George Michael, who died a decade ago on Christmas Day 2016, will be honored at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, Rolling Stone can exclusively reveal.
Among those performing the homage to the beloved singer are Raye, Sombr, and Teddy Swims, with Adam
Blackstone serving as musical director for the tribute. While it’s unclear which songs will be used throughout the tribute, here’s hoping classics like 1987’s “Father Figure” and Wham!’s “Careless Whisper” make the cut. And of course, it’s a big year for Faith with George Michael: The Faith Tour documentary arriving in theaters later this year.
Raye, who is up for two awards including Song of the Year for “Where Is My Husband!,” will be making her VMAs debut solo performance as well as perform during the tribute. Sombr, who is up for three awards on Sunday, returns to the VMAs stage. Swims makes his return to the VMAs for the first time since 2024, when he was also a four-time nominee.
The soulful British heartthrob, who died at age 53, sold more than 100 million records throughout his career. Michael garnered 16 MTV VMAs and MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) over his lifetime, including winning four awards. He won the Video Vanguard lifetime achievement award in 1989 and scored a Best Direction win for “Father Figure” in 1988. In 1993 “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” received the International Viewer’s Award at the EMAs, and he also won the International Viewer’s Award for “Fastlove” in 1996.
Hosted by Snoop Dogg, the MTV VMAs air live on CBS and stream live via Paramount+ (Premium) on Sunday.
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