, "they thought I looked like a [[wasp]]"), which prompted the name "Sting".<ref name="nickname">{{cite journal|last1=Egan|first1=Sean |title=The Police: Every Little Thing They Sang Was Magic|journal=Goldmine|date=8 August 2003|volume=29|issue=16 |page=14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um6z0JSeZ4E&t=128| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211027/um6z0JSeZ4E| archive-date=27 October 2021|title=Sting: A Renaissance man|work=CBS Sunday Morning|via=YouTube|date=22 September 2016|quote=I used to wear these yellow and black sweaters. They thought I looked like a wasp, and they'd joke. They called me 'Sting'. They thought it was hilarious. They kept calling me St... That became my name.}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In the 1985 documentary ''[[Bring On the Night (film)|Bring On the Night]]'' a journalist called him Gordon, to which he replied, "My children call me Sting, my mother calls me Sting, who is this Gordon character?"<ref name=omg>{{cite web |url=http://omg.yahoo.com/news/sting-turns-60-did-happen-212500405.html |title=Sting Turns 60 – How Did that Happen? |last=Periale |first=Elizabeth |date=4 October 2011 |publisher=[[omg!]] |access-date=16 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120618112208/http://omg.yahoo.com/news/sting-turns-60-did-happen-212500405.html |archive-date=18 June 2012 }}</ref> In 2011, he told ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' that "I was never called Gordon. You could shout 'Gordon' in the street and I would just move out of your way".<ref name=Time>{{cite magazine |title=10 Questions for Sting |url= http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2099139,00.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111110141948/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2099139,00.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 10 November 2011 |last=Luscombe |first=Belinda |date=21 November 2011 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=16 January 2012}}</ref> Despite this, he chose not to legally change his name to "Sting".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stern |first1=Howard |title=Sting on How He Got His Nickname and Writing "Roxanne" (2016) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Veo2OY5j6_M |website=YouTube |date=5 February 2023 |access-date=14 May 2023}}</ref>

==Musical career==
===1977–1984: The Police and early solo work===
{{Main|The Police}}
{{expand-section|date=December 2024}}
[[File:Sting Atlanta 1.jpg|thumb|right|Sting in 1979]]
In January 1977, Sting moved from Newcastle to London and joined [[Stewart Copeland]] and [[Henry Padovani]] (soon replaced by [[Andy Summers]]) to form the Police.{{cn|date=December 2024}} Sting became the band's lead singer, bass player, and primary songwriter.<ref name="tyler">{{cite web|url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/isolated-bass-the-police-message-in-the-bottle/ |title=Listen to the isolated bass on The Police song 'Message in the Bottle' |website=faroutmagazine.co.uk |last=Golsen |first=Tyler |date=November 18, 2022}}</ref> From 1978 to 1983, the Police had five UK chart-topping albums, won six [[Grammy Award]]s and won two [[Brit Awards]] (for Best British Group and for Outstanding Contribution to Music).<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.brits.co.uk/artist/the-police |title=Brit Awards: The Police {{!}} BRITs Profile |access-date=22 January 2019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100123004236/http://www.brits.co.uk/artist/the-police |archive-date=23 January 2010}}</ref><ref name="UK Charts">[http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/police/ "The Police Chart history"]. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 August 2014</ref> Their initial sound was [[punk rock|punk]]-inspired, but they switched to [[reggae]] rock and minimalist pop. Their final album, ''[[Synchronicity (The Police album)|Synchronicity]]'', was nominated for five [[Grammy Award]]s including [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]] in 1983. It included their most successful song, "[[Every Breath You Take]]", written by Sting.

{{Quote box|width=29%|align=right|quote=Even though logic would say, "Are you out of your mind? You're in the biggest band in the world – just bite the bullet and make some money." But there continued to be some instinct, against logic, against good advice, [that] told me I should quit.|source=—Sting on quitting the band in 1984.<ref>''Billboard'', 13 Dec 2003. p. 26</ref>}}

According to Sting, appearing in the documentary ''[[Last Play at Shea]]'', he decided to leave the Police while onstage during a concert of 18 August 1983 at [[Shea Stadium]] in New York City because he felt that playing that venue was "[[Mount Everest|[Mount] Everest]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/last-play-at-shea-documentary-tells-stadium-s-story-1.1872400?p= |title='Last Play at Shea' documentary tells stadium's story |work=[[Newsday]] |location=New York |date=20 April 2010 |access-date=23 November 2010 |archive-date=4 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190804170925/https://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/last-play-at-shea-documentary-tells-stadium-s-story-1.1872400?p= |url-status=dead }}</ref> While never formally breaking up, after ''Synchronicity'', the group agreed to concentrate on solo projects.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-police-a-fragile-truce-185977/|title=The Police: A Fragile Truce|first1=David|last1=Fricke|date=22 January 2015|magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref> As the years went by, the band members, especially Sting, dismissed the possibility of reforming. In 2007, however, the band did reform temporarily for the purpose of undertaking [[The Police Reunion Tour|a reunion tour]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6697809.stm |title=Reunited Police start world tour |work=BBC News |date=30 May 2007 |access-date=29 December 2011}}</ref>

Four of the band's five studio albums appeared on ''[[Rolling Stone]]'s'' list of the [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|500 Greatest Albums of All Time]] and two of the band's songs, "[[Every Breath You Take]]" and "[[Roxanne (The Police song)|Roxanne]]", each written by Sting, appeared on [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]].<ref name="rolling">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531 |title=500 Greatest Albums of All Time |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=31 May 2012 |access-date=18 March 2016}}</ref> In addition, "Every Breath You Take" and "Roxanne" were among [[the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll]]. In 2003, the band was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]].<ref>[http://www.rockonthenet.com/artists-p/police.htm "The Police: Timeline"]. Rock on the Net. Retrieved 16 October 2012</ref> They were also included in ''[[Rolling Stone]]'s'' and [[VH1]]'s lists of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".<ref>[http://stereogum.com/495331/vh1-100-greatest-artists-of-all-time/list/  "The Greatest Artists of All Time"]. VH1/Stereogum. Retrieved 12 January 2014.</ref><ref>{{cite magazine| author-link= Brandon Flowers| last= Flowers| first= Brandon| url= https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-artists-of-all-time-19691231/the-police-20110420 |title= The Police: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time| magazine= Rolling Stone| access-date= 11 January 2015}}</ref>

In 1978, Sting collaborated with members of [[Hawkwind]] and [[Gong (band)|Gong]] as the Radio Actors on the one-off single "Nuclear Waste".<ref>{{cite book| last= Lazell| first= Barry |year= 1997| title= Indie Hits 1980–1989'| publisher= Cherry Red Books | isbn= 0-9517206-9-4| page= 183}}</ref> In September 1981, Sting made his first live solo appearance, on all four nights of the fourth [[Amnesty International]] benefit [[The Secret Policeman's Balls|The Secret Policeman's Other Ball]] in London's [[Drury Lane theatre]] at the invitation of producer [[Martin Lewis (humorist)|Martin Lewis]]. He performed solo versions of "[[Roxanne (The Police song)|Roxanne]]" and "[[Message in a Bottle (The Police song)|Message in a Bottle]]". He also led an all-star band (dubbed "the Secret Police") on his own arrangement of [[Bob Dylan]]'s "[[I Shall Be Released]]". The band and chorus included [[Eric Clapton]], [[Jeff Beck]], [[Robin Gibb]], [[Cliff Richard]], [[Phil Collins]], [[Bob Geldof]] and [[Midge Ure]], all of whom (except Beck and Gibb) later performed at [[Live Aid]]. His performances were in the album and movie of the show. ''The Secret Policeman's Other Ball'' began his growing involvement in political and social causes.{{cn|date=December 2024}} In 1982 he released a solo single, "[[Spread a Little Happiness]]" from the film of the [[Dennis Potter]] television play ''[[Brimstone and Treacle]]''. The song was a reinterpretation of the 1920s musical ''[[Mr. Cinders]]'' by [[Vivian Ellis]] and a Top 20 hit in the UK.<ref name="autogenerated2006">{{cite book| last= Roberts| first= David |year= 2006| title= [[British Hit Singles & Albums]]| place= London| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited}}</ref>

===1985–1989: Solo debut===
[[File:Sting 21111985 06 700.jpg|thumb|left|Sting performing in Norway in 1985]]
His first solo album, 1985's ''[[The Dream of the Blue Turtles]]'', featured [[jazz]] musicians including [[Kenny Kirkland]], [[Darryl Jones]], [[Omar Hakim]] and [[Branford Marsalis]]. It included the hit singles "[[If You Love Somebody Set Them Free]]" (backed with the non-LP song "Another Day"), "[[Fortress Around Your Heart]]", "[[Love Is the Seventh Wave]]" and "[[Russians (song)|Russians]]", the latter of which was based on a theme from the ''[[Lieutenant Kijé (Prokofiev)|Lieutenant Kijé]] Suite''.<ref>Analysis of this song, the H. Eisler-adaption ''The Secret Marriage'' and the J.S. Bach-quote in ''Whenever I Say Your Name'' in: [[Michael Custodis]], chapter "Sting als Songwriter zwischen Prokofiev, Eisler, Bach und Dowland", in: Klassische Musik heute. Eine Spurensuche in der Rockmusik, Bielefeld transcript-Verlag 2009 {{ISBN|978-3-8376-1249-3}}</ref> Within a year, the album reached Triple [[Gold album|Platinum]]. The album received [[Grammy Award|Grammy]] nominations for [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]], [[Best Male Pop Vocal Performance]], [[Best Jazz Instrumental Performance]] and [[Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical|Best Engineered Recording]].<ref>[http://www.grammy.com/artist/sting "Grammy Awards – Sting"]. National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 12 November 2014</ref>

In November 1984, Sting was part of [[Band Aid (band)|Band Aid]]'s "[[Do They Know It's Christmas?]]", which raised money for [[1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia|famine victims in Ethiopia]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20111219224029/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1643506/looking-back-at-live-aid-25-years-later.jhtml Looking Back At Live Aid, 25 Years Later] MTV. Retrieved 1 December 2011</ref> Released in June 1985, Sting sang the line "I Want My MTV" on "[[Money for Nothing (song)|Money for Nothing]]" by [[Dire Straits]].<ref>{{cite news |title=When Mark Knopfler and Sting Connected for 'Money for Nothing' |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/mark-knopfler-sting-money-for-nothing/ |access-date=30 November 2020 |magazine=Ultimate Classic Rock}}</ref> In July 1985, Sting performed Police hits at the [[Live Aid]] concert at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]] in London. He also joined Dire Straits in "Money for Nothing" and he sang two duets with [[Phil Collins]].<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-aid-dvd-boxed-set-r714784 Live Aid – DVD Boxed Set] AllMusic. Retrieved 15 September 2011</ref><ref name="Live Aid">{{cite news | url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/702700.stm | title= Live Aid: The show that rocked the world | work=BBC News | date=5 April 2000 | access-date=20 July 2014}}</ref> In 1985, Sting provided spoken vocals for the [[Miles Davis]] album ''[[You're Under Arrest (Miles Davis album)|You're Under Arrest]]'', taking the role of a French-speaking police officer. He also sang backing vocals on [[Arcadia (band)|Arcadia's]] single "[[The Promise (Arcadia song)|The Promise]]", on two songs from Phil Collins' album ''[[No Jacket Required]]'', and contributed "[[Mack the Knife]]" to the [[Hal Willner]]-produced tribute album ''[[Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill]]''. In September 1985, he performed "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" at the [[1985 MTV Video Music Awards]] at the [[Radio City Music Hall]] in New York.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080828042230/http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/performers.jhtml 1985 MTV Video Music Awards] MTV. Retrieved 4 December 2011</ref> The 1985 film ''[[Bring On the Night (film)|Bring On the Night]]'', directed by [[Michael Apted]], documented the formation of his solo band and its first concert in France.<ref>{{cite book| title= New York Times Film Reviews| page= 160| publisher= The New York Times Company| year= 1988}}</ref>

[[File:Sting-Bono-Conspiracy of Hope-by Steven Toole.jpg|thumb|right|Sting and [[Bono]] at the [[Conspiracy of Hope]] concert in New Jersey, 1986]]

Sting released ''[[...Nothing Like the Sun]]'' in 1987, including singles, "[[We'll Be Together (Sting song)|We'll Be Together]]", "[[Fragile (Sting song)|Fragile]]", "[[Englishman in New York]]" and "[[Be Still My Beating Heart]]", dedicated to his mother, who had recently died. It went Double Platinum. "The Secret Marriage" from this album was adapted from [[Hanns Eisler]] and "Englishman in New York" was about [[Quentin Crisp]]. The album's title is from William Shakespeare's [[Sonnet 130]].<ref>[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/nothing-like-the-sun-19970122 Nothing Like the Sun Album Review] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103180924/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/nothing-like-the-sun-19970122 |date=3 November 2012 }} ''Rolling Stone''. 29 December 2011</ref> The album won Best British Album at the 1988 [[Brit Awards]] and in 1989 received three [[Grammy Award|Grammy]] nominations including his second consecutive nomination for [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]]. "[[Be Still My Beating Heart]]" earned nominations for [[Grammy Award for Song of the Year|Song of the Year]] and [[Best Male Pop Vocal Performance]]. In 1989, ''...Nothing Like the Sun'' was ranked number 90 and his Police album ''[[Synchronicity (The Police album)|Synchronicity]]'' was ranked number 17 on ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s 100 greatest albums of the 1980s.<ref>"The 100 Greatest Albums of the 80s." ''Rolling Stone''. Special Issue 1990. Retrieved 19 November 2011</ref>

In February 1988, he made ''[[Nada como el sol]]'', four songs from ''Nothing like the Sun'' he sang in Spanish and Portuguese. In 1987, jazz arranger [[Gil Evans]] placed him in a big band setting for a live album of Sting's songs, and on [[Frank Zappa]]'s 1988 ''[[Broadway the Hard Way]]'' he performed an arrangement of "Murder by Numbers", set to "[[Stolen Moments (Oliver Nelson song)|Stolen Moments]]" by [[Oliver Nelson]] and dedicated to evangelist [[Jimmy Swaggart]]. In October 1988 he recorded a version of [[Igor Stravinsky]]'s ''[[The Soldier's Tale]]'' with the London Sinfonietta conducted by [[Kent Nagano]]. It featured [[Vanessa Redgrave]], [[Ian McKellen]], [[Gianna Nannini]] and Sting as the soldier.<ref>Barry Lazell (1989). ''Rock movers & shakers'' p.487. Billboard Publications, Inc., 1989</ref>

===1990–1997: Greater solo success===
His 1991 album, ''[[The Soul Cages]]'', was dedicated to his late father. It included "[[All This Time (Sting song)|All This Time]]" and the Grammy-winning title track. The album, which went platinum, included an Italian version of "Mad About You".{{cn|date=December 2024}} Also in 1991, he appeared on ''[[Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin]]''. He performed "Come Down in Time" for the album, which also features other popular artists and their renditions of John/Taupin songs.{{cn|date=December 2024}} 

{{Quote box|width=29%|align=left|quote=In England, our house is surrounded by barley fields, and in the summer it's fascinating to watch the wind moving over the shimmering surface, like waves on an ocean of gold. There's something inherently sexy about the sight, something primal, as if the wind were making love to the barley. Lovers have made promises here, I'm sure, their bonds strengthened by the comforting cycle of the seasons.|source=—Sting on the "[[Fields of Gold]]" lyrics.<ref>[http://www.sting.com/news/article/2243 "Lyrics by Sting – to be published as a Dial Press Hardcover on October 23, 2007..."]. Sting.com. Retrieved 21 May 2017</ref>}}

Sting's fourth album ''[[Ten Summoner's Tales]]'' peaked at two in the UK and US album charts in 1993 and went [[triple platinum]] in just over a year.<ref name="autogenerated2006" /><ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/album/r168918/charts-awards Billboard: Ten Summoner's Tales] AllMusic. Retrieved 1 December 2011</ref> The album was recorded at his [[Elizabethan architecture|Elizabethan]] [[English country house|country home]], [[Lake House]] in Wiltshire. ''Ten Summoner's Tales'' was nominated for the [[Mercury Prize]] in 1993 and for the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1994. The title is a wordplay on his surname, Sumner and "[[The Summoner's Tale]]", one of ''[[The Canterbury Tales]]'' by [[Geoffrey Chaucer]]. Hit singles on the album include "[[Fields of Gold]]", a song inspired by the barley fields next to his Wiltshire home, with the music video featuring a silhouette of Sting walking through a village containing common features seen throughout the UK during that time such as a [[red telephone box]] and "[[If I Ever Lose My Faith in You]]", the latter earning his second award for best male pop singer at the [[36th Grammy Awards]].<ref name="Sting Awards">[http://www.rockonthenet.com/artists-s/sting_main.htm Rock on the Net: Sting] Rock on the Net. Retrieved 29 December 2011</ref>

In May 1993, he covered his own Police song from the ''[[Ghost in the Machine (album)|Ghost in the Machine]]'' album, "Demolition Man", for the ''[[Demolition Man (film)|Demolition Man]]'' film. With Bryan Adams and [[Rod Stewart]], Sting performed "[[All for Love (song)|All for Love]]" for the film ''[[The Three Musketeers (1993 film)|The Three Musketeers]]''. The song stayed at the top of the U.S. charts for three weeks, topped multiple other charts worldwide and reached number two in the UK. In February, he won two Grammy Awards and was nominated for three more.<ref name="Sting Awards" /> [[Berklee College of Music]] awarded him his second honorary doctorate of music in May. In November, he released the compilation, ''Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting'', which was certified Double Platinum. That year, he sang with [[Vanessa L. Williams|Vanessa Williams]] on "Sister Moon" and appeared on her album ''[[The Sweetest Days]]''. At the [[List of BRIT Awards ceremonies#1994|1994]] [[Brit Awards]] in London, he was Best British Male.<ref name="BritsSting">{{cite web| url=http://www.brits.co.uk/artist/sting |title=Brit Awards: Sting {{!}} BRITs Profile |access-date=22 January 2019 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100115163557/http://www.brits.co.uk/artist/sting |archive-date=15 January 2010}}</ref>

Sting's 1996 album, ''[[Mercury Falling]]'' debuted strongly, with the single "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" reaching number 15 in the UK Singles Chart, but the album soon dropped from the charts. He reached the UK [[Top 40]] with two further singles the same year with "You Still Touch Me" (number 27 in June) and "I Was Brought To My Senses" (number 31 in December). The song "[[I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying]]" from this album also became a US country music hit in 1997 in a version with [[Toby Keith]]. Sting recorded music for the Disney film ''Kingdom of the Sun'', which was reworked into ''[[The Emperor's New Groove]]''. The film's overhauls and plot changes were documented by Sting's wife, Trudie Styler, as the changes resulted in some songs not being used.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sting.com/discography/album/41/Soundtracks|title=Sting.com > Discography > SOUNDTRACK: The Emperor's New Groove|website=sting.com|access-date=5 January 2019}}</ref>

On 4 September 1997, Sting performed "I'll Be Missing You" with [[Puff Daddy]] at the [[1997 MTV Video Music Awards]] in tribute to [[Notorious B.I.G.]]<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080830021815/http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/1997/ 1997 Video Music Awards] MTV. Retrieved 1 December 2011</ref> On 15 September 1997, Sting appeared at the ''[[Music for Montserrat]]'' concert at the [[Royal Albert Hall]], London, performing with fellow English artists [[Paul McCartney]], [[Elton John]], [[Eric Clapton]], [[Phil Collins]] and [[Mark Knopfler]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=BwoEAAAAMBAJ&dq=Music+for+Montserrat+-+concert&pg=PA59 "Billboard 6 September 1997"]. p.59. ''Billboard''. Retrieved 7 January 2012</ref>

===1998–2005: ''Brand New Day'' and soundtrack work===
[[File:Sting2.jpg|thumb|right|Sting on stage in Budapest in January 2000]]
A period of relative musical inactivity followed from 1997, before Sting eventually re-emerged in September 1999, with a new album ''[[Brand New Day (Sting album)|Brand New Day]]'', which gave him two more UK Top 20 hits in the title track "Brand New Day" (a UK number 13 hit featuring [[Stevie Wonder]] on harmonica) and "[[Desert Rose (Sting song)|Desert Rose]]" (a UK number 15 hit). The album went Triple Platinum by January 2001. In 2000, he won Grammy Awards for ''Brand New Day'' and the song of the same name. At the awards ceremony, he performed "Desert Rose" with his collaborator on the album version, [[Cheb Mami]].

In 2000, the soundtrack for ''[[The Emperor's New Groove]]'' was released with complete songs from the previous version of the film. The final single used to promote the film, "[[My Funny Friend and Me]]", was Sting's first nomination for an [[Academy Award for Best Song]].<ref name="Sting Awards" />

In February 2001, he won another Grammy for "She Walks This Earth (Soberana Rosa)" on ''A Love Affair: The Music Of Ivan Lins''. His "After the Rain Has Fallen" made it into the Top 40. His next project was a live album at his villa in [[Figline Valdarno]], released as a CD and DVD as well as being broadcast on the internet. The CD and DVD were to be entitled ''On Such a Night'' and intended to feature re-workings of Sting favourites such as "Roxanne" and "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free". The concert, scheduled for 11 September 2001, was altered due to the [[11 September attacks|terrorist attacks in America that day]]. The webcast shut after one song (a reworked version of "[[Fragile (Sting song)|Fragile]]"), after which Sting let the audience decide whether to continue the show. They decided to go ahead and the album and DVD appeared in November as ''[[...All This Time]]'', dedicated "to all those who lost their lives on that day". He performed "[[Fragile (Sting song)|Fragile]]" with [[Yo-Yo Ma]] and the [[Mormon Tabernacle Choir]] during the opening ceremonies of the [[2002 Winter Olympics]] in [[Salt Lake City]], Utah, US.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/winterolympics2002/hi/english/features/newsid_1774000/1774434.stm Sting sings at Winter Olympics] BBC. Retrieved 29 December 2011</ref>

In 2002, he won a [[Golden Globe Award]] for "[[Until...]]" from the film ''[[Kate & Leopold]]''.<ref name="Sting Awards" /> Written and performed by him, "Until..." was his second nomination for an [[Academy Award for Best Song]].<ref name="Sting Awards" /> At the [[List of BRIT Awards ceremonies#2002|2002]] [[Brit Awards]] in February, Sting received the prize for Outstanding Contribution to Music.<ref name="BritsSting" /> In May 2002 he received the [[Ivor Novello Award]] for Lifetime Achievement from the [[British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors]].<ref>[http://theivors.com/archive/2000-2009/the-ivors-2002/ "The 47th Ivor Novello Awards"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160622041304/http://theivors.com/archive/2000-2009/the-ivors-2002/ |date=22 June 2016 }}. The Ivors. Retrieved 31 December 2017</ref> In the [[2003 Birthday Honours|Queen's Birthday Honours 2003]] Sting was made a [[Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire]] ''For services to the Music Industry''.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=56963 |date=14 June 2003 |page=9| supp=1}}</ref> At the [[54th Primetime Emmy Awards]] in September, Sting won an [[Emmy Award]] for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety Or Music Program, for his A&E special, ''Sting in Tuscany... All This Time''.<ref name="Sting Awards" />

