The 29-year-old musician swept the board, winning the awards for best song, best artist, best album, and best pop/R&B act.
Shortly after taking home the album of the year award in the 2023 Grammys for his third LP “Harry’s House,” Harry Styles won all four of his nominations in the 2023 BRIT Awards. However, rather than letting the spotlight shine soley on him, Styles called attention to a number of female musicians upon receiving his award for best artist.
READ ALSO: With Gratitude And Appreciation: Harry Styles Takes Home Album Of The Year Award At The 2023 Grammys
“I’m really, really grateful for this and I’m very aware of my privilege up here tonight,” he said during his acceptance speech. Besides showing gratitude to his family and members of his former band One Direction, he also thanked the musicians Florence Welch, Charlie XCX, Rina Sawayama, Becky Hill, and Mabel. This was his way of paying tribute to the women who weren’t able to make it to the final list for best artist.
The awards’ removal of gendered categories raised some controversy, as the entire shortlist for Artist of the Year was dominated by male acts. In addition to this, sixty percent of the awards’ winners were male musicians. Damian Christian, chairman of the BRIT Awards, told Music Week that it was “disappointing to see the lack of female representation,” but attributed this shortcoming to a lack of eligibility, as many of the UK’s biggest female musicians “weren’t in cycle last year, so didn’t meet the criteria for Artist Of The Year.”
Nevertheless, fans and collaborators of Styles agree that the young musician has earned his place in the industry. Shania Twain, who performed with him at last year’s Coachella, believes that his popularity stems from his incredible authenticity. “He’s nice, he’s likable, he’s kind, he’s a gentleman,” she tells the BBC. “Obviously he’s super-talented—he has everything you want as a fan to follow and appreciate and respect.”
One can see the extent of Style’s talent with his lively performance of his song “As It Was,” which started off the BRIT awards show with a bang.
Indeed, finding success as an independent artist after leaving a famous boyband is no easy feat. However, with the immense popularity of both his second album “Fine Line” and third album “Harry’s House,” Styles is proving to be a powerful and inimitable figure in the music world.
Banner image via Instagram @justjared.
