The MTV Europe Music Awards were held at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England on Sunday. During the award ceremony, Rita Ora honoured Liam Payne, the former One Direction member who tragically died on October 16 from injuries sustained in a fall from a hotel balcony in Argentina. "I just want to take a moment to remember someone that was very, very dear to us," Rita Ora, who was hosting the MTV EMAs for the third time, said. "We lost him recently, and he was a big part of the MTV world and my world, and I think a lot of yours at home, and everybody in here tonight," she added."
Rita Ora, who had collaborated with Liam Payne on the 2018 track For You, described him as one of the kindest people she had ever known. She shared that they had discussed "so many ways that we were talking about honouring him." "I think sometimes just simply speaking is enough. 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. So, let's just take a moment to remember our friend Liam," a visibly emotional Rita concluded.
The program then cut to a screen displaying photos of Liam Payne, with the message "MTV remembers Liam Payne 1993 - 2024" while a snippet of One Direction's Night Changes played.
.@RitaOra remembers her friend, Liam Payne ❤️ #MTVEMAs pic.twitter.com/pmHv9dct9B
— MTV EMA (@mtvema) November 10, 2024
Liam Payne died after falling three floors from a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 31. Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, said that he fell into a courtyard at Casa Sur Hotel. The National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor's Office confirmed to People that an autopsy revealed 25 injuries were "compatible with those caused by a fall from a height". They noted that "the head injuries were sufficient to cause death", along with internal and external haemorrhages in various parts of his body including "the skull, thorax, abdomen and limbs". According to La Nacion, hotel staff had previously contacted the police regarding an "aggressive man who may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol."