In 2003, Sting released ''[[Sacred Love]]'', a studio album featuring collaborations with [[Hip hop music|hip-hop]] artist [[Mary J. Blige]] and [[sitar]] performer [[Anoushka Shankar]]. He and Blige won a Grammy for their duet, "Whenever I Say Your Name". The song is based on [[Johann Sebastian Bach]]'s ''Praeambulum 1'' C-Major (BWV 924) from the Klavierbuechlein fuer Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, though Sting said little about this adaptation.<ref>Analysis of the piece in: Michael Custodis, chapter  ''Sting als Songwriter zwischen Prokofiev, Eisler, Bach und Dowland'', in: Klassische Musik heute. Eine Spurensuche in der Rockmusik, Bielefeld transcript-Verlag 2009 {{ISBN|978-3-8376-1249-3}}</ref> In 2004, he was nominated for the third time for an Academy Award for Best Song,<ref name="Sting Awards" /> for "[[You Will Be My Ain True Love]]", from ''[[Cold Mountain (film)|Cold Mountain]]'', sung in duet with [[Alison Krauss]]. The pair performed the song at the [[76th Academy Awards]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Lowry |first=Brian |title=Review: "The 76th Annual Academy Awards" |url=https://variety.com/2004/film/reviews/the-76th-annual-academy-awards-1200534757/ |access-date=8 July 2013 |newspaper=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]  |date=29 February 2004 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131010082030/http://variety.com/2004/film/reviews/the-76th-annual-academy-awards-1200534757/ |archive-date=10 October 2013 }}</ref>

His autobiography ''Broken Music'' was published in October. He embarked on a ''Sacred Love'' tour in 2004 with performances by [[Annie Lennox]].<ref>{{cite news|author=Culture|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/8813544/Annie-Lennox-career-timeline.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/8813544/Annie-Lennox-career-timeline.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Annie Lennox: career timeline|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=7 October 2011|access-date=26 March 2012|location=London, UK}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Sting went on the Broken Music tour, touring smaller venues, with a four-piece band, starting in Los Angeles on 28 March 2005 and ending on 14 May 2005. Sting was on the 2005 ''[[Monkey Business (The Black Eyed Peas album)|Monkey Business]]'' CD by hip-hop group [[the Black Eyed Peas]], singing on "Union", which samples his ''[[Englishman in New York]]''. Continuing with [[Live Aid]], he appeared at [[Live 8]] at [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]], London in July 2005.<ref name="Live 8">[https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/thelive8event/pics/sting/ "Live 8 – Sting"]. BBC. Retrieved 12 November 2014</ref>

===2006–2010: Experimental albums and the Police reunion===
[[File:ThePolice 2007.jpg|thumb|left|Sting with the Police at [[Madison Square Garden]], New York, 1 August 2007]]
In 2006, Sting was on the Gregg Kofi Brown album, with "Lullaby to an Anxious Child" produced and arranged by [[Lino Nicolosi]] and [[Pino Nicolosi]] of [[Nicolosi Productions]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sting.com/discography/index/ablum/albumId/285/tagName/Guest+Appearances |title=Guest Appearances – GREGG KOFI BROWN: Together As One |publisher=Sting.com |access-date=8 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107210516/http://sting.com/discography/index/ablum/albumId/285/tagName/Guest+Appearances |archive-date=7 November 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In October 2006, he released an album entitled ''[[Songs from the Labyrinth]]'' featuring the music of [[John Dowland]] (an [[Elizabethan era|Elizabethan]]-era composer) and accompaniment from Bosnian lute player [[Edin Karamazov]]. Sting's interpretation of this [[English Renaissance]] composer and his cooperation with Edin Karamazov brought recognition in classical music.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flyinginkpot.com/2009/12/sting-and-edin-karamazov-songs-from-the-labyrinth/ |title=Sting and Edin Karamazov: 'Songs from the Labyrinth' |publisher=Flyinginkpot.com |date=22 February 1999 |access-date=15 August 2011}}</ref> As promotion of this album, he appeared on the fifth episode of ''[[Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip|Studio 60]]'' to perform a segment of Dowland's "[[Come Again (Dowland)|Come Again]]" as well as his own "[[Fields of Gold]]" in arrangement for voice and two [[archlute]]s.

On 11 February 2007, he reunited with Police to open the [[2007 Grammy Awards]], singing "Roxanne", and announced [[the Police Reunion Tour|a reunion tour]], the first concert of which was in Vancouver on 28 May 2007 for 22,000 fans. The Police toured for more than a year, beginning with North America and crossing to Europe, South America, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Tickets for the British tour sold out within 30 minutes, the band playing two nights at Twickenham Stadium, southwest London on 8 and 9 September 2007.<ref>[http://tvnz.co.nz/content/1017898/3362663.xhtml "Police tickets sell out in minutes"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141112213856/http://tvnz.co.nz/content/1017898/3362663.xhtml |date=12 November 2014 }}. TVNZ. One News.</ref> The last concert was at [[Madison Square Garden]] on 7 August 2008, during which his three daughters appeared with him.{{cn|date=December 2024}} 

"Brand New Day" was the final song of the night for the ''Neighborhood Ball'', one of ten inaugural balls honouring President [[Barack Obama]] on Inauguration Day, 20 January 2009. Sting was joined by [[Stevie Wonder]] on harmonica.<ref>[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/the-inaugural-balls-beyonce-the-dead-fall-out-boy-and-more-rock-barack-obamas-celebrations-20090126/innaugural-celebrations-2009-stevie-and-sting-nhood-ball-95157004 "Stevie Wonder and Sting Inaugural Balls image"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807064610/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/the-inaugural-balls-beyonce-the-dead-fall-out-boy-and-more-rock-barack-obamas-celebrations-20090126/innaugural-celebrations-2009-stevie-and-sting-nhood-ball-95157004 |date=7 August 2016 }}. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 12 November 2014</ref>

Sting entered the studio in early February 2009 to begin work on a new album, ''[[If on a Winter's Night...]]'',<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sting.com/news/news.php?uid=6214 |title=Sting at Guitar Art Festival in Belgrade... |publisher=Sting.com |date=10 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215214041/http://www.sting.com/news/news.php?uid=6214 |archive-date=15 February 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> released in October 2009.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.sting.com/news/news.php?uid=6252 |title=Sting set to release new recording ''If on a Winter's Night''... |publisher=Sting.com |date=17 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090620001613/http://www.sting.com/news/news.php?uid=6252 |archive-date=20 June 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Initial reviews by fans that had access to early promotional copies were mixed, and some questioned Sting's artistic direction with this album.<ref>{{cite web|author=StingUs-team |url=http://www.stingus.net/sting_the_police_andy_summers_stewart_copeland_news_comments.php?id=7131_0_2_0_C |title=Fan Reviews of 'If on a Winter's Night' New CD by Sting |publisher=Stingus.net |date=6 October 2009 |access-date=17 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721131308/http://www.stingus.net/sting_the_police_andy_summers_stewart_copeland_news_comments.php?id=7131_0_2_0_C |archive-date=21 July 2011}}</ref> In 2009, Sting appeared at the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] 25th anniversary concert, playing "[[Higher Ground (Stevie Wonder song)|Higher Ground]]" and "[[Roxanne (The Police song)|Roxanne]]" with [[Stevie Wonder]] and "[[People Get Ready]]" with [[Jeff Beck]].<ref name="mtv">{{cite web| url= http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1625163/bruce-springsteen-stevie-wonder-steal-rock-hall-fame-show.jhtml| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111231011227/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1625163/bruce-springsteen-stevie-wonder-steal-rock-hall-fame-show.jhtml| url-status= dead| archive-date= 31 December 2011|title=Tom Morello, John Legend, Sting brought out as special guests at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th anniversary concert |last= Anderson |first= Kyle| date= 30 October 2009|publisher=MTV|access-date=14 May 2013}}</ref><ref name="nyt">{{cite web |url= http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/30/rock-roll-hall-of-fame-concert-set-list/|title=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concert: Set List|last=Pareles|first=John|date=30 October 2009|work= The New York Times |access-date=14 May 2013}}</ref> Sting himself was [[List of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees|inducted]] in 2003, as a member of the Police.<ref name="hof">{{cite web |url= http://www.rockhall.com/inductees/the-police/|title=The Police: inducted in 2003| publisher=[[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]]| access-date= 15 May 2013}}</ref><ref name="rrhof">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/11/nyregion/clash-costello-and-police-enter-rock-hall-of-fame.html|title=Clash, Costello and Police Enter Rock Hall of Fame| last= Pareles |first= John |date=11 March 2003|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=15 May 2013}}</ref>

In October 2009, Sting played a concert in [[Tashkent]], [[Uzbekistan]], for an arts and cultural festival organised by [[The Forum of Culture and Arts of Uzbekistan Foundation (The Fund Forum)|the Forum of Culture and Arts of Uzbekistan Foundation]]. Despite claiming he thought the concert was sponsored by [[UNICEF]], he faced criticism in the press for receiving a payment of between one and two million pounds from Uzbek president [[Islam Karimov]] for the performance. Karimov is accused by the UN and Amnesty of human rights abuses and UNICEF stated they had no connection with the event.<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/rocker-sting-stung-by-controversy-over-secret-concert-for-dictators-daughter |title=Rocker Sting Stung by Controversy Over Secret Concert for Dictator's Daughter |last=Barnes |first=Ed |date=13 April 2010|publisher =[[Fox News]]| access-date= 29 January 2014}}</ref>

===2010–2016: ''The Last Ship'' and joint tours with Paul Simon and Peter Gabriel===
[[File:StingConcertBudapest2.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Sting performing in Budapest, 30 June 2011]]
In 2010–2011, Sting continued his [[Symphonicities#Symphonicity Tour|Symphonicity Tour]], touring South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South America and Europe.<ref name="la">{{cite web|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2010/06/sting-hollywood-bowl.html|title=Symphonicity tour: A few thoughts on Sting and strings|last=Powers|first=Ann|date=16 June 2010|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=15 May 2013}}</ref> In the second half of 2011, Sting began his [[Back to Bass Tour]], which would continue (with periodic breaks) through 2013.<ref name="back">{{cite web|url=http://wzlx.cbslocal.com/2013/01/24/sting-announces-2013-back-to-bass-tour/|title=Sting Announces 2013 'Back To Bass' Tour, Includes 3 New England Dates |last= Mapes |first= Jillian|date=24 January 2013|publisher=[[WZLX]]|access-date=15 May 2013| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130511052139/http://wzlx.cbslocal.com/2013/01/24/sting-announces-2013-back-to-bass-tour/| archive-date= 11 May 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> In October 2010, Sting played two concerts in [[Arnhem]], Netherlands, for ''Symphonica in Rosso''. In 2011, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine named Sting one of the 100 most influential people in the world.<ref>{{cite magazine| url= http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2066367_2066369_2066323,00.html | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110425093922/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2066367_2066369_2066323,00.html | url-status= dead | archive-date= 25 April 2011 |title= The 2011 TIME 100: Sting| magazine= [[Time (magazine)|Time]]| access-date= 20 April 2013}}</ref> On 26 April he performed "Every Breath You Take", "Roxanne" and "Desert Rose" at the [[Time 100 Gala]] in New York City.<ref>{{cite web| website= mtvhive.com| url= http://www.mtvhive.com/2011/07/06/hive-five-things-sting-saves/| title= Hive Five: Things Sting Saves| publisher= [[MTV]]| access-date= 20 April 2013| archive-date= 27 May 2013| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130527060601/http://www.mtvhive.com/2011/07/06/hive-five-things-sting-saves/| url-status= dead}}</ref>

Sting recorded a song called "Power's Out" with [[Nicole Scherzinger]]. The song, originally recorded in 2007, was to have been included on Scherzinger's shelved album ''[[Nicole Scherzinger#2006–09: Her Name is Nicole and second Pussycat Dolls album|Her Name is Nicole]]''. The song was released on Scherzinger's 2011 debut album ''[[Killer Love]]''. Sting recorded a new version of the song "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot" as a duet with ''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]'' actor/singer [[Matthew Morrison]], which appears on Morrison's 2011 [[Matthew Morrison (album)|eponymous debut album]].<ref>{{cite web| url= http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=220;1;-1;-1;-1&sku=113161#anchorSpecialFeatures |title=Matthew Morrison (Glee) |publisher=[[HMV]] |access-date=14 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120618105626/http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=220%3B1%3B-1%3B-1%3B-1&sku=113161 |archive-date=18 June 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 15 September 2011, Sting performed "Fragile" at the [[92nd Street Y]] in New York City, to honour the memory of his friend, financier-philanthropist [[Herman Sandler]], who died in the [[9/11 attacks]] on the World Trade Center.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goldstar.com/events/new-york-city-ny/sting-and-the-kalichstein-laredo-robinson-trio |title=Sting and the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio at 92nd Street Y |publisher=[[Goldstar Events]] |year=2011 |access-date=29 November 2012}}</ref>

