Rita Ora Pays Tribute To Liam Payne With Emotional MTV EMAs Speech

BYCole Blake
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Entertainment: 60th Annual Grammy Awards
Jan 28, 2018; New York, NY, USA; Rita Ora arrives at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dan MacMedan-USA TODAY via Imagn Images
The One Direction singer passed away, last month.

Rita Ora honored Liam Payne while hosting the MTV European Music Awards on Sunday night, a month after his tragic passing in Buenos Aires. While on stage at the event, she began the tribute: “Just want to take a moment to remember someon that was very very dear to us. We lost him recently and he was a big part of the MTV world and my world.”

“Liam Payne was one of the kindest people that I knew. There were so many ways we were talking about honoring him and I think sometimes just simply speaking is enough,” she continued. She concluded the speech by adding: “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.”

Rita Ora Hosts The MTV Europe Music Awards

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 10: Host Rita Ora on stage during the MTV Europe Music Awards 2024 held at Co-op Live on November 10, 2024, in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shirlaine Forrest/Getty Images for Viacom International)

Payne died at the age of 31 on October 16th after falling from his third-floor balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires. Investigators have said that he was alone in the room at the time, but according to prosecutors, he had “traces of alcohol, cocaine and a prescribed antidepressant.” Authorities have charged three people in connection with the death. The crimes include abandonment of a person followed by death” and “supplying and facilitating the use of narcotics,” according to the Associated Press.

Rita Ora Honors Liam Payne

As for the MTV European Music Awards, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, and more artists are competing for top trophies. Additionally, Tyla, Busta Rhymes, and Shawn Mendes, among others are performing. Check out Ora's speech for Payne below. Be on the lookout for further updates on Rita Ora on HotNewHipHop.

[Via] [Via]

About The Author
Cole Blake is a current staff writer at HotNewHipHop based out of New York City. He began writing for the site as an intern back in 2018 while finishing his B.A. in Journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s covered a number of breaking stories for HNHH. These include the ongoing YSL RICO trial, the allegations surrounding Diddy, and much more. His work also extends outside of hip-hop, having written extensively about a myriad of topics including politics, sports, and pop culture. He’s attended several music festivals to provide coverage for the site as well, such as Rolling Loud and Governors Ball.
...