Emmys 2016: Christina Grimmie fans upset late singer omitted from In Memoriam tributes
Grimmie died in June after being shot backstage at a concert in Orlando, Florida.
Fans of Christina Grimmie are furious that the late singer was left out of the Emmys 2016 In Memoriam segment. The 22-year-old pop star, who died in June, was noticeably absent from the tribute which remembered stars such as David Bowie, Prince and actor Anton Yelchin, all of whom died in the last year.
Grimmie was shot and killed on 10 June 2016 by Kevin Loibl while hosting a meet-and-greet with fans backstage at The Plaza Live in Orlando, Florida following a concert. The singer rose to prominence in 2014 as a contestant on singing competition The Voice, which won the best reality competition program award at the Emmys on 18 September.
Expressing their outrage at Grimmie's absence from the In Memoriam tribute despite The Voice winning an award, one fan tweeted: "Knew it wouldn't of happened, but I wish they could've squeezed Christina Grimmie in there."
Another weighed in: "So the #Emmys left Christina Grimmie out of the "In Memoriam" segment yet The Voice just won an Emmy tonight. Something ain't right here," while another said: "Sad and disappointed to see that the #Emmys left Christina Grimmie off of their memoriam special."
The backlash echoes a similar reaction that the Teen Choice Awards received in July when Grimmie was omitted from their tribute. The snub was even more surprising as the Must Be Love singer had won the Choice web star: Music award although it was not mentioned in the live broadcast.
Recognising the repeated snubs, one critic noted: "Why does this keep happening? With award shows leaving out Christina Grimmie in their #inmemoriam montages? Makes me sick," while another said: "Christina Grimmie deserved to be apart of the #inmemoriam but it's not the first time she's been snubbed."
Watch Tori Kelly perform Hallelujah at the Emmys 2016:
Throughout August and September, Grimmie's family released four music videos from the singer's final EP, Side A. Explaining the concept behind the visual album titled The Ballad Of Jessica Blue, the family said: "The story follows a young girl's journey into self-discovery through her love life, her womanhood and her music. 'Jessica' is at a crossroads in her life. She becomes suspicious of her boyfriend and is gripped by insecurities only to realise that she is doing more damage to her own heart and future than any relationship ever could.
"She confides in the people closest to her and they all give her words of wisdom along her path of self-discovery. Her beloved grandmother reminds her that all the security, strength and love she needs is in that powerful voice on the other side of her heart. Jessica finds her path by doing what she loves. She sings from her heart."
Singer Tori Kelly performed an acoustic rendition of Hallelujah during the In Memoriam, which also honoured actors such as Harry Potter's Alan Rickman and Charlie And The Chocolate Factory's Gene Wilder.
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