Harry Styles Toasts Thom Yorke at 2026 Ivor Novello Awards Full Speech

Harry Styles launched Radiohead‘s Thom Yorke at the 2026 Ivor Novello Awards with a five-minute speech that was eloquent, heartfelt, humorous and charming. “It’s always nerve-wracking stepping onto a stage, but to know that a man I’ve spent so much of my life listening to is now listening to me talk to you about him is a truly terrifying honor,” he stated.

Styles offered Yorke with a fellowship prize at the Ivors, which have been held at the Grosvenor House in central London on Thursday (May 21).

Styles famous that he was born the yr after Radiohead’s debut album, Pablo Honeywas launched, a remark that drew laughter at the thought of ​​a younger man calling consideration to the age distinction. “Just going to let that sink,” he stated, drawing much more laughter.

Styles additionally identified that he misplaced his virginity to Radiohead’s “Talk Show Host.” He thought a second and corrected himself. “I lost my virginity to the intro to ‘Talk Show Host.’”

Here’s Styles’ speech introducing his hero, in full.

“Thom Yorke has all the time had a approach with phrases

Over his nearly 35 years of releasing music, he has taken emotions of hysteria and alienation, and turned them into atmospheres, anthems and artwork. From guitars to glitches, he has time and time once more proven us what the longer term appears like. Never compromising, a stressed inventive, an artist in its truest kind. There are not any two songs that sound alike.

For so many people, he lives atop this magical music mountain that we’re all trying to climb.

Some of you had Radiohead albums at the time they have been launched. Their debut album got here out the yr earlier than I used to be born. [laughter] Just gonna let that sink. [more laughter]

So, I found their songs over time rising up inhaling the secondhand teenage angst from up the steps separating my sister’s bed room from the place I sat beneath doing my homework.

Thank you to my uncle Michael for burning her quite a few CDs to attempt to persuade her of a few of what he known as among the weirdest stuff.

I discovered them once more at events [and] in treasured moments alone.

I misplaced my virginity to “Talk Show Host.” [laughter] I misplaced my virginity to the intro of “Talk Show Host.” [more laughter]

Thom’s work is music that’s felt. It’s all the time been considerably of a spiritual expertise to me. Religious within the sense that understanding appeared to go each methods.

I all the time felt I may uniquely perceive the author of those songs, and at final somebody was capturing what it seems like at instances to be human. Thank God, somebody would suppose that, I used to suppose. That alien, that prowling ghost, that offended prophet, Thom Yorke.

I can’t overstate how his work has influenced my perception within the objective of the humanities in our world right now, and I can’t overstate how a lot his work continues to affect me.

Without ‘Exit Music,’ there could be no “Watermelon Sugar.” Imagine that. [laughter] A world with out that music [playing off the laughter].

Now, it is all the time nerve-wracking stepping onto a stage, however to know {that a} man I’ve spent a lot of my life listening to is now listening to me discuss to you about him is a very terrifying honor. The first time I met Thom, I used to be strolling on the road in Rome. The earlier night dinner, listening to The Smiles’ “Bending Hectic,” my buddy had requested me if I’d ever met him, and I stated that I hadn’t. Maybe it was higher that approach. I’d all the time been frightened that he could be imply to me and emotionally I’d by no means get well.

The subsequent day, ‘A Moon Shaped Pool’ taking part in in my headphones. I discovered myself alone with him on a quiet cobbled road.

“Hello, Mr. Yorke,” I stated. “Oh, it’s you. Hello,” he replied. I used to be overwhelmed throughout our conversations. Our time with giants is to not be squandered. The weight of the moments with the lads who’ve made us is to be observed. He was gentle, he was pleasant and he was type.

In a world the place outdoors noise tends to leak into our consciousness with out permission, amongst our resented need to please, a small kindness prolonged to you by a hero might be sufficient to launch you. I beamed, and I’ve been beaming ever since.

The wizard was additionally a human.

When asking Thom’s mates to explain him in three phrases, they stated he was compassionate, delicate, devoted, daring, distinctive, untouchable, difficult, true punk, Not For Sale, or as his spouse shared me, holidays with synthesizer,

To quote Thom, “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Your mouth moves only with someone’s hand up your ass. Has the light cut out for you? Because the light’s gone out for me.” It is the twenty first century. The message is obvious. Commit to your humor and your heartbreak. Only cowards meet our difficult, lovely world with distance.

It’s an honor to be right here tonight to current Thom with this recognition of his enduring affect on British music. Radiohead is my favourite band. Thank you Thom perpetually.“