Why Some Fans Are Taking Issue With Harry Styles' Grammys Acceptance Speech

Harry Styles scored the major ‘Album of the Year’ award at the 2023 Grammys for his third studio record Harry’s House, and some fans expressed their disappointment with one particular line in the popstar’s acceptance speech.

When holding his trophy and speaking to viewers, the “As It Was” hitmaker, 29, said, “This is so, so kind. This doesn’t happen to people like me very often. This is so, so nice. Thank you very, very much.”

On Twitter and other social media sites, users began scrutinizing the “Daylight” singer’s words, and particularly his mention of “people like (him),” suggesting that, as one fan tweeted, that he was “not acknowledging his privilege” as a white man with that sentence.

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Harry Styles Criticized For ‘People Like Me’ Quote From Grammys Speech

When Styles won one of the biggest awards of the evening, some Beyoncé fans in particular seemed to be upset and stressed that they believed that she should have taken home the accolade for her disco pop album, Renaissance.

Although Styles seemed visibly stunned by his win and humbly and graciously thanked both fans and honored his fellow nominees, some audience members reportedly began shouting, “Beyoncé” and heckling him as he spoke.

And that wasn’t all. Styles’ “people like me” line seemed to really cause a rift among fans on Twitter, with some confused by what he meant, others expressing that he was referencing his humble beginnings and others saying that he should have “clarified” what he meant as “people like him, straight cisgender white men” seem to “win Grammys all the time,” as one tweeted.

Divided Fan Reactions

“‘This doesn’t happen to people like me often’ who, white british men?” one person wrote as another added, “Harry styles said ‘this doesn’t happen to people like me very often’ and I gotta be honest I can’t think of a type of people this happens for more.”

Someone else chimed in, tweeting, “Harry Styles- ‘this doesn’t happen to people like me very often’ when a Black woman hasn’t won that award since 1999 is wild,” recalling that a Black woman hasn’t won in the category since Lauryn Hill did in 1999.

Another fan on Twitter stressed that Styles— who grew up in a middle class household with a single mother in England and auditioned for the X Factor at 16— meant that “people like him” referred to anyone without industry connections, and who didn’t come from a wealthy background.

One other user expressed that Styles’ “people like me” line could have been a nod to his journey from teenage X Factor contestant to One Direction band member to now chart-topping solo artist, and how “unlikely” and “unexpected” his success seems.

Styles Opens Up About Grammy Win Backstage

While Styles has yet to clear up any confusion as to his speech, he did open up more about what the Grammy win meant to him, and his deep respect for his fellow nominees in that category (he was up against ABBA for Voyage, Adele for 30, Bad Bunny for Un Verano Sin Ti, Beyoncé for Renassaince, Mary J. Blige for Good Morning Gorgeous, Brandi Carlile for In These Silent Days, Coldplay for Music Of The Spheres, Kendrick Lamar for Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, and Lizzo for Special).

“You never know with this stuff,” he said in a Twitter video posted by Variety. “I don’t think you can look at any of the nominees and not feel like they’re deserving. I feel like when you look, when I look at this category, it’s all people who have inspired me at different times. It’s not like you’d understand anyone winning, and, yeah, I’m really grateful that they chose us. Thank you.”