Next week, Ed Sheeran will join the ranks of Eminem and Lady Gaga when he takes the stage [article id="1700720"]with Elton John at the Grammy Awards[/article]. And the nominee is "stoked" to be performing with the legendary British singer/songwriter.

"I can't wait to kind of just be involved in the whole thing. Just to be going is an honor, but to be nominated and performing is nuts," he told MTV News on Wednesday (January 30).

If music lovers are wondering how the British up-and-comer and the icon hooked up for the show, Sheeran explained that it was all John's idea. "He put it together," he said. "He rung me up one day and said, 'How would you feel about performing with me at the Grammys?' I was like, 'I'll check my schedule,' " he laughed.

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"He's been in touch for the past kind of three years, but has mostly become very prominent when we started to break the States, 'cause he knows the States like the back of his hand," Sheeran added.

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With only a week and a half until the February 10 broadcast, Sheeran doesn't have much time to prepare. But he's hoping he can sneak in some quality rehearsal time with John. "I think we got a rehearsal a day before the Grammys, so it's kind of going to be last-minute, but it'll work out," he said. "The thing is, when I've done it in England, they are my peers, I know them ... but I'm performing in front of people that have never even heard of me, so I've got to really make an impression. It's gonna be fun."

Back in 2001, Elton John filled in for Dido to perform "Stan" with Eminem. Then, nearly 10 years later, he appeared with Lady Gaga during her performance on the show where they mashed up "Speechless" and "Your Song."

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Sheeran, who is nominated for [article id="1698664"]Song of the Year for "The A Team,"[/article] will join a number of other acts set to hit the stage next month. [article id="1701045"]Justin Timberlake was just announced as a performer[/article] on Wednesday, plus the Lumineers, Carrie Underwood and Jack White will all hit the stage, and Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert are slated to perform together. Fun., fellow six-timers Mumford & Sons, five-time nominees the Black Keys and three-time nominees Rihanna and Taylor Swift have also been confirmed to perform. The show will air February 10 on CBS with LL Cool J hosting.

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