HOW IT ALL BEGAN
the fangirl awards
The Fangirl Awards 2022 were an opportunity for fans from across the pop-culture space to come together and celebrate those icons that had brought them joy over the last twelve months.
Nominees for each category were carefully chosen by a team of dedicated panellists, chosen by team TFGL for their personal contributions to the platform and the wider community.
With over 15,000 votes cast during the voting period, we were completely overwhelmed by the support you showed for this brand-new awards programme.
We must say a huge thank you to our panellists, who helped us curate our shortlist. So without further ado, let’s announce your 2022 Fangirl Award winners!
album of the year
Harry’s House by Harry Styles
01. the category
2022 has been a huge year for new music, with artists breaking records and pushing boundaries on new releases that touch all corners of the world. And with every new year comes one exceptional album that totally transforms your outlook on life. This year, there were several worthy of recognition.
Taylor Swift dropped her hotly anticipated Midnights, whilst Arctic Monkeys returned for the first time in four years with their latest album, The Car. The 1975 bounded back onto the scene with Being Funny in a Foreign Language, and Conan Grey debuted his second album, Superache.
But, with over 78% of the votes, Harry Styles’ third release, Harry’s House came out on top.
02. the winner
Harry’s House, released on 20th May 2022 was the third studio album from ex One-Direction member, Harry Styles. Topping charts around the world and touching fans with tender tracks including Matilda, and Love of My Life, the album is a release that dominated the pop scene in 2022.
Major singles, Music for a Sushi Restaurant and Late Night Talking became huge talking points, and lead single As It Was won Favourite Pop Song at the American Music Awards.
Harry’s House is That Fangirl Life’s Album of The Year 2022.
03. about harry’s house
Harry’s House was met with critical acclaim, debuting at number one on the UK Albums chart with 113,000 album-equivalent units, becoming Styles’ second number-one album and the fastest-selling album of 2022 so far.
In an interview with Apple Music, Styles explained how he came up with the title: “The album is named after Haruomi Hosono, he had an album in the ’70s called Hosono’s House, and I spent that chunk in Japan; I heard that record and I was like ‘I love that.[…] It’d be really fun to make a record called Harry’s House‘.” The initial idea came when Styles wanted to take the title in a literal way so he could make an acoustic EP recorded at his own house. Instead, he opted for the Harry’s House we know and love today.
single of the year
As It Was by Harry Styles
01. the category
Singles can make or break an artist. Whether it’s their first or their tenth, leading singles set the tone for the album ahead and often give listeners a first glimpse into the vibe of the release ahead. This year, they’ve been in plentiful supply. Wet Leg arrived on the scene with indie belter, Wet Dream, and Louis Tomlinson teased his second album Faith In The Future, with Out of My System.
However, our Album of the Year winner has also managed to scoop our Single of The Year award too.
02. the winner
As It Was, with its eighties-inspired chorus shot to the top of the charts and remained there throughout the summer. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser at Love On Tour, and a focal point for fan-artist interaction with its bridge line, ‘Leave America’, its success was at this point, set in stone.
“Come on Harry, we want to say goodnight to you!” chimes the voice of a young girl in its opening seconds. This is Harry’s God Daughter no less, adding another personal touch to the record.
With all these little nuances, it earnt a Guinness World Record title for the most streamed track on Spotify within 24 hours by any male artist and broke the Apple Music streaming record for most first-day streams for a 2022 release.
As It Was is That Fangirl Life’s Single of The Year 2022.
03. about AS IT WAS
In the United Kingdom, As It Was became Styles’ second solo number-one on the singles chart, debuting with the biggest sales and streaming weeks of any single in 2022. It also entered at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Styles’ second number-one single after Watermelon Sugar, taken from his 2019 release, Fine Line.
