Christina Grimmie Honored With Touching Tribute on Anniversary of Her First iHeartRadio Music Festival Performance

Late singer was tragically killed by a gunshot wound in June

By McKenna Aiello Sep 24, 2016 4:02 PMTags
Watch: Christina Grimmie Speaks in 2012

Christina Grimmie's memory continues to live on. 

The 2016 iHeart Radio Music Festival paid tribute to the late singer just a year after she first performed at the annual event with a moving compilation of her too short-lived career.

In between shots of her live performances and viral YouTube videos, Grimmie, who was tragically killed by a gunman in June, narrates the video with a poignant message to her loyal followers. 

"My fans are literally the biggest part of why I'm this far, why I'm doing what I'm doing is because you guys support me and have such a love for me," she says, later adding, "You are an extremely unique, individual person. Don't let those invalid opinions of others just bring you to the pits, okay?"

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iHeartRadio Music Festival 2016: Star Sightings

In 2015, the former Voice contestant won the fan-voted Macy's iHeartRadio Rising Star contest where she kicked off the Las Vegas-based music fest with a set of her original music. 

Since the 22-year-old's shocking death three months ago, Grimmie's family released a four-song visual EP she recorded before her passing. Grimmie will also make her film debut posthumously in the upcoming indie flick The Matchbreaker, set to hit theaters Oct. 7.

During the 2016 Emmys telecast, Christina's fan base lambasted the award show on social media for not including the artist in its "In Memoriam" segment.

Grimmie was fatally shot while signing autographs for fans at Orlando's Plaza Live Theater on June 10, an incident that brought her friends, family and fans as well as the music community together in mourning. During a memorial service, her brother Marcus, who was present at the time of the shooting, addressed the crowds who came out to pay their respects.

"I don't have anything to say, I don't have words still and it's a good and bad thing," he said. "All I'm going to say is thank God for the mark that she left on this world. Thanks mom and dad I know it's going to be really tough for us to move forward."