Highlights
- Harry Styles inducted Thom Yorke into the Fellowship of the Ivors Academy
- The singer made a candid revelation about losing his virginity to Talk Show Host
- Styles said Exit Music (For a Film) influenced his hit Watermelon Sugar
- He also recalled an emotional first encounter with Yorke in Rome
From teenage obsession to life soundtrack
Harry Styles turned an awards speech into a deeply personal tribute while honouring Thom Yorke at the 2026 Ivor Novello Awards.
Taking a break from his “Together, Together” residency tour, Styles presented Yorke with the Fellowship of the Ivors Academy and reflected on the impact the musician had on his life. He praised Yorke for transforming feelings of anxiety and alienation into songs that resonated with generations of listeners.
Styles recalled discovering Radiohead through CDs circulating at home while growing up. Their music, he said, became part of his teenage years and eventually attached itself to some of life’s most memorable moments.
Among the speech’s most talked-about revelations was Styles’ admission that he lost his virginity to Talk Show Host, specifically during the song’s intro. The unexpected confession quickly drew attention, but also underlined how closely Radiohead’s music had become tied to defining points in his life.
The surprising influence behind Watermelon Sugar
Styles also offered a rare glimpse into the music that shaped his own songwriting.
He said Exit Music (For a Film) had a lasting impact on his creative thinking and suggested there would be no Watermelon Sugar without it. More broadly, he explained that Yorke’s work had influenced his view of the role art plays in people's lives.
Describing Yorke as a restless creative force, Styles said his songs always felt emotionally direct and helped him understand feelings he struggled to put into words himself.
The Rome encounter he feared for years
Styles also shared the story of finally meeting Yorke after years of imagining how it might happen.
He recalled unexpectedly seeing him on a quiet street in Rome after previously admitting to friends that perhaps it was better they never met. Styles said he had long worried that meeting one of his musical heroes could end badly and feared he would be devastated if Yorke turned out to be unfriendly. Instead, he found the opposite.
According to Styles, Yorke was warm, kind and welcoming. Reflecting on the encounter, he said even a small gesture from someone admired can leave a lasting effect.
Following the tribute, Yorke reportedly urged music executives to support emerging artists. He also debuted a new song believed to be titled “Space Walk” and performed an acoustic version of Radiohead’s Jigsaw Falling into Place.
