An emotional remembrance for Liam Payne was featured at this evening’s Grammy Awards.
Just three months have passed since the former One Direction member tragically passed away after an accidental fall from his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Despite the fact that the band didn’t secure a Grammy during their successful years from 2010 to 2016, his absence is deeply felt within the music community.
During the “In Memoriam” segment, which pays homage to musicians, artists, producers, and other creative individuals who have passed away over the past year, the 31-year-old was recognized in a heart-wrenching tribute.
Check out the poignant moment below:
This year’s Grammy host, comedian Trevor Noah, introduced the segment to ‘remember those we’ve lost’, featuring a slideshow of late performers, with Payne being the first honored.
At the beginning of the tribute, an old recording of Payne was played where he reflected: “We never expected any of this to happen – I sit and think, ‘Oh, we’ve actually done something amazing’.”
The late singer was laid to rest in a private service in Buckinghamshire, UK, in November of last year. His former bandmates—Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik—attended the service, as did his ex-partner Cheryl Tweedy, with whom he has a seven-year-old son, Bear.
Although fans were hopeful for a band reunion in honor of their late friend during the ceremony, Ben Winston, executive producer of the Grammy Awards, confirmed beforehand that it was not planned.
Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Winston remarked: “It is a very difficult time. Losing Liam was very, very tough. No doubt about it. But, no, there will be no One Direction performance. He was the most beautiful, wonderful boy and I love him very, very much. He is in, of course, our In Memoriam, without question.”
The director also expressed how deeply Payne’s passing affected him, stating: “Actually [Payne’s passing] is a very sad thing for me – when you are going through rehearsals and seeing the clips and a guy that was sat in this office four weeks before that tragedy happened.”
“It is extra sad for people – not just me who loved Liam, but for many,” he concluded.
Many fans have since taken to Twitter to express their feelings about the tribute, sharing that they still ‘can’t believe’ he’s gone and were deeply moved by the memoriam.
“Oh my god the Liam Payne tribute has me in bits,” one fan shared, while another wrote: “The Liam Payne tribute at the Grammys just hurt my heart all over again.”