Liam Payne Remembered: Rita Ora Delivers Touching Tribute at 2024 MTV EMAs

“He brought so much joy to every room he walked into, and he left such a mark on this world,” she says in an emotional homage to her friend.

By Sheenu Gupta On Nov 13, 2024 Share with new partner:

During the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards, held on Sunday at Co-op Live in Manchester, England, Rita Ora honored the memory of Liam Payne, the former One Direction member who tragically passed away on October 16. Payne, 30, succumbed to injuries after falling from the balcony of his hotel room in Argentina. Ora’s heartfelt tribute at the ceremony marked a poignant moment as she reflected on their collaboration and the impact Payne had on the music world.

While hosting the MTV EMAs for the third time, Rita Ora took a moment to pay tribute to Liam Payne, expressing her deep sorrow over his recent passing.

“I just want to take a moment to remember someone who was very dear to us,” Ora shared with the audience. “We lost him not long ago, and he was a huge part of the MTV family, my world, and I’m sure many of yours as well.” Ora, who worked with Payne on their 2018 hit “For You,” described him as one of the kindest people she knew and mentioned that she and the MTV EMAs organizers had discussed various ways to honor his memory during the event.

“I think sometimes just simply speaking is enough,” she continued. “He had the biggest heart and was always the first person to offer help in any way that he could.

“He brought so much joy to every room he walked into, and he left such a mark on this world,” she said, tearfully. “So, let’s just take a moment to remember our friend Liam.”

The tribute to Liam Payne continued as the program transitioned to a screen displaying heartfelt photos of the late singer, accompanied by the message, “MTV remembers Liam Payne 1993 – 2024.” A brief snippet of One Direction’s song “Night Changes” played in the background, adding to the emotional moment.

Just a month earlier, Rita Ora had also paid tribute to Payne shortly after his tragic passing. While performing in Osaka, Japan, she honored him with a deeply emotional performance of their 2018 collaboration, “For You,” capturing the sorrow of the moment with her moving rendition of the song.

“I can’t even sing this right now,” Ora told the crowd in Japan before asking them, “Can you sing this for me?” A photo of Ora and Payne then appeared on the video screen as the singer exited the stage.