Liam Payne death: Rita Ora shares emotional tribute at MTV EMA Awards

Rita Ora and Liam Payne performing together during Westfield London's 10th-anniversary celebrations in 2018. Ora recently paid a heartfelt tribute to her collaborator at the MTV EMA awards. Photo / Getty

British pop star Rita Ora has called former One Direction member Liam Payne “one of the kindest people” she knew in a tearful tribute at the MTV European Music Awards.

During her speech on-stage at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, the BBC reported Ora’s voice cracked when she spoke about the late singer, who died aged 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina last month.

“I just want to take a moment to remember someone that was very, very dear to us,” Ora, wife of Kiwi director Taika Waititi, told the audience.

“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.”

Ora collaborated with Payne on the 2018 hit single For You for the movie Fifty Shades Freed.

“[Payne] had the biggest heart, and was always the first person to offer help in any way that he could,” she told the crowd.

“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.”

.@RitaOra remembers her friend, Liam Payne ❤️ #MTVEMAs pic.twitter.com/pmHv9dct9B

— MTV EMA (@mtvema) November 10, 2024

A video clip featuring photos of Payne and a snippet of the One Direction song Night Changes played after Ora finished her speech.

It is the third time Ora has hosted the prestigious awards, which honour artists and music in pop culture.

The heartfelt tribute comes just days after AFP reported Argentinian prosecutors had charged three people with abandoning the British musician in a vulnerable state and supplying him with drugs.

The former One Direction star died at the age of 31 after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires.

Payne, famous for his solo single Strip That Down and as a member of the boyband One Direction, died from “multiple traumas” that caused “internal and external bleeding”.

The prosecutor’s office also revealed Payne had consumed cocaine, alcohol and a prescription antidepressant before his fatal fall.

Police described the singer’s hotel room as being in “total disorder” when they initially arrived.

They found a bottle of whiskey, a lighter and a white powder in the room, as well as medications and energy pills.

Earlier it was reported police had been called regarding reports of an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol”.

It was recently revealed the singer’s body has been flown back to Britain ahead of his funeral, which is set to be held this month.

Ora’s emotional speech joins the long list of tributes from celebrities who had collaborated with Payne in the past.

When he first heard the news of Payne’s death, rapper Quavo, best known as a member of the now-defunct hip-hop group Migos, shared a photo of Payne to Instagram with the caption, “Rest in paradise”.

German music producer, DJ and a collaborator on Payne’s Get Low, Anton “Zedd” Zaslavski, described the news as “absolutely heartbreaking”, adding: “RIP Liam ... I can’t believe this is real.”

Elsewhere during the awards night, BBC reported pop juggernaut Taylor Swift made history as the first person to win best artist three times in the 30-year history of the EMAs.

The opening act for Swift’s Eras Tour, Sabrina Carpenter, scooped best song for her hit Espresso, and rapper and actor Busta Rhymes received the Global Icon award.