Harry Styles triumphs with most wins at the Brit Awards
Harry Styles was the big winner at the BRIT awards, Britain's pop music honours, on Saturday, winning all four categories he had been nominated in, a week after his triumph at the Grammys.
Styles took home the coveted album of the year for "Harry's House," song of the year for his synth-pop hit "As It Was," best pop/R&B act and artist of the year, one of two gender-neutral categories introduced last year after BRIT awards organizers got rid of female and male distinctions.
The contenders for that prize were all men, which had irked many in the industry and on social media.
"I'm really, really grateful for this and I'm very aware of my privilege up here tonight," Styles said in his acceptance speech, dedicating the artist of the year award to a list of female singers.
Styles, who rose to fame on the talent show "The X Factor" as a member of the boy band One Direction, last week won two Grammy awards, including album of the year.
"This night has been really special to me...Thank you so much for the welcome home," Styles said on Saturday after his final win, for best album. "I'm so, so proud to be a British artist out there in the world. I'm so proud to be here tonight celebrating British artists and British music."
A statement on the BRIT Awards' website said the gender-neutral categories had been introduced so artists were judged "solely on the quality and popularity of their work, rather than on who they are, or how they choose to identify."
But it added that organizers "acknowledge and share in the disappointment" of no women making the list. "A key factor is that, unfortunately, there were relatively few commercially successful releases by women in 2022 compared to those by men."
Indie rockers Wet Leg won group of the year and best new artist. Music star Beyonce was named international artist of the year and her hit "Break My Soul" won international song of the year.
