Phylicia Rashad honored TV son Malcolm-Jamal Warner at the 77th annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Presented alongside a heartfelt performance from Lainey Wilson & Vince Gill, the Emmys 2025 ceremony paid tribute to many of TV’s brightest stars who have died this year including Warner.

Presented alongside a heartfelt performance from Lainey Wilson & Vince Gill, the Emmys 2025 ceremony paid tribute to many of TV’s brightest stars who have died this year including Warner

Dory Jackson is a Staff Editor for PEOPLE’s TV News team. Upon joining the brand in March 2021, she has had the opportunity to interview a long list of celebrities, from Kate Hudson to Pierce Brosnan to Billy Porter. She has also helped recap popular TV shows like ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,’ ‘Sister Wives’ and ‘Vanderpump Rules.’ The New York-based Maryland native graduated from Randolph-Macon College in May 2016 with a focus on Communication Studies and Journalism. She came to PEOPLE in March 2021 after working at a number of major news companies, including Newsweek and Us Weekly.

Phyllicia Rashad pays tribute to Malcolm-Jamal Warner during the 2025 Emmys.Credit : CBS

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Phylicia Rashad honored TV son Malcolm-Jamal Warner at the 77th annual Primetime Emmy Awards
Presented alongside a heartfelt performance from Lainey Wilson & Vince Gill, the Emmys 2025 ceremony paid tribute to many of TV’s brightest stars who have died this year including Warner
The 77th annual Primetime Emmy Awards are being broadcast live on CBS and Paramount+ from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles

Some of TV’s brightest stars were remembered during the 77th annual Primetime Emmy Awards.

Taking a pause from celebration amid the Nate Bargatze-hosted gathering on Sunday, Sept. 14, the Television Academy honored talent who died ahead of the 2025 ceremony as part of its “In Memoriam” segment.

Phylicia Rashad took the stage to honor her Cosby Show TV son, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, with a heartfelt tribute nearly two months after his death.

From left: Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Theodore ‘Theo’ Huxtable and Phylicia Rashad as Clair Hanks Huxtable on ‘The Cosby Show’.NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

“He was a beloved teenager in an iconic television series with a world-watched role. And like all our friends and colleagues who transitioned this past year, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, remains in our hearts,” she shared.

“Tonight, as is tradition at the Emmys, we remember them, not just for their immense talent, but also for the way they’ve made us believe in something bigger, the best that is within us,” she continued. “And even though they may no longer be here with us, we can all smile knowing that their impact will remain, knowing that their lasting impressions will continue to live on through story, knowing that they touched our lives.”

“Whether you grew up watching them or have just now discovered their brilliance, their life remains in the very fabric of our industry,” she concluded.

From left: Felicia Rashaad and Malcolm-Jamal Warner attend TV Land and Nick At Nite’s launch of ‘Family Table’ pro-social campaign at Tony Di Napoli’s November 19, 2003 in New York City.Matthew Peyton/Getty

The segment also included an emotional performance from Lainey Wilson and Vince Gill to Gill’s ballad “Go Rest High on That Mountain.”

Other stars the segment paid tribute to included John Amos, Maggie Smith, David Lynch, Linda Lavin and  Quincy Jones.

Among the biggest deaths to occur in 2025 was Warner, who died in July at age 54. PEOPLE confirmed that the Cosby Show alum was in Costa Rica on a family vacation. He had drowned while swimming.

“Needless to say our hearts are heavy with the loss of Malcolm,” his mother, Pamela Warner, shared on Instagram, calling her son “a kind, loving man with a huge heart for humanity.”

“Malcolm left an indelible mark on the world and on countless hearts,” she added. “All who met him, however briefly, were better for the encounter.”

Malcolm-Jamal Warner visits SiriusXM Studios on June 11, 2024 in New York City.Santiago Felipe/Getty

Keshia Knight Pulliam also remembered her late The Cosby Show costar in an emotional Instagram post following his tragic death.

“A week ago I lost my big brother, but I gained an angel…,” the actress wrote in the caption. “I love you… I miss you… We got our girls, ❤️” referring to Warner’s wife and daughter.

Alongside her message, Knight Pulliam posted a clip of Warner playing bass guitar onstage in front of a crowd at the City Winery in Atlanta. In a brief clip that followed, two young girls, who appeared to be the pair’s daughters, were seen walking with a horse on a farm.

Knight Pulliam added on her Instagram Stories, “Thank you for every text call and all of the love that you have sent my way … I’ve just needed a moment… ❤️.”