Andrew Ridgeley accepted a posthumous Academy Fellowship for George Michael at the 2026 Ivor Novellos on May 21. The award, the highest honour from The Ivors Academy, was presented at London’s Grosvenor Hotel.
Ridgeley, Michael’s former Wham! bandmate, told NME backstage that the honour would have meant a great deal to the late singer. He said Michael would have been proud to be counted among songwriters whose work had shaped him.