George Michael’s Last Christmas royalties help fund 20-plus grants for vulnerable young people

A Christmas song about heartbreak has found a lasting way to help people facing difficult times. Four decades after Wham! released Last Christmas, royalties accumulated from sales of the festive hit helped the George Michael Fund make more than 20 grants to organisations supporting children and young people across the UK. The funding, announced to mark the song’s 40th anniversary in 2024, helped provide Christmas gifts to disadvantaged children, counselling for young people struggling with their mental health, and support for LGBTQ+ youth facing homelessness or family estrangement, according to the fund’s official website.The initiative reflects the late singer’s long-standing commitment to charitable giving, which he often did without publicity during his lifetime. His family and executors continued that work after his death in 2016, eventually establishing the George Michael Fund in 2024 to support causes that mattered to him.From a 1984 hit to a charitable legacyWham!, the British pop duo comprising George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, released Last Christmas on December 3, 1984. Written and produced by Michael, the song became one of the defining festive releases of the decade. ...