Boy George receives lifetime achievement honour at LGBT Awards

Boy George has received a beingness accomplishment grant astatine the British LGBT Awards.

The accolade was a astonishment for the Culture Club singer, who was presented with the honour by French manner decorator Jean Paul Gaultier astatine a ceremonial successful cardinal London.

Organisers said it was fixed to observe Boy George's important publication to British philharmonic culture.

It was a palmy nighttime for the 64-year-old musician, who besides bushed the likes of Charli XCX and Doja Cat to instrumentality location the grant for euphony creator of the year.

It comes aft his recent disappointment astatine the Eurovision Song Content, wherever helium appeared arsenic a impermanent performer connected San Marino's entry, but failed to marque it done to the final.

Speaking earlier the event, helium told the BBC helium wanted to constitute the UK's introduction for 2027 alternatively than execute it.

"I deliberation the accent should beryllium astir the song. Write the opus first, past find the singer," helium said.

"You request idiosyncratic with an astonishing voice, similar a large European belting deed the entity dependable […] and the opus should beryllium a ballad that's pretending to beryllium disco, that's pretending to beryllium Irish, but a spot gay. I mean, that's truthful Eurovision."

Boy George, whose existent sanction is George O'Dowd, is champion known for the 1980s deed Karma Chameleon.

He besides became known for challenging the sex stereotypes of fashion; wearing make-up and ribbons successful his hairsbreadth connected Top of the Pops successful 1982, astatine a clip erstwhile astir popular stars kept their sexuality hidden.

He was deed by ungraded successful 2006 aft pleading blameworthy to falsely reporting a burglary successful New York and again successful London successful 2009, erstwhile helium was sentenced to 15 months successful jailhouse for the mendacious imprisonment of Audun Carlsen, a exemplary and escort.

He served 4 months and has since discontinue portion and drugs, often crediting his career's longevity to his sobriety.

The British LGBT awards are considered 1 of the astir important events for the LGBTQ+ assemblage and person been held annually since 2014, attended by celebrities, campaigners and LGBTQ+ allies.

This twelvemonth they were presented by Ruby Wax and Tom Read Wilson.

Other winners connected the nighttime included Kate Winslet, who won an advocator award, which she accepted via a video message, and Stephen Libby, who won "media infinitesimal of the year" for jointly winning bid 4 of The Traitors.

Previous winners include: Ian "H" Watkins from Steps, Adele Roberts, for her enactment promoting consciousness of bowel cancer; Tom Daley, who won the sports property of the twelvemonth category, and Doctor Who histrion David Tennant, who won the personage state award.