When the Chainsmokers and Halsey got up to present the award for the Top Hot 100 Song of 2018 at the BBMAs last night, they took a few minutes to honor their friend Avicii, who died on April 20.
"His passing was a great loss for the music world and for us," The Chainsmokers' Drew Taggart said. "He was an artist that inspired so many, and in so many ways, and simply put, he meant so much to us and everyone in the EDM community."
The Swedish DJ, whose real name was Tim Bergling, was found dead in his home last month, and his family later confirmed that he had taken his own life. Halsey addressed this in her part of the tribute, and said, “Everyone who worked with him would say that he was such a joy and that makes this tragedy all the more painful. It’s a reminder to all of us to be there and support and love all of our friends and family members who may be struggling with mental health issues.”
Avicii was 28 when he died, and he came up more than once during the awards last night. The Chainsmokers even mentioned him a second time when they accepted the award for Top Dance/Electronic act. "We wanna dedicate this award to Avicii," Taggart said. "He is someone who made us believe that this is something we could do with our lives. Inspired all of us. Influenced our music and influence pop music in general. He will be missed and I hope he’s found peace.”
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