Harry Styles has been awarded the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) Global Single Award for his track As It Was.
The hit song was the lead single from Styles’ third studio album, Harry’s House, and was crowned song of the year at the Brit Awards earlier this month.
The IFPI, the organisation that represents the recorded music industry worldwide, announced As It Was as the winner of its Global Single Award on Thursday after Styles was confirmed as the artist with the world’s best-selling single of the year across all digital formats.
1: @Harry_Styles – As It Was
At No. 1 in this year’s IFPI #GlobalSinglesChart it’s Harry Styles with ‘As It Was’. A major global hit on release, it went on to break chart records worldwide as officially the biggest global single of the year.
Congratulations Harry Styles! 👏 pic.twitter.com/nkbp2d9C1o
— IFPI (@IFPI_org) February 23, 2023
The win marks the first time the 29-year-old has been awarded the gong as a solo performer, but also sees the 10th anniversary of his IFPI Award win as part of One Direction, who topped the first ever IFPI Global Recording Artist Chart and the IFPI Global Album Chart in 2013.
Of Styles’ win, chief executive of the IFPI Frances Moore said: “Congratulations to Harry Styles, and all of his team, on winning IFPI’s Global Single of the Year Award.
“Harry first received an IFPI Award as part of One Direction when we first launched the IFPI Global Recording Artist Chart 10 years ago, so it’s an honour to present him with an award this year for his stellar single As It Was – which has sound-tracked the year for so many music fans around the world.
“It’s wonderful to see such a diverse mixture of songs in the Global Single Chart this year – some familiar tracks from the previous year that continued to grow in 2022, amongst plenty of new tracks and some reimagined older tracks – all going to show that record companies are working hard to find new ways to ensure music fans around the world have access to such a wide range of music year on year.”
On the latest IFPI annual single chart Styles, who grew up in Cheshire, was joined by a number of other artists hailing from the UK.
At number two is English indie-rock band Glass Animals with their sleeper hit single Heat Waves, meanwhile Sir Elton John and Dua Lipa sit at number four with their collaboration Cold Heart (PNAU Remix).
2: @GlassAnimals – Heat Waves
In second place this year, Glass Animals make their IFPI #GlobalSinglesChart Top 10 debut with ‘Heat Waves’. Originally released in 2020, the unstoppable sleeper hit proceeded to climb charts globally, becoming the second biggest track of the year. pic.twitter.com/1RY345Vxte
— IFPI (@IFPI_org) February 23, 2023
Ed Sheeran has secured both number seven and number 10 on the chart with his hits Shivers and Bad Habits respectively.
Tottenham-born Adele found herself at number 13 with Easy On Me and Lipa appeared once again at number 12 with Levitating, featuring DaBaby.
Elsewhere, The Weeknd, Kate Bush, Jack Harlow, Lil Nas X and GAYLE also feature on the IFPI global single chart for 2022.
On Wednesday, Taylor Swift was announced as the IFPI’s winner of the Global Recording Artist Award for 2022.
The IFPI will reveal its global album chat on February 24.