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Former One Direction star Liam Payne was honored at the 2025 Brit Awards.
The 45th edition of the awards show featured an emotional tribute to Payne, who died in October 2024 at the age of 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.
Near the end of the ceremony, host Jack Whitehall told attendees that it was time to honor “a very special person who meant so much to so many of the people in this room and to millions of you around the world.”
“Last October, we woke to the devastating news that Liam Payne had tragically passed away,” Whitehall continued. “He achieved so much in the short time that he was on this earth, and was not only a supremely gifted musician, but an incredibly kind soul who touched the lives of everyone he came into contact with. We have so many amazing memories of Liam here at the Brits, so tonight we celebrate his legacy, look back and remember the remarkable Liam Payne.”
A video montage featuring Payne on the road with his former band and spending time with his family followed.
Shortly after the tribute aired, Payne’s One Direction bandmate Louis Tomlinson took to social media to thank the award show for honoring his friend.
“Thank you @BRITS. Beautiful tribute,” Tomlinson wrote via X on Saturday. “Miss you always brother x.”
One Direction, made up of Payne, Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Zayne and Niall Horan, was formed on the U.K. edition of The X Factor in 2010. The boy band went on to release five studio albums from 2011 to 2015. Following Malik’s 2015 exit from the group, the remaining members went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016 and pursued solo careers.
The band members’ paths crossed on multiple occasions in the years after their break as they attended each other’s concerts or caught up at awards shows. However, all five of them never officially reunited in public.
The day after Payne’s untimely death, Styles, Malik, Horan and Tomlinson released a joint statement.
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say,” the remaining members of One Direction said in October 2024. “But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”
Styles, Malik, Horan and Tomlinson subsequently reunited to attend Payne’s private funeral in Amersham, England, in November 2024. This marked the first time the four remaining band members had been seen together since Malik’s departure from the group.
The following month, Us Weekly exclusively revealed that the four were reevaluating their relationship after losing Payne.
“[Liam’s death] was a wake-up call for all of them. Prior, they kept in touch sporadically but didn’t have close friendships at all,” a source told Us in December 2024, noting that the former bandmates had since vowed to work on their dynamic.
“They’re all still mourning but are checking in on each other and feel closer than they have in years,” the insider added. “It brought them back together.”
Per the source, all five One Direction members were “in talks to do one last reunion show” before Payne’s death. While it was put on hold due to the tragedy, the prospect is not off the table.
“The guys would love to do a tribute to Liam. They’re all so devastated right now they can’t even think about that as a legitimate project, but it has been discussed,” the insider told Us. “Liam’s death has caused the guys immense heartbreak.”
