The 1975 used their BRIT Awards speech to call out misogyny in the music industry

When accepting awards, some artists deliver a long list of thank yous. Others use the opportunity to  highlight important issues. 

When accepting the 2019 BRIT award for Best British Group, The 1975's lead singer Matty Healy used his speech to call out misogyny in the music industry by quoting an article by music journalist Laura Snapes, who's deputy music editor at The Guardian. 

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"I want to read a couple of sentences that a friend of ours, Laura Snapes, said this week and I thought we should all think about it," Healy said before reading aloud from Snapes' op-ed on misogynistic behaviour in the music industry. Snapes' piece was written in the wake of a New York Times report alleging Ryan Adams "offered to jumpstart" the careers of female musicians and then "pursued them sexually." 

"In music, male misogynist acts are examined for nuance and defended as traits of 'difficult artists,' Healy quoted, "while women are treated as hysterics who 'don't understand art.'"

You can watch Healy's acceptance speech here.

In an email to Mashable, Snapes explained the importance of male allies like Healy in the music industry. 

"I am encouraged and grateful that a powerful male musician used his platform to talk about the double standards facing male and female musicians in front of the most powerful people in the British music industry," Snapes told Mashable. 

"It's a sad fact that when women talk about their experiences of misogyny, people don't always listen."

On Twitter, Snapes shared her delight and surprise at being quoted on stage at the BRIT awards.

"Women in the music industry need male allies like Matty Healy who are willing to challenge the status quo and question the dynamics that have buoyed their careers," Snapes told Mashable. 

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