Chris Martin honours Liam Payne in tearful tribute

Former One Direction star Liam Payne, who tragically passed away in October 2024 at age 31, received a moving tribute from Coldplay's Chris Martin at the 2025 Grammy Awards. Martin, fresh from the band's landmark India concerts, delivered an emotional rendition of Coldplay's latest single 'All My Love' during the 'In Memoriam' segment.

The tribute began with a stirring montage of Payne's journey, from his early One Direction audition to the band's meteoric rise to global stardom. As images played across the backdrop screen, Martin's gentle piano performance drew tears from audience members. While Payne's former bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik were not present, their impact on modern pop music was evident in the memorial footage.

The segment, part of the 67th Annual Grammy Awards at Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena, also honoured other music industry legends including Kris Kristofferson and Tito Jackson. A special tribute to Quincy B. Jones featured performances by Cynthia Erivo and Janelle Monae, with Will Smith making an appearance.

The emotional Grammy moment came just days after Coldplay's historic performances in India on January 25-26, where they played their biggest shows to date. Trevor Noah hosted the ceremony, which streamed on the Recording Academy's YouTube channel and was available to Indian viewers exclusively on Disney Plus Hotstar.