Styles grew up in Holmes Chapel, Cheshire. Styles auditioned as a solo contestant for the British music competition series The X Factor in 2010, where he and four other contestants were placed in a group to form One Direction. They have since released five studio albums, embarked on four world tours, and won several awards. The group began an indefinite hiatus in 2016. Styles later signed with Columbia Records as a solo artist. His debut single, "Sign of the Times", was released in 2017. Its music video earned him a Brit Award. His self-titled debut album was released the same year, topping the UK and US charts. Styles made his film debut in Christopher Nolan's war film Dunkirk (2017).