George Michael’s Voice Returned to the VMAs 10 Years After His Death — as Adam Lambert, RAYE and Teddy Swims Led an Emotional All-Star Tribute

Ten years after George Michael’s death, some of today’s biggest voices gathered on the MTV Video Music Awards stage to celebrate a pop icon whose music continues to reach new generations.

But perhaps the most moving moment came when Michael’s own voice suddenly became part of the performance.

At the 2026 VMAs in Los Angeles, Adam Lambert, RAYE, Teddy Swims, Sombr, MEEK, MNEK and Saint Harison joined forces for an ambitious journey through some of Michael’s most beloved songs.

It arrived during a particularly meaningful year for his legacy — marking a decade since his death and 40 years since the release of his career-defining album, Faith.

‘George Michael Was a Pop God’

Orville Peck introduced the tribute at the Peacock Theater, looking back at the extraordinary speed of Michael’s rise.

“George Michael was a pop god,” Peck said.

He recalled Michael becoming an international superstar at only 19 and praised the singer-songwriter for writing and producing hit after hit while influencing generations who followed him.

Peck also highlighted the provocative side of Michael’s career.

“I Want Your Sex” was considered so controversial that MTV placed a disclaimer before airing it, while “Freedom! ’90” became inseparable from the supermodel era.

For Peck, those songs weren’t simply hits.

They represented an artist willing to challenge expectations and eventually reclaim control over his own story.

Sombr Opened With Two George Michael Classics

The music began with Sombr, whose real name is Shane Michael Boose.

The 21-year-old opened with “Faith,” immediately taking the audience back to one of Michael’s defining eras.

He followed it with “Father Figure,” another cornerstone of the Faith album.

But the tribute soon became even more emotional.

RAYE Sang With George Michael’s Voice

RAYE stepped forward to perform “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),” the celebrated duet originally recorded by Michael and Aretha Franklin.

This time, she wasn’t joined by another living singer taking Michael’s part.

Instead, George Michael’s original vocals were woven into the performance.

A decade after his death at 53, his voice filled the VMAs again as RAYE sang alongside it.

The moment transformed the tribute from a collection of covers into something that briefly felt like a duet across generations.

Teddy Swims Took on ‘Careless Whisper’

Few openings in pop music are as instantly recognizable as the saxophone introduction to “Careless Whisper.”

As those notes rang through the Peacock Theater, Teddy Swims took the stage.

The 34-year-old singer tackled one of Michael’s most enduring songs before the celebration moved toward its full-scale finale.

And that closing number carried particular significance.

Adam Lambert Led the ‘Freedom! ’90’ Finale

Adam Lambert closed the tribute with “Freedom! ’90.”

Eventually, he was joined by MEEK, MNEK and Saint Harison, filling the stage as the performance expanded into an ensemble celebration of Michael’s influence.

It was an appropriate finale for an artist whose work repeatedly explored fame, image, identity and the struggle for artistic independence.

The song also brought the tribute back to one of the moments Peck had referenced during his introduction — Michael taking greater control of his own narrative.

George Michael Had His Own Remarkable VMA History

Michael wasn’t simply being honored by an awards show with which he had little connection.

He had his own history with MTV’s biggest night.

Before his death, Michael won four VMAs and received the prestigious Video Vanguard Award in 1989.

His music videos also helped define an era when MTV could turn a song into a worldwide visual event.

Now, four decades after Faith, another part of that era is being rediscovered.

Never-Before-Seen ‘Faith Tour’ Footage Is Coming to Cinemas

The VMAs tribute arrives ahead of a major archival project devoted to Michael’s legendary Faith Tour.

A live album titled George Michael: The Faith Tour is scheduled for November, followed by a feature-length concert film in December.

The film draws from recently rediscovered footage recorded during Michael’s 1988 European tour at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy.

According to its official synopsis, the original concerts were captured using 14 cameras on 35mm film across two nights.

That footage has now been assembled into a feature-length concert experience, offering fans another opportunity to see Michael during one of the defining periods of his career.

Ten Years Later, the Songs Still Filled the Room

The VMAs could have honored George Michael with a conventional retrospective.

Instead, his songs were handed to a new generation of performers.

Sombr brought back “Faith” and “Father Figure.”

Teddy Swims stepped into “Careless Whisper.”

Adam Lambert led the stage through “Freedom! ’90.”

And RAYE found herself singing with a voice that millions of fans thought they would never hear in a new VMAs performance again.

George Michael wasn’t standing on that stage.

But 10 years after his death, his voice was — and an entire generation of artists gathered around it.