Rita Ora, who hosted the MTV EMA ceremony on Sunday night, delivered a moving speech in honor of Liam Payne, the former One Direction singer who died in October at the age of 31.
A moving tribute. Collaborator and long-time friend of Liam Payne, Rita Ora paid a vibrant tribute to the singer who died on October 16 after a fatal fall from a balcony in Buenos Aires (Argentina), during the MTV Europe Music Awards 2024 ceremony, on Sunday November 10.
“I just want to take a moment to remember someone who was very, very dear to us. We lost him recently and he was an integral part of the MTV world, my world and, I think, yours at home and everyone here tonight,” she said on stage.
— media (@ENTpIus) November 10, 2024
The emcee continued: “Liam Payne was one of the kindest people I knew. There were so many ways to honor him and I think sometimes just talking about him is enough. He had a big heart and was always the first person to offer help in any situation.
Rita Ora, who had collaborated with the late singer on the title “For You” present in the soundtrack of “Fifty Shades Freed” (2018), then marked a moment of palpable emotion, her voice trembling as she continued. “He brought so much joy wherever he went, leaving an indelible mark on this world,” she continued.
A tribute to Japan last month
As the audience cheered, she turned to the tribute video broadcast by MTV: “Let’s take a moment to remember our friend Liam,” she asked. The channel then projected a black and white montage of photos of the deceased artist, accompanied by the words “MTV Remembers Liam Payne 1993-2024”.
The musician expressed her grief following the death of Liam Payne, which occurred after a fall from the third floor of the CasaSur Palermo hotel in the Argentine capital, on Instagram on October 17: “He had a soul of immense kindness, I cannot will never forget it. I loved working with him so much – it was so nice to be with him on and off stage,” she captioned a photo of the pair together in the recording studio.
The singer then performed their song “For You” during a concert in Osaka (Japan), displaying the same photo on the big screen. According to images posted on social networks during the event, she stares at the image for a long time while leaving the stage.
