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 legacy
Wham!, 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. It was issued as a double A-side with Everything She Wants and reached No. 2 on the UK singles chart that Christmas, held off the top position by Band Aid’s famine-relief single Do They Know It’s Christmas?, which also featured Michael on vocals.
The song’s charitable connection dates back to its release. Michael publicly committed his royalties from Last Christmas to famine relief in Ethiopia, following his involvement with Band Aid. In a 2024 interview with Big Issue, Ridgeley recalled the decision to donate the royalties, explaining that the duo wanted the song to contribute to the relief effort.Over the decades, Last Christmas developed a life of its own, returning to the charts each festive season and reaching No.
1 in the UK for the first time in January 2021. It subsequently became the UK’s official Christmas No. 1 in 2023. Sony Music described it as one of the country’s best-selling singles of all time in its 40th-anniversary announcement in October 2024. The song’s enduring commercial success has helped keep its charitable potential alive.
Where the royalties went
The George Michael Fund’s anniversary initiative directed money to more than 20 organisations working with children and young people throughout the UK.
The grants covered several areas of need rather than one single cause.One priority was helping disadvantaged children receive Christmas gifts. The fund said its support contributed to the UK’s biggest gift-giving effort, which aims to ensure that no child wakes up to nothing on Christmas morning.Other grants helped young people experiencing mental health difficulties access counselling. Funding also went to organisations supporting LGBTQ+ young people dealing with family estrangement or homelessness.These issues can overlap. Young people who lose family support or experience rejection may face unstable housing and emotional distress, making access to counselling and specialist services particularly important.The fund has not presented the initiative simply as a one-off anniversary gesture. Its website says the grant-making effort was repeated the following year, extending the connection between the song’s royalties and support for young people.A recipient organisation, Step2, offered a concrete example of how the funding could be used. In a December 2024 announcement, the organisation said it had received funding from the George Michael Fund made possible by royalties from Last Christmas. The grant allowed it to offer additional community counselling sessions at the Mayfield Centre.The announcement illustrates how the song’s commercial earnings could translate into more opportunities for people seeking help, although the published information does not specify the total number of counselling sessions funded across all recipients.
A tradition of giving without fanfare
Michael’s charitable work extended well beyond the song. According to the George Michael Fund, he established the Mill Charitable Trust in 2009. The trust’s understated name reflected his preference for giving quietly, often without public recognition.After his death on Christmas Day in 2016, his family and executors continued supporting charitable causes. The George Michael Fund was established in 2024 and is managed by The Talent Fund on behalf of the Mill Charitable Trust.
Its purpose is to provide grants to organisations and causes that were close to the singer’s heart.The fund says helping young people was an issue Michael cared deeply about throughout his career. Its work aims to preserve that commitment by directing money towards practical support for people facing difficult circumstances.The anniversary grants also demonstrate how music royalties can continue to generate social benefits long after a song is first released.
While the recording remains a staple of seasonal playlists, its accumulated earnings can help organisations deliver services that extend beyond the festive period.
Four decades on, the song keeps giving
The 40th anniversary of Last Christmas was marked in 2024 with a special release celebrating the original recording and additional material. Sony Music also highlighted the song’s extraordinary longevity, including its repeated returns to the charts and its global popularity.Yet its legacy is not limited to sales, streams or chart positions. The George Michael Fund’s grants have connected the song to work addressing poverty, mental health difficulties, homelessness and family rejection among young people.The fund says it is proud to continue supporting causes that mattered to Michael. For the organisations receiving assistance, the significance lies in the services they can provide and the people they can reach.