Sufjan Stevens (born July 1, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has released eight solo studio albums and multiple collaborative albums with other artists. Stevens has received both Grammy and Academy Award nominations.His debut album, A Sun Came, was released in 1999 on the Asthmatic Kitty label, which he co-founded with his stepfather. He received wide recognition for his 2005 album Illinois, which hit number one on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart.