Rita Ora tearfully honors Liam Payne at the MTV Europe Music Awards: 'One of the kindest'

Rita Ora became tearful during her tribute to Liam Payne at the MTV European Music Awards on Sunday, November 10.

The former One Direction member, 31, died on October 16 after falling from his hotel's third-floor balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Rita Ora.

Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shutterstock

Ora, who collaborated with Payne on the song "For You" from the Fifty Shades Freed album in 2018, told the crowd in London, "I just want to take a moment to remember someone who was very, very dear to us."

"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 continued, "Liam Payne was one of the sweetest persons I know. And, you know, there were so many ways we were talking about honoring him, and I believe that sometimes just saying is enough.

"He had the largest heart and was usually the first one to provide assistance in any manner he could.

"He brought so much enthusiasm into every place he entered, and he made such an impression on the globe. So let us take a minute to commemorate our friend.

A brief montage of photographs of Payne was then presented over the One Direction song "Night Changes."

Taylor Swift became the first person to win Best Artist three times in the EMAs' 30-year history.

In a video acceptance speech, she remarked, "I'm coming to you from the Eras tour, and I'm so sorry that I can't be with you tonight." But thank you very much for these wonderful prizes.

"The fact that you have honored the tour [and] everything that's happened with the album this year, the video, it's just unbelievable."