Its music video inspired several Love On Tour looks throughout the year, and racked up an impressive 382m views on YouTube alone. The single received its live debut at Coachella in April of this year, propelling the track to fame across social media just days after its release.
female artist of the year
Taylor Swift
01. the category
2022 was the year for women in pop music. Dominating the top spots on charts around the world, fierce females put up a good fight for the number one spot and ultimately, came out on top. With so many inspiring women garnering our playlists, it was hard to choose who should be crowned Female Artist of the Year 2022.
According to you, however, there was no contest. Beating off Beyonce, Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Olivia Rodrigo and more, Taylor Swift was your first choice.
02. the winner
Taylor Swift has had a monumental couple of years. From the release of her sister albums, Folklore and Evermore, to her most recent release, Midnights, it’s really been Taylor’s time to shine. And shine she has.
Her upcoming US Eras tour sold out in a matter of minutes, throwing Ticketmaster into turmoil and making many reconsider the way that we sell and purchase tickets. Tracks from Midnights have littered social media, skyrocketing to inevitable success on Tik Tok and soundtracking the latter part of 2022 for many, whilst her marketing campaign illustrated once again why Taylor is an outright promotional genius.
One of the most long-standing women in pop music, Taylor Swift is cemented in the pop culture halls of fame.
03. about Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is an American singer-songwriter whose discography spans multiple genres, and her narrative songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and media coverage. Her 2008 album Fearless shot her to fame, moving away from her country roots and onto the pop spectrum.
With ten studio albums under her belt, she’s amassed 50 million album sales, 150 million single sales, and 114 million units in album consumption globally, including 78 billion streams.
She is currently in the process of re-recording her catalogue, reclaiming the rights to her music after sixteen years in the spotlight.
male artist of the year
Harry Styles
01. the category
For many, our entry into fandom life came from supporting a male artist. Whether in a band or on a solo mission, our first glimpse into the spotlight and life of superstardom came from these artists. And there have been plenty of them peppering the top of the charts in 2022.
Our category this year was made up of Lewis Capaldi, Dermot Kennedy, Sam Fender, Dean Lewis, Conan Grey and Ed Sheeran, but there was only one man for the job.
02. the winner
Snapping up yet another award at The Fangirl Awards 2022 is Harry Styles. This man has had a truly record-breaking year. With an insanely huge touring show touching all four corners of the globe, two new film features and a chart-topping album all under his belt in 2022, this year really has been Harry Styles’ year.
He has dominated the pop-culture space throughout 2022, and this success is only set to continue into 2023 as he continues on his world tour in Australia. Then, he returns to Europe for another lap of his Love On Tour shows.
Harry Styles is That Fangirl Life’s Male Artist of the Year 2022.
03. about Harry styles
Harry Styles embarked on his musical journey as part of the British/Irish boy band One Direction in 2010. After five years together, they disbanded in 2015 to pursue solo careers, to which Styles rose even further towards the dizzying heights of fame.
His first solo album, Harry Styles marked a turning point in his musical evolution, and subsequent releases Fine Line and Harry’s House only advanced this. In 2022, as part of his Love On Tour shows, Styles performed 15 sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden, New York. To mark the achievement, a permanent banner was raised in his honour inside the venue.
Harry Styles is widely considered among the most successful solo artists to have emerged from a band.
group of the year
5 Seconds of Summer
01. the category
Boybands are where fandom all began. The Beatles brought this subculture to notoriety with adoring female fans following them in their droves, and today, the similarities between The Beatles and some of our favourite artists are unfathomable. Over the course of modern history, fandom has only grown stronger, largely due to the success and popularity of these major groups and bands.
Our Group of The Year category highlighted just a handful of those artists. Your votes, however, chose one clear winner.
02. the winner
5 Seconds of Summer have outlasted many of our much-loved boybands. Forming in late 2011, their career has outlasted many of their rival boy bands: think One Direction and Big Time Rush. In 2022, they have returned to their origins stronger than ever before, with a new album, The Feeling of Falling Upwards, and several intimate release shows at some of the world’s most iconic music venues.
On 2 March 2022, the band released Complete Mess as the lead single from their upcoming fifth studio album. This was followed less than one month later with second single, Take My Hand, a track greatly included in the promotion of the album.
As chosen by you, 5 Seconds of Summer are our Group of the Year 2022.
03. about 5 Seconds of summer
5 Seconds of Summer, often shortened to 5SOS, are an Australian pop-rock band from Sydney, New South Wales, formed in late 2011. Originally beginning their career on YouTube, they rose to international fame while touring with the English-Irish boy band One Direction on their Take Me Home Tour.
Since 2014, 5 Seconds of Summer have sold more than 10 million albums, sold over 2 million concert tickets worldwide, and the band’s song streams surpassed 7 billion, making them one of the most successful Australian musical acts in history.
The band has received numerous accolades and awards, including being honoured with the prestigious APRA Outstanding International Achievement Award in 2019, and being placed on Billboard’s Top Artists of the 2010s chart.
best live performance
Love On Tour with Harry Styles
01. the category
Touring is one of the most loved aspects of being a fan. Whether you go to one show or twnety shows, you’re garaunteed a magical evening surrounded by others who the same interests as you, seeing some of your favouite artists.
2022 has delivered some incredible live performances. After two and a half years of global industry shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, live music returned fully in 2022 and packed a powerful punch.
Adele gave a stellar performance at BST Hyde Park in July after five years away from touring, and Coldplay created a sky full of stars with their spectacular world tour. But once again, you believed that there was only one man for the job.
02. the winner
Touring is one of the most loved aspects of being a fan. Whether you go to one show or twenty shows, you’re guaranteed a magical evening surrounded by others who share the same interests as you.
Love On Tour was the must-attend event in the fangirl calendar this year. With feather boas and sequin tops bringing a sight to behold in cities around the world, the Love On Tour experience was unlike any other. Performing a combination of songs from his entire discography, Harry Styles brought 78 shows to fans in cities across Europe, North America and Latin America.
03. about LOVE ON TOUR
Love On Tour is the ongoing second concert tour by English singer-songwriter Harry Styles, in support of his second and third studio albums, Fine Line, which was released on 13 December 2019, and Harry’s House, which was released on 20 May 2022. This tour consists of seven legs spreading over the course of 22 months starting on 4 September 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and finishing on 22 July 2023 in Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Support acts included Mitski, Arlo Parks, Wolf Alice, Blood Orange, Jessie Ware and Ben Harper.
The European tour alone made $55 million and sold 638,000 tickets from the 23 shows performed from June to July 2022.
fan of the year
Laurel Melsom
01. the category
We all know what it takes to be a fan, but some take it that one step further.
They might have followed the fan-to-industry pipeline or documented their fangirl lives through social media, empowering others to do the same. What we do know, is that as fangirling becomes more and more mainstream, these people are paving the way for the next generation of fans.
Our nominees this year were people who had done incredible things for the community, but one stood out from the crowd.
02. the winner
Laurel Melsom documented her entire Love On Tour experience on social media, giving fans who didn’t get highly coveted tickets, the chance to experience the action from the comfort of their rooms. From choosing her outfits to sitting in line, from watching the show in the pouring rain at Wembley to the antics of life on tour, she documented everything.
Alongside her main fashion content which continued throughout 2022, she united a community of fans and brought people together all through the power of the internet.
As chosen by you, Laurel Melsom is our Fan of The Year.
03. about Laurel melsom
Laurel is a social media influencer from London covering all things fashion and fangirls. With 23k followers on Instagram and a further 18k on TikTok, her content is feel good by nature, do good by action.
She founded That Fangirl Life in 2020 to create a space for fans to feel safe and welcome. Host of the podcast for its first four seasons, this platform wouldn’t be here today without her passion and belief that fans are powerful, valued members of society.
