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20th Feb 2019

Matt Healy makes passionate speech about sexual harrassment at the BRIT Awards

The lead singer of The 1975 took the chance to raise the issue of sexual harassment in the music industry in his acceptance speech at the BRITs

Reuben Pinder

He recited quotes from a piece in the Guardian about sexual assault in the music industry

The 1975 won the BRIT Award for British Group on Wednesday evening. But more notable than them picking up the award was lead singer Matt Healy’s acceptance speech. The charismatic frontman did not make some ambiguous remarks about how rock’n’roll will never die as some of his peers have done in the past, he had something much more important to say.

After picking up the trophy, Healy decided to use this opportunity to raise the issue of sexual assault and misogyny in the music industry. Reciting a quote from a piece by the Guardian’s music editor Laura Snapes, he said: “I just want you to listen to me for one sec. Just a couple of sentences. A friend of ours, Laura Snapes, said this and I just thought we should all really really think about it.

“She said ‘in music, male misogynist acts are examined for nuance and defended as traits of difficult artists, while women and those who call them out, are treated as hysterics who don’t understand art.'”

The piece that Healy is referring to was published last week, after American singer-songwriter Ryan Adams was accused of sexual misconduct by several women.