Harry Styles Thanks Mom and Former One Direction Bandmates in Artist of the Year Speech

Harry Styles ruled the night at the 2023 Brit Awards taking home all four trophies he was nominated for—Song of the Year for “As It Was,” Album of the Year for Harry’s House, Pop/R&B Act, and Artist of the Year.

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When accepting the award for Artist of the Year, Styles gave a grateful speech, thanking his family—especially his mom—and the former members of his band One Direction, with whom Styles got his start.

“Thank you again,” Styles said during his acceptance speech for Artist of the Year. “I’m gonna to start by—I want to thank my family for being the most supportive understanding patient loving family I could have ever asked for. I want to thank my mom for signing me up for X Factor without telling me. So I literally wouldn’t be here without you. I want to thank Nile, Louis, Liam, and Zayn because I wouldn’t be here without you either, thank you so much.

Styles then added a closing line about his privilege, subtly acknowledging the backlash he received following his Grammy speech for Album of the Year. In that speech Styles remarked, “This doesn’t happen to people like me very often.” The comment provoked online followers to discuss Styles’ privilege and how someone like him is acknowledged often in the music industry.

Styles concluded his Brit award speech by saying, “I’m really, really grateful for this and I’m very aware of my privilege up here tonight,” before dedicating the award to five female artists. “So this award is for Rina (Sawayama), Charli (XCX), Florence (Welch), Mabel, and Becky (Hill).”

Earlier in the evening, Styles, who was presented with the award by Shania Twain, took home Song of the year for “As It Was.”

“This album and this song was the most fun I’ve ever had making music, Styles said. “I want to thank Rob Stringer for lending me his house to record this in, write it in. I want to thank Tom and Tyler and everyone, all my friends who support me. Thank you to everyone who listened and thank you, Louis.”

“As It Was” is the lead single off Harry’s House, which spent 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making history as the fourth-longest-running No. 1 ever on the chart. It also hit No. 1 on the U.K. Singles chart. Harry’s House debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and the U.K. Albums Chart.

Renowned for his live performances, Styles is currently crisscrossing the globe as part of his Love On Tour. The tour continues through July 22, when it wraps in Italy. Love on Tour started in September 2021 and included 15 sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City in August 2022.

Watch Styles accept the Brit award for Song of the Year.

Mastercard Album of the Year

The 1975, Being Funny in a Foreign Language, Dirty Hit

Wet Leg, Wet Leg, Domino Recordings

Harry Styles, Harry’s House, Columbia, Sony Music — WINNER

Stormzy, This Is What I Mean, 0207/Merky, Universal Music

Fred Again.. Actual Life 3 (January 1-September 9 2022), Atlantic Warner Music

Song of the Year

Aitch/Ashanti, “Baby,” Capitol, Universal Music

Cat Burns, “Go,” RCA/Since 93, Sony Music

Dave, “Starlight,” Dave/Neighbourhood, Universal Music

Ed Sheeran & Elton John, “Merry Christmas,” Atlantic/EMI, Warner Music, Universal Music

Eliza Rose/Interplanetary Criminal, “B.O.T.A. (Baddest of Them All),” Warner Records/One House/Warner Music

George Ezra, “Green Green Grass,” Columbia, Sony Music

Harry Styles, “As It Was,” Columbia, Sony Music — WINNER

Lewis Capaldi, “Forget Me,” EMI, Universal Music

LF System, “Afraid to Feel,” Warner Records, Warner Music

Sam Smith & Kim Petras, “Unholy,” Capitol, Universal Music

Artist of the Year

Central Cee, Central Cee

Fred Again…, Atlantic, Warner Music

George Ezra, Columbia/Sony Music

Harry Styles, Columbia/Sony Music — WINNER

Stormzy, 0207/Merky, Universal Music

Pop/R&B Act

Cat Burns, RCA/Since’93, Sony Music

Charli XCX, Asylum/Atlantic, Warner Music

Dua Lipa, Warner Records, Warner Music

Harry Styles, Columbia, Sony Music — WINNER

Sam Smith, Capitol, Universal Music

Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage

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