For several years, Sting worked on a musical, ''[[The Last Ship (musical)|The Last Ship]]'', inspired by Sting's own childhood experiences and the shipbuilding industry in [[Wallsend]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/01/sting-and-brian-yorkey-embark-on-a-new-musical-the-last-ship/ |title=Sting and Brian Yorkey Embark on a New Musical, 'The Last Ship' |work= The New York Times |date=1 September 2011 |access-date=13 May 2013}}</ref> ''The Last Ship'' tells a story about the demise of the [[British Shipbuilders|British shipbuilding industry]] in 1980s [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]] and debuted in Chicago in June 2014 before transferring to [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] in the autumn.<ref>{{cite web|title=STING'S THE LAST SHIP – New Album From the 16-Time Grammy® Award Winner|url=http://www.sting.com/news/title/stings-the-last-ship-new-album-from-the-16time-grammy-award-winner|date=5 June 2013|publisher=Sting.com|access-date=7 June 2013|archive-date=16 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916093345/https://www.sting.com/news/title/stings-the-last-ship-new-album-from-the-16time-grammy-award-winner|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Sting's Visceral, Emotional 'The Last Ship' Arrives on Broadway|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/stings-visceral-emotional-the-last-ship-arrives-on-broadway-20141103|date=3 November 2014|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=4 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Morgan|first=Scott C|title=Sting sails into Chicago to promote 'Last Ship'|url=http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20131011/entlife/710119660/|access-date=8 November 2013|newspaper=[[Daily Herald (Arlington Heights)|Daily Herald]]|date=11 October 2013|location=Chicago}}</ref> Sting's eleventh studio album, titled ''[[The Last Ship (album)|The Last Ship]]'' and inspired by the play, was released on 24 September 2013.<ref>{{cite news |first=Caroline |last=Sullivan |title=Sting: The Last Ship – review |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/sep/19/sting-the-last-ship-review |work=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=2 June 2014 |date=19 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/the-last-ship-20130924|title=The Last Ship|last=Decurtis|first=Anthony|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=24 September 2013|access-date=17 January 2014}}</ref> The album features guest artists with roots in northeast England, including [[Brian Johnson]], vocalist from [[AC/DC]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Sting to release first new original album in 10 years, 'The Last Ship'|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/sting-readies-new-album-musical-article-1.1364303|date=5 June 2013|newspaper=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]|location=New York|access-date=6 June 2013}}</ref>
[[File:Paul Simon & Sting at the O2 Arena.jpg|thumb|left|Sting and Paul Simon on stage at [[The O2 Arena|the O<sub>2</sub> Arena]] in London, April 2015]]
In February 2014, Sting embarked on a joint concert tour titled [[On Stage Together Tour|On Stage Together]] with [[Paul Simon]], playing 21 concerts in North America.<ref name="On Stage Together Billboard">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/5901154/paul-simon-sting-interview-tour-collaborating-new-music |title=Paul Simon and Sting Q&A: Tour Mates on Shared Music DNA and Future 'Writing' |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |first=Gary |last=Graff |date=10 February 2014 |access-date=24 November 2014}}</ref> The tour continued in early 2015, with ten shows in Australia and New Zealand,<ref name="On Stage Together AUS NZL">{{cite web|url=http://www.sting.com/news/title/sting-paul-simon-on-stage-together-second-final-perth-show-added |title=Sting & Paul Simon: On Stage Together – Second & Final Perth Show Added! |publisher=Sting.com |date=10 July 2014 |access-date=24 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sting.com/news/title/sting-paul-simon-on-stage-together-final-new-zealand-show-confirmed |title=Sting & Paul Simon: On Stage Together – Final New Zealand Show Confirmed! |publisher=Sting.com |date=25 August 2014 |access-date=24 November 2014}}</ref> and 23 concerts in Europe,<ref name="On Stage Together Europe">{{cite web|url=http://www.paulsimon.com/us/news/belfast-date-added-paul-simon-sting-stage-together-2015-european-tour |title=BELFAST DATE ADDED FOR 'PAUL SIMON & STING: ON STAGE TOGETHER' 2015 EUROPEAN TOUR |publisher=PaulSimon.com |date=13 November 2014 |access-date=24 November 2014}}</ref> ending on 18 April 2015. On 26 June 2015 in [[Bergen]], Norway (at the Bergen Calling Festival), Sting embarked on a 21-date [[Summer 2015 Tour|Summer 2015]] solo tour of Europe in [[Trondheim]], Norway (at the Olavsfestdagene), visiting Denmark, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Sweden.<ref name="Summer 2015 Tour">{{cite web |url=http://www.sting.com/tour/index/tour/id/29 |title=Summer : 2015 |publisher=Sting.com |date=February 2015 |access-date=12 February 2015 |archive-date=18 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180518120234/http://www.sting.com/tour/index/tour/id/29 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On 28 August 2015, "[[Stolen Car (Mylène Farmer Song)|Stolen Car]]", a duet with French singer [[Mylène Farmer]] was released.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Stolen Car – Single par Mylène Farmer & Sting|url = https://itunes.apple.com/fr/album/stolen-car-single/id1034196483|publisher = iTunes Store|access-date = 28 August 2015}}</ref> It is a cover from Sting's 2003 seventh solo studio album ''[[Sacred Love]]'' and will serve as the first single from Farmer's tenth studio album, ''[[Interstellaires (Mylène Farmer album)|Interstellaires]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Mylène Farmer: Un nouvel album au titre évocateur – Gala|url = http://www.gala.fr/l_actu/news_de_stars/mylene_farmer_un_nouvel_album_au_titre_evocateur_350407|access-date = 17 September 2015|first = Prisma|last = Presse| date=15 September 2015 }}</ref> On its release, the song went straight to number one over French [[ITunes Store|iTunes]] music download charts, subsequently hitting number one on the main French singles chart and giving Sting his first number one in France.<ref>{{Cite web|title = iTunesCharts.net: 'Stolen Car' by Mylène Farmer & Sting (French Songs iTunes Chart)|url = http://www.itunescharts.net/fra/artists/music/mylene-farmer-sting/songs/stolen-car/|website = itunescharts.net|access-date = 4 September 2015}}</ref> In 2016, Sting performed a 19-date joint concert summer tour of North America with [[Peter Gabriel]].<ref name="Summerfest 2016">{{cite web|url=http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/musicandnightlife/sting-peter-gabriel-to-headline-summerfest-on-july-10-b99654480z1-365743391.html |title=Sting, Peter Gabriel to headline Summerfest on July 10 |date= 19 January 2016 |access-date=20 January 2016}}</ref>

===2016–2020: ''57th & 9th'', ''44/876'' and ''My Songs''===
On 18 July 2016, Sting's first rock album in many years was announced. ''[[57th & 9th]]'' was released on 11 November 2016. The title is a reference to the New York City intersection he crossed every day to get to the studio where much of the album was recorded.<ref name="rollingstone.com Sting 57th & 9th">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/inside-stings-first-rock-album-in-decades-w429572 |title=Inside Sting's First Rock Album in Decades – How Prince's death, climate change inspired "impulsive" new LP |date= 18 July 2016 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date= 21 July 2016}}</ref><ref name="consequence.net Sting 57th & 9th">{{cite web |url=https://consequence.net/2016/07/sting-announces-new-rock-album-57th-9th/ |title=Sting announces new rock album 57th & 9th – "It's rockier than anything I've done in a while." |date= 18 July 2016 |website=[[Consequence of Sound]] |access-date= 21 July 2016}}</ref> It has contributions by long-time band members [[Vinnie Colaiuta]] and [[Dominic Miller]], and Jerry Fuentes and Diego Navaira of the Last Bandoleros. The album was produced by Sting's manager, Martin Kierszenbaum. On 9 November 2016, Sting performed two shows at [[Irving Plaza]], in [[Manhattan]], New York City, playing songs from ''57th & 9th'' for the first time live in concert: a "57th & 9th iHeartRadio Album Release Party" show and a Sting Fan Club Member Exclusive Show later that night.<ref name="sting.com Upcoming dates">{{cite web |url=http://www.sting.com/tour |title=Upcoming... |date= November 2016 |website=Sting.com |access-date= 6 November 2016}}</ref><ref name="sting.com Sting Irving Plaza show announcement">{{cite web |url=http://www.sting.com/news/title/exclusive-stingcom-fan-club-57th--9th-album-release-party-announced---november-9-at-irving-plaza-in-nyc/ |title=Exclusive Sting.com Fan Club 57th & 9th Album Release Party Announced – November 9 at Irving Plaza in NYC! |date=3 November 2016 |website=Sting.com |access-date=5 November 2016 |archive-date=5 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105193259/http://www.sting.com/news/title/exclusive-stingcom-fan-club-57th--9th-album-release-party-announced---november-9-at-irving-plaza-in-nyc/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Named the [[57th & 9th Tour]], a world tour of theatres, clubs and arenas in support of ''57th & 9th'' (with special guests [[Joe Sumner]] and the Last Bandoleros) began on 1 February 2017 in [[Vancouver]] at the [[Commodore Ballroom]] and continued into October.<ref name="sting.com Sting Theatre, Club and Arena Tour">{{cite web |url=http://www.sting.com/news/title/sting-57th-9th-tour-theatre-club-and-arena-tour-announced/ |title=Sting '57th & 9th' Tour – Theatre, Club and Arena Tour Announced... |date=14 November 2016 |website=Sting.com |access-date=15 November 2016 |archive-date=29 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129142015/https://www.sting.com/news/title/sting-57th-9th-tour-theatre-club-and-arena-tour-announced/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=10 April 2017 |title=Sting's Son to Join Him for Croatia Concert |url=https://www.croatiaweek.com/stings-son-to-join-him-for-croatia-concert/ |access-date=25 May 2022 |website=Croatia Week |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Capitals All Caps playoff Concert 2018 (42059410904).jpg|thumb|right|Sting (left) performing with [[Shaggy (musician)|Shaggy]] at the 2018 [[Washington Capitals|Capitals]] playoff concert]]
On 4 November 2016, management of the [[Bataclan (theatre)|Bataclan]] theatre announced that Sting would perform an exclusive concert in Paris on 12 November 2016 for the re-opening of the Bataclan, a year after the [[November 2015 Paris attacks|terrorist attack at the venue]].<ref name="lefigaro.fr Sting Bataclan re-opening show announcement">{{Citation |last=Lutaud |first=Lena |url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/2016/11/04/03004-20161104ARTFIG00160-avec-sting-le-monde-entier-va-voir-le-bataclan-revivre.php |date= 4 November 2016 |title=Avec Sting, le monde entier va voir le Bataclan revivre! |website=[[Le Figaro]] |access-date= 5 November 2016}}</ref> The Police's former guitar player, French native [[Henry Padovani]], joined the band on stage for "[[Next to You (The Police song)|Next to You]]", one of the encores.{{refn|group=nb|About the 2016 Bataclan re-opening show, Sting stated: "In re-opening the Bataclan, we have two important tasks to reconcile. First, to remember and honour those who lost their lives in the attack a year ago, and second to celebrate the life and the music that this historic theatre represents. In doing so we hope to respect the memory as well as the life affirming spirit of those who fell. We shall not forget them."<ref name="sting.com Sting Bataclan re-opening show announcement" />}}<ref name="sting.com Sting Bataclan re-opening show announcement">{{cite web |url=http://www.sting.com/news/title/sting-to-perform-an-exclusive-concert-in-paris-for-the-re-opening-of-the-bataclan-on-november-12/ |title=Sting to Perform an Exclusive Concert in Paris for the Re-opening of the Bataclan on November 12 |date=4 November 2016 |website=Sting.com |access-date=5 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105095346/http://www.sting.com/news/title/sting-to-perform-an-exclusive-concert-in-paris-for-the-re-opening-of-the-bataclan-on-november-12/ |archive-date=5 November 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Sting was announced as the joint winner of the 2017 [[Polar Music Prize]], a Swedish international award given in recognition of excellence in the world of music. The award committee stated: "As a composer, Sting has combined classic pop with virtuoso musicianship and an openness to all genres and sounds from around the world."<ref name="chow" /> In 2018, he scheduled a musical and story-telling performance at the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] honouring [[Hudson River School]] artist [[Thomas Cole]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Sting Will (Gently) Rock the Met in honour of Hudson River School great Thomas Cole {{!}} artnet News|url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/sting-thomas-cole-met-concert-1192727|website=artnet News|access-date=19 January 2018|date=5 January 2018}}</ref>

{{Quote box|width=32%|align=left|quote=For the first time in 22 years, BMI has a new top song in our repertoire with Sting's timeless hit "[[Every Breath You Take]]", a remarkable achievement that solidifies its place in songwriting history. |source=—[[Broadcast Music, Inc.|BMI]] President Mike O'Neill in May 2019 on "Every Breath You Take" becoming the most played song in US radio history.<ref>[https://www.bmi.com/news/entry/bmi-announces-top-honors-for-its-67th-annual-pop-awards "BMI Announces Top Honors for its 67th Annual Pop Awards"]. BMI. Retrieved 9 June 2019</ref>}}
On 7 February 2018, Sting performed as special guest at the Italian [[Sanremo Music Festival 2018|Sanremo Music Festival]], singing "Muoio per te", the Italian version of "[[Mad About You (Sting song)|Mad About You]]", the lyrics of which were written by his friend and colleague [[Zucchero Fornaciari]] and "Don't Make Me Wait" with Shaggy. ''[[44/876]]'', Sting and [[Shaggy (musician)|Shaggy]]'s first studio album as a duo,<ref name="Sting Shaggy 44/876">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/inside-sting-and-shaggys-unlikely-new-album-w515796|title=Inside Sting and Shaggy's Unlikely, Caribbean-Inflected New Album (How the former Police bassist and Jamaican dancehall star teamed up for a wild, Caribbean-inflected LP)|date=25 January 2018|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=25 January 2018}}</ref> was released in April 2018. On 21 April 2018, Sting was among the artists to perform at [[The Queen's Birthday Party]] held at the [[Royal Albert Hall]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/the-queen-celebrates-her-92nd-birthday-in-style-with-starstudded-concert-a3820271.html |title=The Queen celebrates her 92nd birthday in style with star-studded concert |newspaper=Evening Standard |date=21 April 2018 |access-date=22 April 2018}}</ref> In 2019, he received a [[BMI Award]] when "Every Breath You Take", a hit single by the Police, became the most-played song in radio history.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sting's "Every Breath You Take" Is the Most Played Song on Radio [Video] |url=https://guardianlv.com/2019/05/stings-every-breath-you-take-is-the-most-played-song-on-radio-video/ |access-date=10 June 2019 |agency=GuardianIv}}</ref> 

Sting's fourteenth album, titled ''[[My Songs]]'', was released on 24 May 2019. The album features 14 studio (and one live) re-recorded versions of his songs released throughout his solo career and his time with the Police.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sting-new-album-my-songs-814377/|title=Hear Sting Rework Three Classics for New Album 'My Songs'|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=28 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/sting-new-album-2019/|title=STING TEASES NEW ALBUM WITH 'RE-IMAGINED' VERSIONS OF HIS HITS|newspaper=Ultimate Classic Rock|date=10 January 2019}}</ref> In support of the album, a world tour named the [[My Songs Tour]] started on 28 May 2019 at [[La Seine Musicale]] in Paris and ended on 2 September 2019 at Kit Carson Park in [[Taos, New Mexico|Taos]], New Mexico.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sting is coming to Taos |url=https://www.taosnews.com/stories/sting-is-coming-to-taos,56661 |access-date=16 August 2019 |work=Taos News}}</ref> A 16-date residency from 22 May to 2 September 2020 at [[Caesars Palace]] in Las Vegas, Nevada was rescheduled due to COVID-19, with the first date taking place on 29 October 2021.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sting Launches Las Vegas Residency 'My Songs' At The Colosseum At Caesars Palace|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sting-launches-las-vegas-residency-my-songs-at-the-colosseum-at-caesars-palace-301412522.html |access-date=24 December 2021 |agency=[[PR Newswire]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Sting Announces Las Vegas Residency at Caesars Palace |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sting-announces-las-vegas-residency-at-caesars-palace-826596/ |access-date=15 August 2019 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]}}</ref> His 6 nights at the [[London Palladium]] were rescheduled to April 2022.<ref>{{cite news |title=STING Fri 15 April 2022 – Thu 21 April 2022 Booking at The London Palladium SOLD OUT |url=https://lwtheatres.co.uk/whats-on/sting/ |access-date=24 December 2021 |agency=LW Theatres}}</ref>

On 14 April 2020, Sting recorded a duet cover of "Message in a Bottle" with the girl group [[All Saints (group)|All Saints]].<ref>[https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/9358787/all-saints-police-cover-with-sting-listen "All Saints Covers a Police Hit ... With None Other Than Sting: Listen"]. ''Billboard''. Retrieved 5 May 2020</ref> The same year, he appeared on the song "Simple" available on the [[Extended play|EP]] ''[[Pausa (EP)|Pausa]]'' by [[Ricky Martin]].<ref name="cnnspanish">{{cite news|url=https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2020/05/29/ricky-martin-sorprende-con-pausa-un-ep-en-el-que-muestra-su-lado-mas-vulnerable-durante-la-cuarentena/|title=Ricky Martin sorprende con "Pausa", un EP en el que muestra su lado más vulnerable durante la cuarentena|publisher=[[CNN en Español]]|last=Huston-Crespo|first=Marysabel E|date=29 May 2020|access-date=30 May 2020|language=Spanish}}</ref> Also in 2020, Sting was listed as number 32 on ''[[Rolling Stone|Rolling Stone's]]'' list of the top 50 greatest bassists of all time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://au.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/50-greatest-bassists-of-all-time-13565/sting-13585/ |title=The 50 Greatest Bassists of All Time |website=au.rollingstone.com |date=July 2, 2020}}</ref>

===2021–present: ''Duets'' and ''The Bridge''===
On 19 March 2021, Sting released ''[[Duets (Sting album)|Duets]]'', a compilation album comprising 17 tracks of collaborations with various artists including [[Eric Clapton]], [[Mary J. Blige]], [[Shaggy (musician)|Shaggy]], [[Annie Lennox]] and [[Sam Moore]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Stephen Thomas|last=Erlewine|title=Duets – Sting|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/duets-mw0003447068|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=3 September 2021}}</ref> 

Sting released his fifteenth studio album ''[[The Bridge (Sting album)|The Bridge]]'' on 19 November 2021. It was preceded by the release of the lead single "If It's Love" on 1 September 2021. Sting wrote the set of pop-rock songs "in a year of global pandemic, personal loss, separation, disruption, lockdown and extraordinary social and political turmoil".<ref name = "latimes.com Sting The Bridge"/><ref name = "showbiz411.com Sting The Bridge"/> On 20 November 2021, Sting's single "What Could Have Been", with [[Ray Chen]], was featured in the third act of the ''League of Legends'' animated series ''[[Arcane (TV series)|Arcane]]''; this single was released the same day.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Esguerra|first=Tyler|date=26 October 2021|title=Riot's Arcane soundtrack features Imagine Dragons, Sting, Denzel Curry, Pusha T, Bea Miller, and more|url=https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/riots-arcane-soundtrack-tracklist|access-date=4 February 2022|website=[[Dot Esports]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=3 February 2022|title=Arcane: League of Legends – Every Song, Ranked|url=https://screenrant.com/arcane-league-of-legends-every-song-ranked/|access-date=4 February 2022|website=ScreenRant|language=en-US}}</ref> Sting then opened [[The Game Awards 2021]] with the song;<ref>{{Cite web|date=10 December 2021|title=The DeanBeat: The Game Awards and the game industry are back|url=https://venturebeat.com/2021/12/10/the-deanbeat-the-game-awards-and-the-game-industry-are-back/|access-date=4 February 2022|website=VentureBeat|language=en-US}}</ref> Todd Marten, for the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', wrote "[[The Game Awards]] began this year with an opening that might have launched the Grammy Awards".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Marten|first=Todd|date=10 December 2021|title=Game Awards, with audience in the millions, must now be bold and address industry issues|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2021-12-10/game-awards-capture-a-mass-media-inflection-point-for-the-medium|access-date=4 February 2022|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref>

In February 2022, Sting collaborated with Swedish DJ supergroup Swedish House Mafia, releasing a song and music video titled "Redlight". The song used lyrics from the Police's 1979 hit "Roxanne" with a dark electronic feeling. Sting made an appearance in the music video, the song being part of the new album from Swedish House Mafia titled ''[[Paradise Again]]''.<ref name=groove>{{Cite web|date=3 March 2022|title=Swedish House Mafia officially release new song 'Redlight'|url=https://thegroovecartel.com/news/swedish-house-mafia-sting-redlight/|access-date=3 March 2022|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref> In February 2022, it was announced that [[Universal Music Group]] purchased Sting's catalogue of solo works and those with the Police for an undisclosed amount.<ref>{{cite news |first=Cagan |last=Koc |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-10/sting-becomes-latest-rock-star-to-sell-song-catalog-to-universal |title=Sting Is the Latest Rock Star to Sell His Song Catalog to Universal |work=Bloomberg |date=10 February 2022}}</ref> ''[[Forbes]]'' ranked him as the [[Forbes list of the world's highest-paid musicians|highest-paid solo musician of 2022]], with an estimated earnings of $210 million.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2023/02/13/the-worlds-top-10-highest-paid-entertainers-of-2022/?sh=71d0f4d129a3| title=The World's 10 Highest-Paid Entertainers| website=Forbes| access-date=14 March 2023| archive-date=17 February 2023| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230217063844/https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2023/02/13/the-worlds-top-10-highest-paid-entertainers-of-2022/?sh=71d0f4d129a3| url-status=live}}</ref>

''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' reported that Sting gave a private performance on 17 January 2023 for fifty top Microsoft executives at the 2023 World Economic Forum at Davos. The next day Microsoft announced plans to lay off 10,000 people in what some employees called "as a bad look" for the company. "Some employees thought it wasn't the right time for a company-sponsored Sting concert," wrote Tom Dotan and Sam Schechner. "The theme of the event was sustainability."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/davos2023/card/microsoft-hosted-sting-performance-in-davos-on-night-before-it-announced-layoffs-cRHO4k295pSWarvtfQRJ|title=Wall Street Journal. "Microsoft Hosted Sting Performance in Davos on Night Before Announcing Layoffs By Tom Dotan and Sam Schechner|date=19 January 2023|website=Wsj.com|access-date=11 August 2024}}</ref> The event quickly went viral.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/stung-sting-reportedly-played-elite-microsoft-event-as-layoffs-loomed/|title=Microsoft execs held ritzy party with rocker Sting before massive layoffs|date=19 January 2023|newspaper=[[The Seattle Times]]|access-date=11 August 2024}}</ref>

==Activism==
[[File:Raoni and singer Sting.jpg|thumb|right|Sting with [[Chief Raoni]] in Paris, April 1989]]
Sting's involvement in human rights began in September 1981, when Martin Lewis included him in the fourth [[Amnesty International]] gala, ''[[The Secret Policeman's Other Ball]]'', a benefit show co-founded by [[Monty Python]] member [[John Cleese]].<ref>{{cite news|access-date=12 May 2008 | url=http://www.irishtimes.com/theticket/articles/2006/1020/1160606784745.html|title=REVOLVER|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|date=10 October 2006}}</ref> Sting states, "before [the Ball] I did not know about Amnesty, I did not know about its work, I did not know about torture in the world."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xcj9CRdSYEI |title=Sting TV Interview On NBC Today Show about Amnesty concerts |via=YouTube |date=22 April 2008 |access-date=15 August 2011}}</ref> Following the example set at the 1979 show by [[Pete Townshend]], Sting performed "Roxanne" and "Message in a Bottle" appearing on all four nights at [[Theatre Royal, Drury Lane|Theatre Royal]] in London. He also led other musicians (''The Secret Police'') including [[Eric Clapton]], [[Jeff Beck]], [[Phil Collins]], [[Donovan]], [[Bob Geldof]] and [[Midge Ure]] in the finale – Sting's [[reggae]]-tinged arrangement of [[Bob Dylan]]'s "[[I Shall Be Released]]". The event was the first time that Sting worked with Geldof. His association with Amnesty continued throughout the 1980s and beyond and he took part in Amnesty's [[human rights concerts]].<ref name="Amnesty" />

Sting had shown his interest in social and political issues in his 1980 song "Driven to Tears", an indictment of apathy to world hunger. In November 1984, he joined [[Band Aid (band)|Band Aid]], a charity supergroup primarily made up of the biggest British and Irish musicians of the era, and sang on "[[Do They Know It's Christmas?]]" which was recorded at [[Sarm West Studios]] in Notting Hill, London.<ref name="Band Aid">[https://web.archive.org/web/20111219224029/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1643506/looking-back-at-live-aid-25-years-later.jhtml "Looking Back At Live Aid, 25 Years Later"]. MTV. Retrieved 28 October 2016</ref> This led to the [[Live Aid]] concert in July 1985 at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]], in which Sting performed with Phil Collins and [[Dire Straits]].<ref name="Live Aid" /> On 2 July 2005, Sting performed at the [[Live 8]] concert at [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]], London, the follow-up to 1985's Live Aid.<ref name="Live 8" /> In 1984, Sting sang a re-worded version of "Every Breath You Take", titled "Every Bomb You Make" for episode 12 of the first series of the British satirical puppet show ''[[Spitting Image]]''. The video for the song shows the puppets of world leaders and political figures of the day, usually with the figure matching the altered lyrics.<ref>{{cite news |title=30 facts for 30 years – The truth about 'Spitting Image' |url=https://www.itv.com/news/central/2014-02-26/30-facts-for-30-years-the-truth-about-spitting-image/ |access-date=28 September 2019 |publisher=ITV}}</ref>

In June 1986, Sting reunited with the Police for the last three shows of Amnesty's six-date [[A Conspiracy of Hope]] concerts in the US. The day after the final concert, he told [[NBC]]'s ''[[Today (NBC program)|Today Show]]'': "I've been a member of Amnesty and a support member for five years."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xcj9CRdSYEI |title=Sting TV Interview on NBC Today Show about Amnesty concerts |via=YouTube |date=22 April 2008 |access-date=15 August 2011}}</ref> In 1988, he joined musicians including [[Peter Gabriel]] and [[Bruce Springsteen]] for a six-week [[Human Rights Now!]] tour commemorating the 40th anniversary of the [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]].<ref name="Amnesty">[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/how-amnesty-international-rocked-the-world-the-inside-story-20131025 "How Amnesty International Rocked the World: The Inside Story"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827090301/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/how-amnesty-international-rocked-the-world-the-inside-story-20131025 |date=27 August 2017 }}. ''Rolling Stone''. Retrieved 12 November 2014</ref>

With his wife, Trudie Styler and Raoni Metuktire, a [[Kayapo people|Kayapo]] [[Indigenous people of Brazil|Indian]] leader in Brazil, Sting founded the [[Rainforest Foundation Fund]] to help save the [[rainforest]]s and protect [[indigenous peoples]] there. In 1989, he flew to the [[Altamira Gathering]] to offer support while promoting his charity.<ref>{{Cite journal |doi = 10.1353/pbm.1993.0027|title = The Role of Indigenous Peoples in the Environmental Crisis: The Example of the Kayapo of the Brazilian Amazon|journal = Perspectives in Biology and Medicine|volume = 36|issue = 3|pages = 526–545|year = 1993|last1 = Turner|first1 = Terence|s2cid = 71983607 |issn = 0031-5982}}</ref> His support continues and includes an annual benefit concert at [[Carnegie Hall]], which has featured [[Billy Joel]], [[Elton John]], [[James Taylor]] and others. A species of Colombian tree frog, ''[[Dendropsophus stingi]]'', was named after him for his "commitment and efforts to save the rainforest".<ref>{{cite journal|author=M. Kaplan|title=A new species of frog of the genus Hyla from the Cordillera Oriental in northern Colombia with comments on the taxonomy of Hyla minuta|journal=Journal of Herpetology|year=1994|volume=28|issue=1|pages= 79–87|doi=10.2307/1564684|publisher=Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles|jstor=1564684|title-link=Cordillera Oriental (Colombia)}}</ref> In 1988, the single "[[They Dance Alone]] (Cueca Sola)" chronicled the plight of the mothers, wives and daughters of the "[[forced disappearance|disappeared]]", political opponents killed by the [[Augusto Pinochet|Pinochet]] dictatorship in Chile.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=3 June 2011 |url=http://www.coha.org/chilean-women%E2%80%99s-resistance-in-the-arpillera-movement/|title=Chilean Women's Resistance in the Arpillera Movement| website= coha.org |date=19 June 2008 }}</ref>

[[File:Sting (5071299947).jpg|thumb|right|upright|Sting signing a petition in Minsk in 2010 against the death penalty in Belarus, the only European country that still practises it.]]
On 15 September 1997, Sting joined [[Paul McCartney]], Eric Clapton, Elton John, Phil Collins and Mark Knopfler at London's [[Royal Albert Hall]] for Music for [[Montserrat]], a benefit for the [[Caribbean]] island devastated by a volcano. Sting and Styler were awarded the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience award in [[Sherborn, Massachusetts|Sherborn]], Massachusetts, on 30 June 2000.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=12 May 2008 |url=http://www.peaceabbey.org/awards/cocrecipientlist.html|title=The Courage of Conscience Award | website= peaceabbey.org|publisher=The Peace Abbey| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080517165319/http://peaceabbey.org/awards/cocrecipientlist.html|archive-date=17 May 2008}}</ref> In September 2001, Sting took part in ''[[America: A Tribute to Heroes]]'' singing "Fragile" to raise money for families of victims of the 9/11 attacks in the US.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/09/22/MN112627.DTL&type=printable|title=Musicians, actors honor heroes, raise money for attack victims|date=22 September 2001|first=John|last=Carman|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|page=A1}}</ref> In February 2005, Sting performed the [[Leeuwin Estate Concert Series]] in [[Western Australia]]: the concert raised $4&nbsp;million for the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami]] relief.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/Music/Sting-concert-raises-4m-for-tsunami/2005/02/11/1108061853169.html |title=Sting Concert Raises 4&nbsp;m for Tsunami |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date= 11 February 2005 |access-date=23 November 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.abc.net.au/news/australia/wa/bunbury/200502/s1295113.htm |title=The original and the best: 30 years of Leeuwin Estate concerts |work=[[Perth Now]] |date=17 February 2014 |access-date=21 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4160707.stm |title=Willie Nelson stages Tsunami gig |work=BBC News |date=10 January 2005 |access-date=23 November 2010}}</ref>

In 2007, Sting joined Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland for the closing set at the [[Live Earth]] concert at [[Giants Stadium]] in [[East Rutherford, New Jersey|East Rutherford]], New Jersey. Joined by [[John Mayer]] and [[Kanye West]], Sting and the Police ended the show singing "Message in a Bottle"<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1051059/the-police-west-mayer-close-out-live-earth-new-york "The Police, West, Mayer Close Out Live Earth New York"]. ''Billboard''. Retrieved 12 November 2914</ref> In 2008 Sting contributed to ''[[Songs for Tibet: The Art of Peace|Songs for Tibet]]'' to support [[Tibet]] and the [[Dalai Lama]], [[Tenzin Gyatso]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[E!]] |date=22 July 2008 |url= http://uk.eonline.com/uberblog/b147502_sting_matthews_mayer_gamer_tibet_beijing.html |title=Sting, Matthews, Mayer gamer for Tibet than Beijing |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080724212652/http://uk.eonline.com/uberblog/b147502_sting_matthews_mayer_gamer_tibet_beijing.html |archive-date=24 July 2008 }}</ref> On 22 January 2010, Sting performed "Driven to Tears" during ''[[Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief|Hope for Haiti Now]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/01/22/hope-for-haiti-now-the-telethons-10-best-performances/|title='Hope for Haiti Now': The telethon's 10 best performances|last=Karger|first=Dave|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=22 January 2010|access-date=26 April 2010}}</ref> On 25 April 2010, he performed on the [[National Mall]] in Washington, D.C. in the 40th anniversary celebration of [[Earth Day]].<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/25/AR2010042503324.html|last=Richards|first=Chris|title=Earth Day Climate Rally features music, speeches and an assist from Mother Nature|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|page=C.1|date=26 April 2010|access-date=26 April 2010}}</ref> Sting is a patron of the [[Elton John AIDS Foundation]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ejaf.com/about/our-patrons/ |title=Elton John AIDS Foundation patrons |publisher=[[Elton John AIDS Foundation]] |access-date=29 November 2012 |archive-date=12 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012055947/http://ejaf.com/about/our-patrons/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> 

In 2011, Sting joined more than 30 others in an open letter to British Prime Minister [[David Cameron]] for "immediate decriminalisation of drug possession" if a policy review showed it had failed. Sting was quoted: "Giving young people criminal records for minor drug possession serves little purpose — it is time to think of more imaginative ways of addressing drug use in our society."<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13625241 | title= Dame Judi Dench and Sting head drug rethink call |publisher=BBC News | date=2 June 2011}}</ref>

On 4 July 2011, Sting cancelled a concert for the Astana Day Festival in [[Astana]], Kazakhstan. Amnesty International convinced him to cancel due to concerns over the rights of Kazakh oil and gas workers and their families. On 2 November 2012, Sting appeared on ''[[Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together]]'' and sang a version of "Message in a Bottle" to raise funds for those affected by a storm on the east coast of the US that week. The show reportedly raised $23&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite magazine |url= https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/nbc-hurricane-sandy-telethon-raises-23-million-20121105 |title=NBC Hurricane Sandy Telethon Raises 23 Million |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=5 November 2012 |access-date=29 November 2012}}</ref> Sting also participated as a co-host and musician during the day-long [[TV-aksjonen|2015 Norwegian TV campaign]], dedicated to the preservation of the rainforest.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kaupang Jørgensen|first1=Karina|title=Sting til TV-aksjonen| url= https://www.nrk.no/tvaksjonen/arkiv/sting-til-tv-aksjonen-1.12492826|access-date=26 October 2017|publisher=NRK|date=23 September 2015|language=no}}</ref>

In August 2014, Sting was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to ''[[The Guardian]]'' expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to reject Scottish independence from the UK in [[2014 Scottish independence referendum|September's referendum]] on the issue.<ref>{{cite news|date=7 August 2014|title=Celebrities' open letter to Scotland – full text and list of signatories|work=[[The Guardian]]|location=London|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/07/celebrities-open-letter-scotland-independence-full-text|access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref>

