Nearly a decade after his passing, George Michael still echoes through speakers around the world through his legacy—and this year, it’s being officially recognized once again.
The late singer-songwriter has received a 2024 Ivor Novello Award nomination in the Most Performed Work category for “Last Christmas,” the evergreen holiday anthem he wrote, produced, and arranged entirely on his own at just 21 years old. It’s not just a seasonal staple—it’s a perennial chart-climber, cultural touchstone, and now, once again, an awards contender.
The nomination marks George Michael’s first Ivor Novello nod in over twenty years, bringing his career total to 13. It also comes after a milestone run for “Last Christmas,” which hit No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart for the second year in a row this past December. In the U.S., the song cracked the Top 3 on the Billboard Hot 100—its highest position yet—alongside record placements on Billboard’s Streaming Songs and Digital Song Sales charts.
It’s the kind of staying power few songs achieve—and a reminder of the songwriting genius behind it. George Michael remains the only solo songwriter in Ivor Novello history to have been crowned Songwriter of the Year three times (1985, 1989, 1997). He also holds six Ivor wins overall.
The nomination feels especially poignant this year, arriving on the heels of George’s long-overdue 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction and renewed cultural spotlight. From duets with Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston to hits like “Faith,” “Freedom! ’90,” and “Careless Whisper,” his catalog continues to influence—and inspire—new generations of artists and listeners alike.
“Last Christmas” may have started as a heartbreak song wrapped in tinsel, but its impact has snowballed into something much bigger: a legacy. And now, yet again, it’s making history.
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