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Rita Ora hosted this year’s MTV Europe Music Awards (EMA) in Manchester, where she delivered a moving tribute to One Direction star Liam Payne, about a month after his death.
Ora, who collaborated with Payne on her 2018 hit single “For You,” whose voice cracked as she remembered him, described him as “one of the most amazing people I know.”
She gave her tribute speech wearing a dark suit, a touching moment that contrasted with the upbeat atmosphere of the rest of the ceremony.
That night, Taylor Swift continued her world domination by making history as the first person to win the Best Artist award three times in the EMA’s 30-year history.
Other winners included Rae, Sabrina Carpenter, Tyra, and Benson Boone. Sunday’s ceremony marks the first time the event has been held in the UK since 2017 and Ora’s third time hosting.
Towards the end of the show, she switches from her energetic role to talking about Payne.
“We want to remember someone who was so, so important to us,” she told the audience.
“We lost him recently, but he was such a big part of the MTV world and my world, and I think a big part of your world at home and everybody’s world here tonight,” she continued, “Liam Payne was one of the kindest people I ever knew. You know, we’ve been talking about honoring him in different ways, but I think sometimes just talking is enough.
“He had such a big heart and was always the first to help in any way he could.
“He brought so much joy to every room he walked into and he left such an impact on this world. So let’s remember our friend.”
She then introduced a short video with photos of Payne and a snippet of the One Direction song “Night Changes.” Watch on BBC iPlayer
Later that night, Swift also won four awards – Best Artist, Best Video (Fortnite), Best Live Performance and Best US Artist – but
wasn’t in Manchester to accept them
She’s in Canada this week preparing to continue the final leg of her Eraser Tour, and on Sunday she cheered on her boyfriend Travis Kelce as the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos
In her video acceptance speech, she said: Coming to you from the Eras tour and I’m so sad I can’t be with you tonight but thank you for this amazing award.
“Fact. It’s just incredible that you recognized everything that’s happened this year with the tour and the album and the videos.”
She thanked Post Malone, who performed on Fortnite, and the fans who voted for her.
“I’ve had the best time this summer touring Europe so it’s amazing that you’re doing this,” she added.
Sabrina Carpenter won best song for her hit “Espresso,” but was absent because she performed in San Diego on Sunday as part of her “Short and Sweet” tour.
Ray was among the Manchester stars who accepted the award for best performance from Great Britain and Ireland and sang two songs at the ceremony.
American singer-songwriter Benson Boone was also in town and opened the show by soaring above the crowd at the Co-op Live Arena and playing piano before accepting his award for best new artist.
“I was unprepared, but I have to say I hadn’t made music in an incredibly long time,” he said in his speech.
“I never knew my life would take this path.” Then a few years ago, I found my voice, my passion, my career.’ South African star Tyra told BBC News she was ‘honored and humbled’ as she won Best R&B, Best Afrobeat, and Best African Artist.
She was one of the other artists on the night, along with Shawn Mendes, Teddy Swims, and Pet Shop Boys, who were recognized as pop pioneers.
US rapper Busta Rhymes received the Global Icon award and told the BBC beforehand: ‘It’s an honor. For Rhymes, who spent two summers with his aunt Velma in Morecambe as a child, it was a return to the north-west of England.’
“I’d go to school, I’d go to karate school, I’d go to illegal clubs, I’d bro-dance to make money. It was fun,” he recalled of those outings.
Morecambe is also the adopted home of boxer Tyson Fury, who moved there in 2008 after marrying his wife Paris.
Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher was the only winner from Manchester, winning the award for Best Rock Act, but he was not in attendance and the award was not presented on stage, but rather in a summary of several categories.
With no members of Oasis in attendance, Rita Ora encouraged the crowd to sing along to her hit “Wonderwall”. But another experienced band emerged from Manchester, Shaun Ryder and Bez of Happy Mondays, who threatened to die. Ora steals the show in an unpredictable interview.
While Ryder kept a straight face for the most part, his enthusiastic sidekick eventually put his arm around Boone, interrupting a performance by Ola, of the K-pop girl group Le Sserafim.
The ceremony also paid tribute to the host city by introducing the nominees with New Order’s “Blue Monday” and adopting the diagonal black-and-yellow motif of the former Hacienda nightclub.
Presenters on the night included singer Mabel and her mother, Neneh Cherry, who was one of the winners of the first EMA in 1994, when her duet with Youssou N’Dour, “7 Seconds,” won Best Song.
MTV EMA 2024 Winners:
Best Artist – Taylor Swift
Best Song – Sabrina Carpenter, Espresso
Best Video – Taylor Swift ft Post Malone, Fortnite
Best Collaboration – Lisa ft Rosalia, New Woman
Best British/Irish Act – Ray
Best Production US Act – Taylor Swift
Best Live Act – Taylor Swift
Best Pop – Ariana Grande
Best Hip Hop – Eminem
Best K-Pop – Jimin
Best Rock – Liam Gallagher
Best Alternative – Imagine Dragons
Best Electronic – Calvin Harris
Best R&B – Tyra
Best Afrobeat – Tyra
Best Latin – Peso Pluma
Best New – Benson Boone
Best Push – Le Seraphim
Biggest Fan – Lisa
Global Icon – Busta Rhymes
Pop Pioneer – Pet Shop Boys
