Clips of Liam Payne in his band days were shown at the 67th Grammy Awards

Liam Payne fans were overcome with emotion as the Grammys paid a heartfelt tribute to the late One Direction star on Sunday, with a
special performance
from Coldplay’s Chris Martin.

Martin, 47, took centre stage in the ceremony’s annual In Memoriam segment, which honours the legendary voices lost over the past year.

As host Trevor Noah introduced the tribute, a montage of Payne and his One Direction bandmates appeared on the big screen, showing them waving to a sea of adoring fans from a rooftop—a poignant reminder of his incredible journey in music.

As a montage of him smiling and singing on stage rolled, Payne said in a voiceover: “We never expected any of this to happen. Actually sit and think about it, we’ve done some amazing things.”

Chris Martin sang All My Love during the segment and people flocked to X, formerly Twitter, to share their thoughts on the “beautiful” tribute.

One penned: “The tribute to liam really has me bawling :(( seeing stuff like this and it still just doesn’t even feel real. liam payne forever & always.”

The in memoriam segment with an imagine of Liam Payne on the screen
AP

“Wasn’t ready for this liam payne tribute,” while a second wrote. A third added: “I love and miss him so much. Rest in peace angel.”

“Enjoying the grammys and then getting hit with the liam payne tribute felt like getting hit by a semi truck,” a fourth commented.

Another fan shared: “I’m so glad they gave him his moment and listed him as a singer, songwriter, and member of one direction”.

Other musicians remembered at the ceremony include American actor and singer Kris Kristofferson and Tito Jackson – an original member of The Jackson 5 and the brother of the late Michael Jackson and American musician Wayne Osmond.

The One Direction singer, 31, died from “polytrauma”, meaning multiple traumatic injuries, after he fell after he fell from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires aged 31 on October 16, a UK inquest opening heard earlier this month.

The devastating news sent shockwaves across the globe, with his One Direction bandmates uniting in grief. In a heartfelt statement, they shared: “We will miss him terribly.”

In December, five individuals, including Payne’s friend Roger Nores, the hotel manager, and a receptionist, faced charges linked to the singer’s tragic death, according to Argentina’s National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office.

Additionally, hotel worker Ezequiel Pereyra and waiter Braian Paiz were charged with supplying cocaine.

Martin performed All My Love for the segment
Getty Images

Last month, it was reported that Payne’s father Geoff Payne was being sued for defamation by the late singer’s friend Roger Nores.

In the legal complaint filed in Florida, Nores claimed that Payne’s father made sworn declarations to Argentine officials which were “false, contained material omissions, and many parts were not based on personal knowledge.”

He is seeking damages of $10 million. The contested statements include allegations that Payne was in the care of Nores and Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy “due to his addictions”, according to the lawsuit.

Nores said in his lawsuit that his relationship with the late singer was misrepresented, noting the pair had a “dear mutual friendship” but insisted he “never had a legal duty of care” towards him.

Nores claimed the statements, which were shared with the media, had an “adverse impact” on his reputation of “mega proportions with extensive damages.”