Arts & Entertainment

Harry Styles dominates BRIT Awards

By Manuel Sanchez Gomez

London, Feb 11 (EFE).- Harry Styles made a clean sweep at Saturday’s BRIT Awards gala here, winning in each of the four categories where he was nominated to consolidate his status as the British musical icon of the moment.

The 29-year-old singer/songwriter and actor won the awards for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year (“Harry’s House”), Best Pop/R&B Act and Song of the Year (“As It Was”).

Styles, a 2010 “X Factor” contestant who vaulted to stardom as a member of the boy band One Direction, was the favorite of the critics and of the 13,000 people who packed into London’s O2 arena for the first edition of the event with an audience since before the pandemic.

The crowd responded rapturously to his performance of “As It Was,” and the only other performer to evoke a similar reaction was Lizzo.

Though the waning enthusiasm can be attributed in part to the decision of many in the audience to leave early to avoid long lines on the underground and in exasperation over technical problems that plagued the evening.

It was not a great look for an event that was held on Saturday for the first time in its history in a bid to recover television viewers who have drifted away.

In the 1990s, when the winners included the likes of Michael Jackson, David Bowie and Oasis, the BRIT Awards were regularly watched by more than 9 million people in the United Kingdom. Last year, only 2.7 million tuned in.

The other multiple winners on Saturday were Wet Leg, acclaimed as Best New Artist and Group of the Year, and Beyonce: International Artist of the Year and International Song of the Year (“Break My Soul”).

The 1975 won for Best Rock/Alternative Act and Fontaines D.C. took the prize for International Group of the Year, while Becky Hill picked up the BRIT for Best Dance Act.

Aitch was honored as Best Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act and David Guetta took Producer of the Year.

Arctic Monkeys and Stormzy left empty-handed. EFE

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