Almost a decade after his passing, George Michael nonetheless echoes via audio system around the globe via his legacy—and this yr, it’s being formally acknowledged as soon as once more.
The late singer-songwriter has obtained a 2024 Ivor Novello Award nomination within the Most Carried out Work class for “Final Christmas,” the evergreen vacation anthem he wrote, produced, and organized completely on his personal at simply 21 years outdated. It’s not only a seasonal staple—it’s a perennial chart-climber, cultural touchstone, and now, as soon as once more, an awards contender.
The nomination marks George Michael’s first Ivor Novello nod in over twenty years, bringing his profession whole to 13. It additionally comes after a milestone run for “Final Christmas,” which hit No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart for the second yr in a row this previous December. Within the U.S., the tune cracked the Prime 3 on the Billboard Sizzling 100—its highest place but—alongside report placements on Billboard’s Streaming Songs and Digital Tune Gross sales charts.
It’s the form of endurance few songs obtain—and a reminder of the songwriting genius behind it. George Michael stays the one solo songwriter in Ivor Novello historical past to have been topped Songwriter of the 12 months 3 times (1985, 1989, 1997). He additionally holds six Ivor wins general.
The nomination feels particularly poignant this yr, arriving on the heels of George’s long-overdue 2023 Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame induction and renewed cultural highlight. From duets with Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston to hits like “Religion,” “Freedom! ’90,” and “Careless Whisper,” his catalog continues to affect—and encourage—new generations of artists and listeners alike.
“Final Christmas” might have began as a heartbreak tune wrapped in tinsel, however its affect has snowballed into one thing a lot greater: a legacy. And now, but once more, it’s making historical past.
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