Niall James Horan is an Irish singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence as a member of the band One Direction. In 2010, Horan auditioned as a solo contestant for British singing competition The X Factor. After being eliminated as solo performers, Niall, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Harry Styles were put together in a band. They went on to finish third in the competition beaten by season winner Matt Cardle. As a group, they have released five albums, embarked on four world tours, and won several awards.