Sting publicly opposed [[Brexit]] and supported remaining in the [[European Union]]. On 23 June 2016, in a [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|referendum]], the British public voted to leave. In October 2018, Sting was among a group of British musicians who signed an open letter sent to then Prime Minister [[Theresa May]], drafted by [[Bob Geldof]], calling for [[Proposed referendum on the Brexit withdrawal agreement|"a 2nd vote"]], stating that Brexit will "impact every aspect of the music industry. From touring to sales, to copyright legislation to royalty collation", the letter added: "We dominate the market and our bands, singers, musicians, writers, producers and engineers work all over Europe and the world and, in turn, Europe and the world come to us. Why? Because we are brilliant at it ... [Our music] reaches out, all inclusive, and embraces anyone and everyone. And that truly is what Britain is."<ref>{{cite news |title=UK music stars rail against Brexit in open letter to Theresa May |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/oct/06/uk-musician-warn-botched-brexit |date=6 October 2018|access-date=30 May 2019 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>

In January 2018, it was reported that Sting had joined the board of advisors of an impact investing fund of [[JANA Partners LLC]] named JANA Impact Capital, aimed at serving environmental and social causes.<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.wsj.com/articles/wall-street-fighters-do-goodersand-stingconverge-in-new-jana-fund-1515358929 | title= Wall Street Fighters, Do-Gooders—And Sting—Converge in New Jana Fund |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal | date=7 January 2018}}</ref> On 6 January 2018, JANA Partners, together with the [[California State Teachers' Retirement System]] issued a public letter imploring [[Apple Inc.]] to take a more responsible approach towards smartphone addiction among children. The letter cited several pieces of evidence that show that smartphone use by children increases the risk of their having mental health problems and worsens academic performance.<ref>{{cite news | url= https://thinkdifferentlyaboutkids.com/letter/?acc=1 | title= Open Letter from JANA Partners and CalSTRS to Apple Inc. | publisher= Think Differently About Kids | date= 6 January 2018 | access-date= 13 October 2018 | archive-date= 13 October 2018 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181013211606/https://thinkdifferentlyaboutkids.com/letter/?acc=1 | url-status= dead }}</ref>

==Personal life==
[[File:Sting 2014.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Sting with his 2014 [[Kennedy Center Honors|Kennedy Center Honoree]] Medallion, on 6 December 2014]]

Sting married actress [[Frances Tomelty]] on 1 May 1976. They had two children: [[Joe Sumner|Joseph]] (b. 23 November 1976), and Fuschia Katherine "Kate" (b. 17 April 1982) Sumner. In 1980, Sting became a [[tax exile]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stopsmilingonline.com/story_detail.php?id=1127|title=The Returns of the Prodigal Tax Exile |access-date=9 June 2010 |last=McMahon|first=Gary|date=August 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.comcast.net/slideshow/music-taxexiles/4/ |title=Sting &#124; Music's Top Twelve Tax Exiles |publisher=Comcast.net |access-date=3 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100120220432/http://www.comcast.net/slideshow/music-taxexiles/4/ |archive-date=20 January 2010 }}</ref><ref>''GQ'', June 1985, Interview with Fred Schruers</ref> in [[Galway]], Ireland. In 1982, after the birth of his second child, he separated from Tomelty.<ref name="People">{{cite news |title=Sting on Love and Wife Trudie Styler: She Rocks Me|url=https://people.com/celebrity/sting-on-love-and-wife-trudie-styler-she-rocks-me/ |access-date=24 February 2020 |work=People}}</ref> Tomelty and Sting divorced in 1984<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/sep/25/interview-the-thing-about-sting|title=Interview: The thing about Sting…|date=24 September 2011|website=The Guardian}}</ref> following Sting's affair with actress [[Trudie Styler]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2002/aug/04/features.magazine37|title=Interview: Trudie Styler|first=Adam|last=Higginbotham|date=3 August 2002|website=The Guardian}}</ref> The split was controversial; as ''[[The Independent]]'' reported in 2006, Tomelty "just happened to be Trudie's best friend (Sting and Frances lived next door to Trudie in Bayswater, west London, for several years before the two of them became lovers)".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/trudie-styler-the-truth-about-trudie-410523.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/trudie-styler-the-truth-about-trudie-410523.html |archive-date=25 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Trudie Styler: The truth about Trudie|date=4 August 2006|work=The Independent|language=en-GB|access-date=2 September 2016}}</ref>

Sting married Styler at Camden Registry Office on 20 August 1992, and the couple had their wedding blessed two days later in the twelfth-century parish church of St Andrew in [[Durnford, Wiltshire|Great Durnford]], Wiltshire, south-west England.<ref name="People"/> Sting and Styler have four children, three of whom were born before their marriage: [[Mickey Sumner|Brigitte Michael "Mickey"]] (b. 19 January 1984), Jake (b. 24 May 1985), [[Coco Sumner|Eliot Paulina "Coco"]] (b. 30 July 1990), and Giacomo Luke (b. 17 December 1995) Sumner. Coco is founder and lead singer of the group [[I Blame Coco]]. Giacomo Luke is the inspiration behind the name of [[Kentucky Derby]]-winning horse [[Giacomo (horse)|Giacomo]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://therail.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/04/every-little-horse-he-names-is-magic-or-just-about/|title=Every Little Horse He Names is Magic (Or Just About)|newspaper= The New York Times |date=4 November 2010 |access-date=18 January 2015}}</ref>

In April 2009, the ''[[Sunday Times Rich List]]'' estimated Sting's wealth at £175{{nbsp}}million and ranked him the 322nd wealthiest person in Britain.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/specials/rich_list/rich_list_2009/article6023877.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090511043444/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/specials/rich_list/rich_list_2009/article6023877.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 May 2009 |title=Search the Sunday Times Rich List 2009 |work=The Times |location=London |date=26 April 2009 |access-date=29 April 2009}}</ref> A decade later, Sting was estimated to have a fortune of £320{{nbsp}}million in the 2019 ''Sunday Times Rich List'', making him one of the ten wealthiest people in the British music industry.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mee |first=Emily |title=Who made the Sunday Times Rich List this year? |url=https://news.sky.com/story/who-made-the-sunday-times-rich-list-this-year-11717733 |access-date=30 December 2019 |publisher=Sky News |date=14 May 2019}}</ref>

Both of Sting's parents died of cancer: his mother in 1986 and his father in 1987. He did not attend either funeral, in order not to draw media attention to them.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sting.com/news/interview.php?uid=3729|title=Interview Date: October 1996 |access-date=18 January 2008 |last=Sutcliffe|first=Phil|date=October 1996|work=[[Q magazine|Q]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080405120220/http://www.sting.com/news/interview.php?uid=3729|archive-date=5 April 2008}}</ref>

In 1995, Sting gave evidence in court against his former accountant (Keith Moore), who had misappropriated £6 million of his money. Moore was jailed for six years.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/stings-adviser-jailed-for-pounds-6m-theft-from-star-1578141.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/stings-adviser-jailed-for-pounds-6m-theft-from-star-1578141.html |archive-date=25 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Sting's adviser jailed for pounds 6m theft from star|date=18 October 1995|work=[[The Independent]]|access-date=16 May 2019}}</ref> Sting owns several homes worldwide, including [[Lake House]] and its sixty-acre<!--conversion?--> estate near [[Salisbury]], Wiltshire; a penthouse at [[220 Central Park South]] in New York City; and the [[Villa Il Palagio]] estate in [[Figline Valdarno]], Tuscany.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lippe-Mcgraw |first1=Jordi |title=Sting Buys $65.7 Million Penthouse on Manhattan's Billionaires' Row |url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/sting-buys-penthouse-on-manhattans-billionaires-row |work=Architectural Digest|date=31 July 2019}}</ref> He owned a house in [[Highgate]], 2 [[The Grove, Highgate|The Grove]] for a number of years, which had previously been the home of violinist [[Yehudi Menuhin]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Richardson |first1=John |title=Highgate: Its history since the Fifteenth Century |date=1983 |publisher=Eyre and Spottiswoode |isbn=0-9503656-4-5}}</ref>

For much of his life, Sting's spare time interests and activities have revolved around mental and physical fitness. For many years, he ran five miles (8&nbsp;km) a day and also performed aerobics. He participated in running races at [[Parliament Hill, London|Parliament Hill]] and charity runs (including the Race Against Time for [[Sport Aid]] in both 1986 and 1988). Around 1990, Danny Paradise introduced him to yoga and he began practising the [[Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga]] series, though he now practises [[Tantra]] and [[Jivamukti Yoga]] as well.<ref name=YogaEdge>{{cite web | url= http://yoga.ygoy.com/2011/06/01/sting-and-yoga/ | title= Sting and Yoga | publisher= YogaEdge | date= 1 June 2011 | access-date= 22 October 2011 | archive-date= 16 January 2015 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150116025057/http://yoga.ygoy.com/2011/06/01/sting-and-yoga/ | url-status= dead }}</ref> He wrote a foreword to ''Yoga Beyond Belief'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whitelotus.org/ |title=Yoga Beyond Belief |publisher=[[White Lotus Foundation]] |access-date=19 October 2010}}</ref> written by Ganga White in 2007. In 2008, he was reported to practise [[Maharishi Mahesh Yogi]]'s [[Transcendental Meditation technique]].<ref name="bloomberg.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=aXiUpQyKxGnI&refer=india|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120720040637/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=aXiUpQyKxGnI&refer=india|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 July 2012|publisher=[[Bloomberg L.P.]]|title=Maharishi Mahesh Yogi|first=Jay|last=Shankar|date=6 February 2008|access-date=15 August 2010}}</ref> He also practises [[pilates]] regularly.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://celebritydailyroutine.com/sting-daily-routine/|title=Sting Daily Routine |date=16 January 2021 }}</ref>

[[File:Kasparov-44.jpg|thumb|right|[[Garry Kasparov]] and Sting in Times Square, New York, 2000]]
Also a keen [[chess]] player, Sting played chess grandmaster [[Garry Kasparov]] in an exhibition game in 2000, along with four bandmates: Dominic Miller, Jason Rebello, [[Chris Botti]] and Russ Irwin. Kasparov beat all five simultaneously within fifty minutes.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=12 May 2008 |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1433226/20000630/police.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041001003423/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1433226/20000630/police.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 October 2004|title=Sting Battles Chess King Kasparov in Times Square|publisher=MTV|date=30 June 2000|author=Manning, Kara}}</ref>

In 1969, Sting read the [[Gormenghast (series)|Gormenghast trilogy]] by [[Mervyn Peake]] and later bought the film rights. He named pets, a racehorse, his publishing company and one of his daughters (Fuschia, in the books actually Fuchsia) after characters from the books.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.sting.com/news/interview.php?uid=1552 |title=Police man's Peake – 'Weird and wonderful' is how superstar Sting describes the novels of Mervyn Peake... |work=[[Radio Times]] |date=December 1984 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061113044019/http://www.sting.com/news/interview.php?uid=1552 |archive-date=13 November 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Sting supports his hometown [[Premier League]] football club [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]] and in 2009 backed a supporters' campaign against the plan of owner [[Mike Ashley (businessman)|Mike Ashley]] to sell off naming rights of the club's home stadium [[St James' Park]].<ref>{{cite web|access-date=11 March 2011|url=http://www.footballfanscensus.com/football-industry-news/go/item/19457468/article/newcastle-united-fans-campaign-backed-by-sting|title=Newcastle United fans campaign backed by Sting|publisher=The Football Fan Census|date=12 November 2009|author=Mitchell, Terry|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415084640/http://www.footballfanscensus.com/football-industry-news/go/item/19457468/article/newcastle-united-fans-campaign-backed-by-sting|archive-date=15 April 2012}}</ref> He wrote a song in support of Newcastle, called "Black and White Army (Bringing The Pride Back Home)".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2015/04/25/sting-and-jimmy-nail-join-newcastle-united-fans-in-showing-their-support-to-protesting-toon-army-about-mike-ashley-5166213/|title=Celeb Toon fans join protest against Ashley|website=Metro|location=UK|date=25 April 2015|access-date=9 November 2019}}</ref>

