Liam Payne’s sister Ruth begs fans to vote for the late star as he’s nominated for a posthumous iHeartRadio Music Award 15 months on from his death

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Liam Payne’s sister, Ruth, is asking fans to vote for her brother, who was nominated for an award after his passing on Tuesday.

Ruth described the announcement of nominees for the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards by iHeartMedia and FOX Entertainment as feeling like a return to a familiar past.

Liam, who sadly died in October 2024, has been nominated for Favorite On-Screen Personality for his reality show, Building The Band.

The show Building the Band, featuring AJ McLean, Nicole Scherzinger, and Kelly Rowland, premiered in July 2025 and marked the last time fans saw the former One Direction member on television.

Shortly before he passed away, Liam served as a mentor on a Netflix show, dedicating extra time to help aspiring musicians create bands.

His sister, Ruth, shared on Instagram that she was facing difficulties voting from abroad and asked her followers to vote for her if possible.

I attempted to confirm this by voting, but my vote wasn’t accepted. If it’s legitimate, could you please vote on my behalf?

It’s strange hearing Liam say ‘I bet you want to vote for Wicked, don’t you?’ It reminds me of when people used to ask me to vote for him – it feels like a look back at my past.

Ruth sadly concluded: ‘Ah mate, how did this happen.’

Liam’s parents, Geoff and Karen, agreed to let Netflix release the reality series, hoping it would be a lasting and positive portrayal of their son.

Nicole Scherzinger, a friend and colleague of the late singer, shared that his parents were deeply moved and proud of his final project, believing he would have excelled in it.

Nicole grew tearful during an interview with Access Hollywood while talking about her time working with the English actor who tragically died in October 2024 after a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.

There was some uncertainty about whether the show would happen, but Nicole revealed that Liam’s parents believed his on-screen talent deserved recognition.

Nicole explained that Liam was deeply loved and valued by everyone, and they were all understandably careful and considerate throughout the situation.

We eventually let his family decide what to do, wanting to be respectful of their feelings and wishes for the future. His parents were also present during the filming process.

They were fantastic and incredibly supportive. They stayed with us and Liam throughout the entire experience, offering help every step of the way.

It meant a lot to us that they approved and were so proud of him while he was on the show. They felt it was a perfect way to preserve his memory – exactly how they wanted people to remember Liam.

Nicole, known for creating the band One Direction during her time on The X Factor despite initial resistance from Simon Cowell, expressed her excitement about Liam’s performance, saying she’s ‘thrilled for everyone to see him shine.’

Honestly, seeing him back on that show just filled me with joy. It was like everything came full circle! He started out just like those contestants, trying to make it on a talent show, and then he became this massive global star. But the best part? He’s using all that success to help other bands now, to mentor them and give them a chance. It’s just… perfect. You could tell he was completely in his element, truly happy to be giving back.

‘I know that he really enjoyed our filming process and being a part of this process.’

‘I know that he put in the extra hours that he wanted to work with these bands even off screen.’

I’m really excited for audiences to see Liam’s character and the warmth he brings to the show. He was fantastic – there were moments where he’d say something and I’d just be amazed, wishing I’d thought of it myself!

He excelled in this position, and giving back to others was a natural talent for him. He was a genuinely kind and caring person, and as I mentioned, he brought a lot of experience to the table. His work with One Direction really prepared him – he truly knows his stuff.

Liam put in extra hours assisting aspiring musicians as they formed bands for the streaming platform.

He deeply understood the performers’ abilities, having recently been in their shoes – one moment auditioning himself, and just 18 months later, a member of the world’s most popular boy band.

Nicole remembered sitting next to Liam when a judge excitedly told her, ‘I knew we had something special the moment I saw Liam audition on The X Factor.’

After that, they handled everything on their own. He possessed the same potential for worldwide success that he’d experienced with One Direction. It really was something special.

It was really inspiring to see him succeed, then return to share his advice and mentor the contestants.

I’m not sure if writing a book was the right thing to do, but it felt incredibly complete and moving.

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2026-01-13 16:06