The 90-minute documentary, directed by Mike Christie, brings newly-digitized, restored footage and new interviews in celebration of Wham!’s groundbreaking 1985 visit to the People’s Republic of China.
Also, BBC Two and BBC Music will present the world exclusive terrestrial TV broadcast of Wham! 10 Days in China this summer.
In April 1985, Wham! became the first Western pop act to perform in communist China, with performances in Beijing and Guangzhou. For Wham! it was a strategy to “make it big” in the U.S., with the help of Simon Napier-Bell, their then manager.
Filmmaker Lindsay Anderson was originally in charge of the Wham! in China documentary. His version, entitled If You Were There, was never released, but some of that material was used in the documentary, Wham! in China: Foreign Skies, which premiered at Wham!’s The Final farewell concert on June 28, 1986. It was then released on video.
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George Michael’s extraordinary songwriting legacy has been recognized with one of the highest honors in British music: induction into the Fellowship of The Ivors Academy at this year’s Ivor Novello Awards. The Fellowship, reserved for the most influential and enduring contributors to the craft of songwriting, places George among a select group of creators whose work has shaped the cultural and emotional landscape of generations.
Andrew Ridgeley, who co‑founded Wham! with George and shared the earliest chapters of his musical journey, spoke with deep affection about what this honor would have meant to him while accepting the award. He described the Fellowship as an accolade George would have been “immensely proud” to receive, noting that George held the craft of songwriting in the highest regard.
It’s an honor and a privilege to bear witness to his work full stop, and to accept on his behalf. He would have been immensely proud to be recognized by the academy in this way, to be placed amongst some of the finest songwriters.
A great moment, and very, very touching indeed, and he would have been extremely moved.
The Ivors Academy highlighted what fans and fellow musicians have long known: George Michael was not only a global superstar, but one of Britain’s most gifted and influential songwriters.
He remains the only solo songwriter to have won the prestigious Ivor Novello Songwriter of the Year award three times — a testament to his mastery of melody, lyricism, and emotional truth.
George often spoke about how deeply he valued recognition from fellow songwriters. When he won his very first Ivor Novello Award, he described the moment with striking honesty:
It was 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.
George Michael
That early validation stayed with him throughout his life. It shaped his understanding of his craft, his confidence as a writer, and his belief that songs could be both personal and universal.
To see him now inducted into the Fellowship — the highest honor The Ivors Academy can bestow — feels like the natural culmination of that journey.
The Ivors Academy described the Fellowship as a celebration of George’s excellence and impact in the art and craft of music creation, as well as his enduring influence worldwide. It is a recognition not only of his chart success, but of the depth and integrity of his songwriting — qualities that continue to inspire new generations of artists.
A Fitting Tribute to a Timeless Artist
George Michael’s induction into the Fellowship of The Ivors Academy is more than an award. It is a statement about legacy — about the power of songs that continue to comfort, challenge, uplift, and connect people long after their creator is gone.
It is also a reminder of the man behind the music: brilliant, generous, complex, and endlessly creative.
George Michael’s voice, his words, and his spirit continue to echo. And now, with this Fellowship, his place among the greatest songwriters of all time is formally, and forever, affirmed.
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Photographer Brian Aris will be publishing a compilation of George Michael photos in his book, Celebrating George, with photos ranging from the Wham! days with Andrew Ridgeley to George’s solo days.
This stunning collection of photographs features iconic George Michael images throughout his career—including many never before published.
The man born as Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou hated being photographed, and that makes this volume such an unusual and beautiful tribute to one of the music world’s most beloved stars. First meeting when he shot Wham!, Brian Aris gained George’s trust and subsequently enjoyed unprecedented access to document the complex and sensitive character behind one of pop’s most talented and consummate artists.
Dreaming of stardom from an early age, George achieved popularity first with Wham! and later reached heights of even greater success after re-creating himself as a serious solo artist with songs and music videos that remain iconic to this day. Tragically, he died on Christmas Day 2016 at just fifty-three.
With text documenting George’s life and Brian’s memories of his sessions and meetings with the star, together with iconic shots, contact sheets, and previously unseen images, this is an amazing, heartfelt tribute to one of the world’s most likable and talented performers who is one of the all-time immortal greats of pop music.
Brian Aris describes his time photographing George Michael:
“From the early days, when he first burst on the scene in 1981 as one half of Wham!, the pop duo he formed with Andrew Ridgeley, to the later years when he went on to enjoy even greater worldwide success as a sophisticated and glamorous solo artist, George was always fascinating to work with.”
A few of you might remember my complaining last year that there was no 40th anniversary celebration of Wham!’s historic trip to China in 1985. Well, it looks like we might be getting a treat in 2026.
In 1985, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley of the duo Wham! became the first Western pop act to perform in communist China. It’s a much talked about publicity stunt by Simon Napier-Bell to make Wham! a household name worldwide.
According to a press release, Zinc Media Group plc announced the completion of a new feature-length, 90-minute documentary produced for Sony Music Entertainment telling the story of WHAM!’s historic 1985 tour of China:
Wham! 10 Days in China uses newly restored and previously unseen archive footage alongside new interviews with Andrew Ridgeley to reveal the full story of the first Western pop act to perform in communist China. The concerts in Beijing and Guangzhou marked a significant cultural moment as Western pop music was introduced to Chinese audiences for the first time.
With the restored footage and exclusive interviews with Andrew Ridgeley and members of the touring party, the documentary will be a long-awaited look at the unseen footage.
The new documentary is directed by Mike Christie (Nick Cave’s Veiled World, New Order: Decades).
“The existence of this footage has been a mystery for years, spoken about in fragments but never truly seen. The story of the tour is intensely dramatic and finding a way to tell it in a form that the Wham! collective felt was finally worth pursuing has been a real honour.”
In the 1980s, a Wham! in China documentary was released. In fact, there are two versions of the original Wham! in China documentary. Oscar-winning filmmaker, Lindsay Anderson, was originally hired to create the documentary. Because of conflicts, Lindsay Anderson’s version has been rarely seen, except for a screening of Wham in China: If You Were There in May of 2024. More information on the conflict is available in the previous link.
“Last Christmas” debuted on Billboard’s Holiday 100 in December 10, 2011, at #10. This year Wham!’s holiday hit made it to #2, just behind Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
“I’m delighted to learn that Wham!’s perennial Christmas favorite, ‘Last Christmas,’ has secured the Billboard No. 2 spot this week,” Andrew Ridgeley marvels via email. “Since its release over 40 years ago, ‘Last Christmas’ has established itself worldwide as one of the most cherished Christmas classics, beloved by all generations.” “It’s an amazing testament to the special place the song occupies in so many hearts and one that George Michael would have been immensely proud of,” he continues. “Thank you, everyone who has embraced the song as a little piece of their own merry Christmas.”
“Last Christmas” topped the Billboard Global 200 this year, becoming the #1 song in the world.
According to Billboard:
Michael’s estate described “Last Christmas” as “a timeless record that embodies the very sound of Christmas and continues to resonate with audiences, while captivating new listeners around the world. Thank you to everyone who keeps this song at the very heart of Christmas.”
You can read more about “Last Christmas” in the following articles:
