Why 2015 Truly Belongs to Artist of the Year: One Direction

When Harry, Louis, Niall, and Liam were announced as contenders for the American Music Awards Artist of the Year category; fans were thrilled to see the boys of One Direction in the running.

2015 has been a hell of a year for the boys and the fans alike and there were times when there were unspoken thoughts and questions pondered – but not asked aloud – about what the future held for Louis, Harry, Liam, and Niall if the hard times continued.  Fans quickly remembered that their idols were not boys who gave up easily and the lads have shown nothing since the beginning of the year but a positive spirit, a grateful heart, and a sense of camaraderie that only grew stronger as the months progressed.

It truly seemed that no matter what was thrown their way or what obstacles grew in their path; that they’d find a way to face it, to move past it, and to do so together.

At least; this is what true fans of One Direction saw.

On the outside, however, it was portrayed that 2015 was a year that destroyed the heart, spirit, and passion of One Direction.  As article upon article and news story upon news story spoke only of the negativity that Liam, Niall, Louis, and Harry faced; people began to lose faith that One Direction would survive through summer, especially with Zayn’s departure, let alone make it through the rest of the year.

On that day in March – it all could have ended.  Louis, Hary, Liam, and Niall could have quit; they could have taken the opportunity to call it a good run and leave it all behind.  It could have been the end of the era of One Direction forever and no one could have truly looked in their hearts and blamed the boys for it either.  They’d all suffered in their own way along the journey and although they’d seen, experienced, and been part of magical things; they’d also been exposed to a side of life that hurt.  Fans acknowledged this and sat nervous for the time immediately after Zayn’s departure.

The weeks turned to months after One Direction became a four piece and on July 31st the boys released a song with absolutely no promotion that would become an anthem for Harry, Niall, Louis, and Liam alongside the fans.  They took a stand, they used their voice, and they presented the world with Drag Me Down and within 24 hours they were singing it perfectly at their Indianapolis concert with a crowd of fans screaming it back at them.

It was a pivotal moment in the lives of the boys as individuals, as a band, and for the fans as they stood tall with a battle cry that said “We’re here, there’s nothing that can stop us, nothing that can break us, and with the love of our fans and the love of each other; nobody can drag us down”.

Things only got better from there.

Liam, Louis, Harry, and Niall gave it their all through their North American stops and went on to wow fans across the UK as they returned to finish the last leg of their On The Road Again tour.  When they were faced with rumors and nonsense, they kept their heads up and their hearts focused and worked even harder to give their best to their loyal fans.  When news broke about an impending hiatus and threw fans into a stir of emotions, the boys did nothing but reassure everyone that this was not the end.

The boys of One Direction continued to remind fans of how important they are and prove that there was truly no end in sight as they went through promo season for Made In The A.M – their fifth studio album.  Niall, Louis, Harry, and Liam released exclusive tracks from Made In The A.M in the days leading up to the album drop and also took to twitter with teaser videos, personal tweets with their favorite lyrics/songs, and even revealed a website to let fans get behind the scenes looks at how the album came together.  This special promo helped fans to feel closer to the lads, get a deeper connection to which songs meant the most to Louis, Liam, Harry, and Niall, and to be able to take a moment and realize how hard they work and how deserving they are of the time off they’ll be taking at the beginning of 2016.

Made In The A.M was praised by the lads as their favorite album and upon hearing it in its entirety fans understood why.  The album was not just a collection of catchy songs about love, life, and passion; Made In The A.M is a love letter from One Direction to the fans that never left, never gave up, and supported them through it all.  The album debuted at number 1 in the UK and number 2 in the US – proving that it was just as special to the fans as the boys hoped it would be.

On November 23rd; Niall, Liam, Harry, and Louis won Artist of the Year at the 2015 American Music Awards – which was a significant mark in their journey as they took this specific award home during what was, hands down, their hardest year together.  This statement proved wrong everyone who doubted them and expected them to fall apart and fail.  This statement said that regardless of what they face; as long as they’ve got each other and the fans – they can achieve greatness and live out their dreams even when others would say the future looks bleak.

Winning awards in general has always been something special to Harry, Niall, Liam, and Louis as they’ve remained humble no matter how many trophies and marks of achievement line their shelves and walls at home.  They never forget where they came from, how hard they’ve worked, and what it took to get where they are; they also never let the people who work alongside them, around them, and to support them forget how important and special they are.

In a world where ‘fame’ can certainly change you; Harry, Louis, Liam, and Niall have remained extremely thankful, genuine, down to earth, and lovely as they navigate their way through this incredible life.

While the time fans have with One Direction as they are now winds down and their hiatus gets closer and more real; it’s a beautiful way to end this volume of their story with an Artist of the Year win alongside the release of a very personal album.

2015 truly belonged to One Direction and it’s not quite over yet.  One Direction still have a number of appearances and shows before those stage lights dim on Louis, Harry, Niall, and Liam for the time being and they take a break to reflect, strengthen, and come back stronger than before.

Harry, Louis, Liam, and Niall – thank you for staying when you could have walked away.  Thank you for choosing strength and perseverance instead of allowing yourselves to be broken.  Thank you for letting fans know how important they are to you and for being so genuine in your admiration of the people who support you.  Thank you for giving fans hope, love, compassion, and most of all – thank you for creating a home for fans who didn’t have one before.

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