In a 2011 interview in ''[[Time (Magazine)|Time]]'', Sting said that he was agnostic and that the certainties of religious faith were dangerous.<ref name=Time />

In August 2014, Sting donated money to The Friends of Tynemouth Outdoor Pool to regenerate the 1920s [[Lido (swimming pool)|lido]] at the southern end of Longsands Beach in [[Tynemouth]], northeast England, a few miles from where he was born.<ref name="Tynemouth">{{cite news|last1=Sharma|first1=Sonia|title=Geordie star Sting's cash gift to help save Tynemouth Outdoor Pool|url=http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/stings-cash-gift-help-save-5581180|newspaper=Evening Chronicle|date=3 August 2013}}</ref>

Sting is vegetarian.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

==Awards and nominations==
{{Main|List of awards and nominations received by Sting}}

==Discography==
{{Main|Sting discography}}
{{See also|The Police discography|List of songs recorded by the Police}}

===Studio albums===
* ''[[The Dream of the Blue Turtles]]'' (1985)
* ''[[...Nothing Like the Sun]]'' (1987)
* ''[[The Soul Cages]]'' (1991)
* ''[[Ten Summoner's Tales]]'' (1993)
* ''[[Mercury Falling]]'' (1996)
* ''[[Brand New Day (Sting album)|Brand New Day]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Sacred Love]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Songs from the Labyrinth]]'' (2006)
* ''[[If on a Winter's Night...]]'' (2009)
* ''[[Symphonicities]]'' (2010)
* ''[[The Last Ship (album)|The Last Ship]]'' (2013)
* ''[[57th & 9th]]'' (2016)
* ''[[44/876]]'' (2018) <small>(with [[Shaggy (musician)|Shaggy]])</small>
* ''[[My Songs]]'' (2019)
* ''[[The Bridge (Sting album)|The Bridge]]'' (2021)<ref name = "latimes.com Sting The Bridge">{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-08-25/sting-fall-preview-my-songs-las-vegas|title=Sting has 'no truck' with his rock peers who oppose vaccines: 'I'm old enough to remember polio'|date=25 August 2021|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref><ref name = "showbiz411.com Sting The Bridge">{{Cite web|url=https://www.showbiz411.com/2021/08/25/sting-readying-album-of-new-songs-called-the-bridge-for-november-release-with-single-if-its-love|title=Sting Readying Album of New Songs, Called "The Bridge," for November Release with Single, "If It's Love"|website=Showbiz411.com|date=25 August 2021}}</ref>

==Filmography==
'''As actor'''
* ''[[Quadrophenia (film)|Quadrophenia]]'' (1979) – The Ace Face, the King of the Mods, a.k.a. the Bell Boy in the film adaptation of the Who album.
* ''[[Radio On]]'' (1979) – Just Like Eddie
* ''[[The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle]]'' (1980) – Leader of the Blow Waves. The footage was cut but it later reappeared in the DVD version and in the documentary ''The Filth and the Fury'' (2000).
* ''[[Artemis 81]]'' (1981) – The angel Helith (BBC TV film)
* ''[[Brimstone and Treacle]]'' (1982) – Martin Taylor, a drifter
* ''[[Dune (1984 film)|Dune]]'' (1984) – [[Feyd-Rautha|Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen]]
* ''[[Gormenghast (series)#Adaptations|Titus Groan]]'' (1984) – [[Steerpike]] (BBC Radio 4 broadcast based on the [[Mervyn Peake]] novel)
* ''[[Gormenghast (series)#Adaptations|Gormenghast]]'' (1984) – Steerpike (BBC Radio 4 broadcast based on the Mervyn Peake novel)
* ''[[Plenty (film)|Plenty]]'' (1985) – Mick, a black-marketeer
* ''[[The Bride (1985 film)|The Bride]]'' (1985) – [[Victor Frankenstein|Baron Frankenstein]]
* ''Walking to New Orleans'' (1985) – Busker, singing ''Moon Over Bourbon Street.''
* ''[[Julia and Julia]]'' (1987) – Daniel, a British gentleman
* ''[[The Adventures of Baron Munchausen]]'' (1988) – a "heroic officer"
* ''[[Stormy Monday (film)|Stormy Monday]]'' (1988) – Finney, a nightclub owner
* ''[[The Grotesque (film)|The Grotesque]]'' (1995), a/k/a ''Gentlemen Don't Eat Poets'' and ''Grave Indiscretion'' – Fledge
* ''[[Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels]]'' (1998) – J.D., Eddie's father and owner of a bar.
* ''[[Kaamelott: The First Chapter]]'' (2021) – [[Horsa]]

'''As himself'''
* ''[[Urgh! A Music War]]'' (1982)
* ''[[Bring On the Night (film)|Bring On the Night]]'' (1985)
* ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' (1991) – host, various
* ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Radio Bart]]" (1992)
* ''[[The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer]]'' Episode 5 (1995)
* ''[[The Larry Sanders Show]]'' episode "Where Is the Love?" (1996)
* ''[[Ally McBeal]]'' season four episode "[[The Last Virgin|Cloudy Skies, Chance of Parade]]" (2001)
* ''[[Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out]]'' (2006)
* ''[[List of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip episodes|Studio 60 on Sunset Strip]]'' (2006)
* ''[[Vicar of Dibley]]'' [[Comic Relief (charity)|Comic Relief]] special (2007)
* ''[[Bee Movie]]'' (2007)
* ''[[Little Britain USA]]'' (2008)
* ''[[Brüno]]'' (2009)
* ''[[Still Bill (film)|Still Bill]]'' (2009)
* ''[[Do It Again (documentary)|Do It Again]]'' (2010)
* ''[[Life's Too Short (TV series)|Life's Too Short]]'' (2011)
* ''[[2012: Time for Change]]'' (2011)
* ''[[Can't Stand Losing You: Surviving the Police]]'' (2012)
* ''[[The Michael J. Fox Show]]'' (2013) (singing "August Wind" from ''The Last Ship'')
* ''[[20 Feet from Stardom]]'' (2013)
* ''[[Zoolander 2]]'' (2016)
* ''[[Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics]]'' (2020)
* ''[[Only Murders in the Building]]'' (2021)
* ''[[The Book of Solutions]]'' (2023)

==Theatre==
===Broadway and Tour credits===
{|class="wikitable"
|- align="center"
! Year
! Title
! Notes
|-
|1982
|''[[Rock 'N Roll! The First 5,000 Years]]''
|Writer: "[[Message in a Bottle (The Police song)|Message in a Bottle]]"
|-
|1989
|''[[The Threepenny Opera|3 Penny Opera]]''
|Role: [[Mack the Knife|Macheath]]
|-
|2014
|rowspan=3|''[[The Last Ship (musical)|The Last Ship]]''
|rowspan=3|Music and lyrics<br>Role: Jackie White
|-
|2019
|-
|2020
|}

==Publications==
* {{cite book |title=Broken Music |location=New York |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=2003 |isbn=0-7434-5081-7}}
* {{cite book |title=Lyrics by – Sting |location=New York |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-84737-167-6}}

==See also==
* [[List of music artists by net worth]]
* [[List of number-one hits (United States)]]
* [[List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)]]
* [[List of number-one dance hits (United States)]]
* [[List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart]]
* [[Mononymous persons]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=nb}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin|indent=yes}}
* {{Cite book|year=2005|title=Sting and I|first=James|last=Berryman|publisher=John Blake|isbn=1-84454-107-X}}
* {{Cite book|year=2000|title=A Sting in the Tale|first=James|last=Berryman|publisher=[[Mirage Publishing]]|isbn=1-902578-13-9}}
* {{Cite book |first=Paul |last=Cannell |title=Fuckin' Hell It's Paul Cannell |year=2012 |publisher=Poodle Publishing |isbn=9781475020793}}
* {{Cite book|year=2017|title=Sting: From Northern Skies to Fields of Gold|first=Paul|last=Carr|publisher=Reaktion Books|isbn=978-1-78023-813-5}}
* {{Cite book|first=Wensley|last=Clarkson|orig-year=1996|year=1999|title=Sting: The Secret Life of Gordon Sumner|publisher=Thunder's Mouth Press|location=New York|isbn=1-56025-226-X}}
* {{Cite book|year=2009|title=The Words and Music of Sting|first=Christopher|last=Gable|publisher=Praeger|isbn=978-0-275-99360-3}}
* {{Cite book|year=2021|title=Sting and Religion: The Catholic-Shaped Imagination of a Rock Icon|first=Evyatar|last=Marienberg|location=Eugene, Oregon|publisher=Cascade Books / Wipf & Stock|isbn=978-1-7252-7226-2}}
* {{Cite book|year=1998|title=Sting: Demolition Man|first=Christopher|last=Sandford|author-link=Christopher Sandford (biographer)|location=New York|publisher=Carroll & Graf|isbn=0-7867-0603-1|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/sting00chri}}
* {{Cite book|year=2003|title=Broken Music: A Memoir|url=https://archive.org/details/brokenmusicmemoi00sting|url-access=registration|author=Sting|publisher=Dial Press|location=New York|isbn=0-385-33678-0}}
* {{Cite book|year=2015|title=Sting and the Police: Walking in Their Footsteps|first=Aaron J.|last=West|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-0-8108-8490-8}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Official website|sting.com|Sting}}
* {{AllMusic|0000522377}}
* {{Discogs artist|Sting}}
* {{IMDb name|0001776}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{MusicBrainz artist|7944ed53-2a58-4035-9b93-140a71e41c34}}
* [http://www.berklee.edu/commencement/past/sting.html Sting's Commencement Address] (1994) to the [[Berklee College of Music]]
* [http://www.publicradio.org/tools/media/player/performance_today/features/2007/03/06_sting Sting] radio interview about John Dowland songs, from [[NPR]] ''[[Performance Today]]'', 6 March 2007
* [http://www.belarus.by/en/press-center/video/sting-live-in-minsk_i_258.html Sting] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820100359/https://www.belarus.by/en/press-center/video/sting-live-in-minsk_i_258.html |date=20 August 2019 }} live in Minsk (video) on the [http://www.belarus.by/en Belarus official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200402094656/https://www.belarus.by/en/ |date=2 April 2020 }}

{{Sting}}
{{Navboxes
|title = [[List of awards and nominations received by Sting|Awards for Sting]]
|list =
{{American Music Award of Merit}}
{{Brit British Album}}
{{Brit British Male}}
{{Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Song}}
{{EmmyAward VarietyPerformance}}
{{Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song}}
{{Grammy Award for Song of the Year}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Music Film}}
{{Kennedy Center Honorees 2010s}}
{{MusiCares Person of the Year}}
{{Polar Music Prize}}
{{2003 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}
{{WSA for Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film}}
}}
{{The Police}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sting}}
[[Category:Sting (musician)| ]]
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century English male singers]]
[[Category:20th-century English singers]]
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[[Category:21st-century English male singers]]
[[Category:21st-century English singers]]
[[Category:A&M Records artists]]
[[Category:Alumni of Northumbria University]]
[[Category:Annie Award winners]]
[[Category:Brit Award winners]]
[[Category:British soft rock musicians]]
[[Category:Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Deutsche Grammophon artists]]
[[Category:English activists]]
[[Category:English agnostics]]
[[Category:English classical double-bassists]]
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[[Category:English male singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:English tenors]]
[[Category:English autobiographers]]
[[Category:English yogis]]
[[Category:Golden Globe Award–winning musicians]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:Indigenous rights activists]]
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[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:British male double-bassists]]
[[Category:British male new wave singers]]
[[Category:Musicians from Newcastle upon Tyne]]
[[Category:People educated at St. Cuthbert's School]]
[[Category:People from Cramlington]]
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[[Category:Actors from Wallsend]]
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[[Category:The Police members]]
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[[Category:Reggae rock musicians]]
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[[Category:Walt Disney Animation Studios people]]
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[[Category:Pseudonyms]]
[[Category:British reggae musicians]]
[[Category:Kennedy Center honorees]]
[[Category:English expatriate musicians in the United States]]