Raye, Sombr and Teddy Swims to honour George Michael at MTV VMAs
Raye, Sombr and Teddy Swims will honour George Michael in a medley at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, 27 September.
The tribute was confirmed for the Sunday awards show, with Adam Blackstone as musical director, according to Rolling Stone. Snoop Dogg will host. The show will air live on CBS and stream live on Paramount+ Premium.
Michael died on Christmas Day 2016 at the age of 53. He sold more than 100 million records across his career.
He had his own history with the VMAs. He won Best Direction for “Father Figure” in 1988. A year later he received the Video Vanguard award, the show’s lifetime achievement honour for work in music video.
The three tribute performers arrive with their own stakes in the night. Raye is nominated for two awards, including Song of the Year for “Where Is My Husband!”. Sombr is nominated for three awards. Teddy Swims returns to the VMAs for the first time since 2024, when he was a four-time nominee.
The date for this year’s show, Sunday 27 September, was announced by MTV. The wider line-up continues to grow. LISA and Sienna Spiro were added as performers, according to Billboard. Two primetime specials were also scheduled to look back at past VMA moments, with the first, Iconic Vanguard Performances, set for 13 September at 9:30 p.m.
What makes this stand out is the gap in time. A decade after his death, three current chart acts are being asked to carry songs many younger viewers may know only as samples or playlists. For fans, this means a straight performance tribute, played live with a band, rather than a video package.
