Read Taylor Swift's full BRITs Global Icon Award speech

11 May 2021, 22:10 | Written by Cerys Kenneally

(News)

(Taylor Swift)

Taylor Swift became the first female artist to win the Global Icon Award at tonight's (11 May) BRIT Awards, read her full speech below.

The BRIT Awards 2021 marked the first major indoor music event in the UK, and welcomed a live audience of 4,000 people, over half of which were frontline workers.

After being presented the Global Icon Award by Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams (of which Swift is a huge fan), and walking onstage to "Love Story (Taylor's Version)", Swift delivered a heartfelt speech that saw her give a shoutout to her British fans, as well as thanking the NHS and more, read the full speech and list of winners from tonight's BRIT Awards below.

"Anyone who knows me at all knows that Game of Thrones is my life, so the fact that Maisie was here to present this - I wanna grab you, I can't we're social distancing, but thank you so much for coming here to do this - and that video, anyone that was in that video, Selena, Zoe, Ed, Griff! And, my soul left my body when Annie Lennox was on that video, that was like a thousand surprise birthday parties where all your friends are jumping out like "ahh!" and you're just like "this is the best!""

"I wanna thank the BRITs, or anyone who decided that I would be worthy of this incredible honour. I'm really really proud to be a part of this musical community, especially in a year where we all needed music so much, but what we needed even more was the help and support we got from the NHS and the key workers who are here tonight. Thank you for everything that you've done for us."

"This is a really cool one [the trophy], I love this. I am so indebted to and grateful for my British fans, I love you so much for everything you've done for me. We've had so many amazing memories inn the last 15 years, from playing Shepherd's Bush Empire, to playing the O2 Arena, to playing Wembley Stadium, and hey, because of you, last year I almost played Glastonbury so. But, we all know what happened next, the world changed and I ended up putting out three albums instead."

"Making Folklore and Evermore was one of the most unique, cathartic, extraordinary experiences I've ever had. I would love the opportunity to thank the amazing creative people that I made those albums with. Thank you Aaron Dessner, thank you Jack Antonoff, Joe, Justin Vernon, The National, Marcus Mumford, Jon Low, Serban Ghenea, Laura Sisk, and Haim. I wanna thank my friends and family, who know exactly who they are, whose opinion of me never changed whether my stock was up or down, if there's one thing that I've learned it's that you have to look around you everyday and take note of the people who have always believed in you, and never stop appreciating them for it, never take them for granted."

"There are so many incredible new artists in this room tonight, and a lot of people watching who have goals and ambitions and dreams for themselves. I need you to hear me when I say there is no career path that comes free of negativity. If you're being met with resistance, that probably means that you're doing something new. If you're experiencing turbulence or pressure that probably means you're rising. And there might be times whenn you put your whole heart and soul into something and it is met with cynicism or scepticism, you cannot let that crush you, you have to let it fuel you because we live in a world where anyone has the right to say anything that they want about you at anytime. But just please remember that you have the right to prove them wrong."

"I love you all thank you so much for this beautiful honour, thank you to the BRITs. This is amazing."

An extra special speech from @taylorswift13 as she receives the BRITs Global Icon Award #BRITs pic.twitter.com/kZ7EGSIv7Y
— BRIT Awards (@BRITs) May 11, 2021