The 67th annual Grammys took place against the backdrop of devastating Los Angeles wildfires, but one emotional moment stood out amidst the tragedy. A carefully crafted video tribute to former One Direction member Liam Payne, who died at age 31 in October, aired during the In Memoriam section.
Grammy Awards executive producer Ben Winston revealed that the loss was personal for him, as he had worked closely with Payne and One Direction over the years. The original plan was to have a stripped-down acoustic rendition of “Through the Dark” separate from the tribute, but due to an unexpected performer unavailability, the producers pivoted.
The tribute included unseen footage from an unreleased One Direction music video that had been highly anticipated by fans for years. Winston shared that he felt it was necessary to showcase the band’s consistency in capturing Payne’s joy and kindness during various performances over a few years. The In Memoriam committee, who select which deceased musicians and execs are honored each year, were open to Winston’s decision to feature Payne at the beginning of the tribute.
The segment provided an emotional moment for longtime fans and highlighted the impact of Payne’s music and love on his global fanbase.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/inside-grammys-liam-payne-tribute-224553939.html