Fans itching for new tunes from Ed Sheeran need not wait much longer.

The British singer, who's spent the lion's share of 2013 on Taylor Swift's Red Tour, tells MTV News to expect new singles -- and likely a whole album -- following the 2014 awards season. Why? Sheeran's "I See Fire," which was written for Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," could earn a "Best Original Song" nomination at this year's Golden Globes and/or Oscars. (The song missed this year's Grammy nominations cutoff, but should be in contention for the 2015 awards.)

"I'm basically going to be promoting this song up until awards season, and then as soon as awards season is done, the next album begins," Sheeran told MTV News on Tuesday (December 3). The Academy Awards ceremony, which each year caps off the season, is scheduled for March 2, while nominations will be announced on January 16.

If there was any doubt about the quality of Sheeran's new tracks (JK, we know there are no doubts there), the 22-year-old confessed that pal Swift had a hand in the "energetic" album's recording process.

"Whenever I finished a song, I'd send it to her to get her opinion," he said. "She's heard all the songs and she's a good judge of what's good or not good."

For those lucky enough to have been in the audience for Sheeran's October 30 show at Madison Square Garden, the singer-songwriter debuted a new track titled "Tenerife Sea," which is expected to feature on the long-awaited album.

Excuse us while we start our calendar countdown.