MTV Awards host Rita Ora has paid an emotional tribute to her friend Liam Payne on stage at the ceremony, saying he had the “biggest heart”.
Ora, who duetted with Payne on the song For You in 2018, became emotional as she spoke about the One Direction star towards the end of the event.
The 31-year-old pop star died after he fell from a third-floor balcony at the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 16 October.
Speaking on stage at the MTV Europe Awards in Manchester, Ora described Payne as “one of the kindest people” she ever knew.
Liam Payne died last month in in Buenos Aires. Pic: PA
Her voice shaking, Ora appeared tearful as she addressed the audience. “I just want to take a moment to remember someone very, very dear to us,” she said. “We lost him recently and he was a big part of the MTV world and my world.”
Payne “had the biggest heart and was always the first person to offer help in any way that he could”, she added. “He brought so much joy to every room he walked into and he left such a mark on the world.”
The tribute took place almost at the end of a ceremony which saw Taylor Swift crowned best artist.
This is the first time the MTV event has taken place in the UK since 2017, when it was held in London.
It has also previously been held in Liverpool and Glasgow, but this is a first for Manchester and its new Co-op Live arena – which opened earlier this year, albeit three weeks later than planned due to several setbacks and cancellations.
Last year’s EMAs ceremony was planned for Paris, but was cancelled amid security concerns “given the volatility of world events” following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.
The European awards are separate to the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), which take place in the US earlier in the year.
Swift also dominated at that ceremony, taking home seven gongs to equal Beyonce’s career total of 30 and match her as most-awarded musician in VMAs history.
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