Two years on, she has taken a step back from the platform to take time for herself, but remains a guiding light for the team and the fans who follow her online.
fanshop of the year
Pressed Paper Shop
01. the category
We can all name an artist whose merchandise is quite frankly, appalling. Unwearable colour combos, strange designs – you love them, but can’t justify spending a small fortune on a design you don’t totally vibe with. Enter stage left, fan shops. Oozing creativity with aesthetic designs that can be worn every day, their creations outperform the official, branded designs time and time again.
Thanks to the pandemic, there has been a huge influx in fan-run brands. The Clique Clothing Co featured on an episode of That Fangirl Life, and Lexi Styles delivered the Harry-Inspired goods. So many incredible creators have graced our Instagram feeds this year, but it was a battle of the fan for this year’s Fan Shop of The Year.
02. the winner
Dressing the fandoms, Pressed Paper Shop has had a stellar year in 2022. Continuing to go from strength to strength, her recent Midnights merch drop has had fans swooning, snapping up the merch before it goes out of stock once again.
We love Emily and the work she does with Pressed Paper Shop, and you guys do too, voting PPS as your Fan Shop of the Year.
03. about PRESSED PAPER SHOP
Pressed Paper Shop was born from incorporating the things that made owner, Emily most happy in the world: comfy crews, graphic tees, and accessories too cute to pass up. Her goal is always to create pieces that have meaning and spark happiness, no matter the weather.
Alongside her parents who work on the shop with her, Pressed Paper Shop has sold over 100k items of fan-made merch, and reached 160 countries around the globe.
Emily featured on That Fangirl Life: The Podcast in 2021 to share her journey with Pressed Paper Shop, and has continued to support the platform throughout the course of 2022.
podcast of the year
Midnight Memories
01. the category
With the influx of music and culture podcasts cropping up on streaming services, this year’s Podcast of The Year category had the potential to be an incredibly close call. Thankfully, our team of panellists managed to help us narrow some of our favourite podcasts down to a list of just seven.
Newbies on the block, Friends Not Fans emerged out of nowhere in 2022, bringing the feel-good factor we all know and love. Women in Music continued to elevate female voices and share their stories in the industry, whilst Standing BTS kept us up to date and in the know about what was going on in the fandom.
Only one, however, could claim the top spot.
02. the winner
With six episodes released in 2022, fans could listen to these hilarious Irish girls offer their hot takes on Best Song Ever, Story of My Life, and of course, Midnight Memories, the album.
They also tapped into the release of As It Was, and reviewed their 5 Seconds of Summer shows, bringing another new dimension to the podcast.
Midnight Memories: The Podcast is your Podcast of the Year.
03. about MIDNIGHT MEMORIES:THE PODCAST
Midnight Memories, a One Direction podcast hosted by Allie Wheelan and Aofie Browne launched in November of 2020, offering a much-loved trip down memory lane for any 1D Stan. Looking back at the band’s record-breaking career through their music and the scandals that followed, the world’s biggest boyband had plenty for listeners to explore.
Keeping One Direction alive seven years on is no easy feat, but these girls do it with enough charisma that it would easy to forget that we’re seven years into an indefinite hiatus.
update account of the year
Team1DFrance
01. the category
Update accounts are the lifeblood of all fandom activity. New concert dates announced? Check-in on an update account. Want content as it happens directly from a show? Check an update account. Your friend tells you that your fav is out and about looking absolutely FIRE? You head straight to your trusty update account to get in on all the action in real-time.
These accounts are run by some incredible fans who dedicate their time to making sure that you never miss a trick, and without them, fandoms wouldn’t operate in quite the same way.
This was the closest run category, with only three votes separating these two accounts from taking the top spot.
But who came out on top?
02. the winner
Team1DFrance swooped in at the last minute and took the title from the much-loved update account, Harry Florals.
Since 2014, at the height of this boyband’s career, the French team have been keeping tabs on 1D, updating fans on their latest releases, tours and sightings all in real-time.
Now, they track their solo endeavours to bring fans the action from the comfort of their own rooms. With a combined following of over 60,000, they’re you’re one-stop-shop for all things One Direction related in 2022.
03. about TEAM1DFRANCE
Team1DFrance emerged in 2014 as British/Irish boyband One Direction reached the dizzying heights of their careers. Uniting fans with all the news, gossip and content of a band on the road, they have continued to follow each individual member as they mapped out their solo careers.
Life after One Direction has brought many incredible moments, and this team have delivered time and time again to ensure that no fan is left out of touch.
Team1DFrance are your Update Account of The Year.
campaign of the year
Midnights Mayhem With Me
01. the category
Marketing campaigns in the 21st century remain an incredibly powerful tool. Until the news breaks about a new release, nobody other than those inside the four, recording studio walls know anything about a potential next big hit. So how do you get people on board? A strategic marketing campaign.
The secret to success in the modern day seems to be fan engagement, and in 2022, several major artists broke through those four walls and invited fans inside.
02. the winner
“I made up my mind that if you were going to be this generous, and give us this … I thought it might be a fun moment to tell you my new album comes out October 21st, and I will tell you more at midnight.”
Those were the words that started this incredible campaign. The Midnights Mayhem series on Tiktok was the beautifully crafted centerpiece to Taylor’s Swift’s latest album, racking up an eye-watering 66.5m views. Her Midnights announcement post on Instagram garners an impressive 8 million likes, and with this being Taylor’s first original release in nearly two years, it almost came as no surprise.
Midnights Mayhem With Me is your Artist Campagin Of The Year.
03. about Midnights Mayhem with me
Swift released Midnights Mayhem with Me on TikTok, unveilling the album’s track-list in a randomized order. A lottery cage containing 13 ping pong balls numbered from one to thirteen, each representing a track of the album, was rolled, and when a ball drops out, Swift disclosed the title of the corresponding track on the album, through a telephone.
The easter eggs that Swift leaves peppered amongst social posts, releases and television appearances are a cherished aspect of being one of her fans. If decoded correctly, they open a can of worms that lead to an album planned for release several years into the future. If decoded wrong, they are saved into the Swift Bank ready to be referred back to at any given moment.
The buzz around this tenth studio album shows that Swift is far more than a mainstream artist marketed towards impressionable teenage girls. She is a true marketing genius.
fandom of the year
Harries
01. THE CATEGORY
Without a doubt, this category boasts the most highly sought-after award of the year. It asks the question: which group of fans, is the most powerful? And in 2022, we’ve seen the power of the fan amplify ten-fold.
Mixers have continued to support their girls as they start out on their solo careers, and ARMY have watched on as their faves sign on for their compulsory military service. Swifties have done what they do best, and 5SOS Fam have followed the boys around on tour.
But as seems to be a running theme this year, one group of fans answered our call in their masses.
02. the winner
Harries have taken 2022 by the horns and dominated all corners of the pop-culture space. They turned out in their millions to catch Harry at the 2022 leg of Love On Tour and screamed one line in particular so loud that it could be heard outside of the soundproof stadium walls.
They’ve left a sea of loose feathers in their wake and enabled Harry to take home several coveted awards this year, and not just here at The Fangirl Awards.
There’s no question, that Harries are one of the most powerful fanbases in the fan-space right now, and the staggering results of this vote prove just that.
03. about THE HARRIES
Affectionately named after their idol, Harries are a force to be reckoned with. They’ve grown in their millions over the last couple of years, as Harry Styles moved away from his One Direction days and evolved into the artist we all know and love today.
His fans also have evolved. No longer are they a band of teenage girls. They are now young women going out into the world armed with the motto, “Treat People With Kindness” seeking to do good for the world and people around them.
And even if they leave a path of feathered destruction in their wake, they’ve shown compassion and dedication to their fandom throughout 2022.
Harries are your Fandom of the Year.