At the MTV EMAs, Rita Ora offers a heartfelt homage to Liam Payne, saying, “He had the biggest heart
On Sunday, Rita Ora hosted the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) and gave a heartfelt homage to Liam Payne.
At the conclusion of the awards ceremony at the Co-op Live venue in Manchester, England, the British singer-songwriter, wearing a sober black suit, said to the crowd, “I just want to take a moment to remember someone that was very, very dear to us.”
“He was a big part of the MTV world, my world, and I think a lot of yours at home and everybody in here tonight,” she added. “We lost him recently.”
To applause from the audience, Ora remarked, “Liam Payne was one of the kindest people that I knew.”
Becoming more tearful, she said, “So, let’s just take a moment to remember our friend Liam.”
Images of the former One Direction member then appeared in a video onscreen as the band’s 2014 song “Night Changes” played.
Payne died on October 16 at age 31 after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires. Three people are facing preliminary charges for crimes related to his death.
In 2018, Payne and Ora collaborated on the song “For You,” which featured on the soundtrack of erotic drama “Fifty Shades Freed” and peaked at number 8 on the UK’s official singles chart.
“I can’t even sing this right now,” Ora said while performing the song at her Tokyo concert days after Payne’s death.
