George Michael was an exceptional artist and one of Britain’s biggest pop stars, whose songwriting gift brought massive hits such as “Careless Whisper,” “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” and many more. Of the many awards he received through his lifetime, George considered winning the prestigious Ivor Novello awards for songwriting as one of the most special.
The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh composer and actor Ivor Novello, celebrates excellence in British and Irish songwriting and composing. It is presented annually in London by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA) since 1956. Nicknamed The Ivors, it is the only peer-nominated music award in the United Kingdom.
Ivor Novello Award Wins:
George Michael won the following Ivor Novello awards:
Songwriter of the Year Award:
- 1985
- 1989
- 1997
PRS for Music Most Performed Work Award
This award credits songs having received the most broadcast, online and general performances in the calendar year ending December 31.
- “Careless Whisper” (1985)
- “Fast Love” (1997)
International Hit of the Year
- “Faith” (1989)
Ivor Novello Award Nominations
Best Song Musically and Lyrically
- “Careless Whisper” (1985)
International Hit of the Year
- “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” (1985)
- “The Edge of Heaven” (1987)
Best Contemporary Song
- “Father Figure” (1989)
PRS Most Performed Work
- “Amazing” (2005)
Winning the Ivor Novello
Winning the first Ivor Novello was a huge milestone for George. He was then the youngest recipient of The Ivors at the age of 21. He wrote about what winning the Ivor songwriting award meant to him in the Smash Hits 1986 Yearbook:
Winning an award really meant a lot to me, because apart from anything else, it was heightened by the fact that we had just got that BPI award, and there was such total resentment of us as a group. And yet sitting at the Ivor Novello awards with a group of songwriters and publishers, it was perfectly obvious that the people in that room wanted me to win it. And that to me was the first real acknowledgment that I’d ever received professionally, the first proper sign from within the industry that what I was doing was actually worthwhile. And that was the reason that I got so emotional.
One of the often shared photos of George receiving that award is this photo, where he is seen covering his face and looking like he burst to tears. In the Smash Hits Yearbook, he said that it was not the case at all:
But it’s going to haunt me for the rest of my life! People keep making out that I burst into tears all the time, which couldn’t be further from the truth. The ridiculous part about it is I’m one of those people who’s always wished they could cry, you know. Because I’ve never been able to. It doesn’t matter what happens – I’ve been at all kinds of things like funerals and wanted to cry because I get really worked up, but I’ve never been able to. I come from one of those families where you don’t really let things show too much – so for me to do it in front of millions of people was not really the best moment, you know! But I haven’t done it since and I probably shan’t for another ten years. I’ll probably never cry again now. Just in case anybody sees it.
Ivor Novello Award Photos
Below are photos from the Ivor Novello Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel on 13 Mar 1985, when George won his very first Songwriter of the Year Award:
