The Chainsmokers & Halsey Remember Avicii at 2018 Billboard Music Awards

The Chainsmokers, Halsey at the Billboard Music Awards

It's been exactly a month since we lost beloved Swedish producer/DJ Avicii after he was found dead in Muscat, Oman on April 20th. During the 2018 Billboard Music Awards, The Chainsmokers and Halsey remembered him during a short speech.

Avicii was nominated for a Billboard Award this year for his EP Avici (01), which lost to The Chainsmokers' Memories...Do Not Open in the Top Dance/Electronic Album.

The Chainsmokers said of Avicii, "We'd like to take a moment and talk about our friend Avicii. His passing was a great loss for the music world, and for us. He was an artist who inspired so many in so many ways. And simply put, he meant so much to us and everyone in the EDM community."

Halsey added, "Everyone who worked with him would agree that he was such a joy, and it makes this tragedy all the more painful. And 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."

Not long after, The Chainsmokers won the Billboard Award for Top Dance/Electronic Artist, and they dedicated their award to Avicii. Drew said in their acceptance speech:

"We wanna dedicate this song to Avicii. None of us would be here ... I know everyone that was nominated for this award was massively influenced by him. He is someone who made us believe that this was something, you know, a realistic career, something that we could do with our lives, inspired all of us, influenced our music, influenced pop music [and] music in general, and he will me missed. I hope you're somewhere, I hope you found peace, and we love you."

Following his death, Avicii's family made a statement that implied he may have taken his own life. They said, "Our beloved Tim was a seeker, a fragile artistic soul searching for answers to existential questions. An over-achieving perfectionist who travelled and worked hard at a pace that led to extreme stress. When he stopped touring, he wanted to find a balance in life to be happy and be able to do what he loved most — music. He really struggled with thoughts about Meaning, Life, Happiness. He could not go on any longer. He wanted to find peace. Tim was not made for the business machine he found himself in; he was a sensitive guy who loved his fans but shunned the spotlight."

On April 20th, Avicii's death was confirmed by his publicist with a statement, which said, "It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii. He was found dead in Muscat, Oman this Friday afternoon local time, April 20th. The family is devastated and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time. No further statements will be given."

Immediately following the horrible news, there was an outpouring of condolences and messages of both love and grief on social media from friends, fellow DJs and singers, and fans. In fact, Twitter had briefly shut down. Many of Avicii's friends in the dance music community, and many his collaborators in other genres, had shared their disbelief over his death and shared their memories with Tim. Calvin Harris, Zedd, Tiësto, David Guetta, Martin Garrix, and more all shared pictures and kind words. 

Photo: Getty Images


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