Boy George receives lifetime achievement honour at LGBT Awards

Boy George has received a lifetime achievement award at the British LGBT Awards.

The accolade was a surprise for the Culture Club singer, who was presented with the honour by French fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier at a ceremony in central London.

Organisers said it was given to celebrate Boy George's significant contribution to British musical culture.

It was a successful night for the 64-year-old musician, who also beat the likes of Charli XCX and Doja Cat to take home the award for music artist of the year.

Speaking to the BBC following the win, he said the award was a "genuine surprise".

"I feel so emotional, I was sitting there with my best friends… and I can't even tell you how beautiful it was.

"To be presented by Jean Paul Gaultier is very special, he is such a beautiful man.

"Every time I've played in Paris or London, whether I've been big or small in my career, he has always been there."

It comes after his recent disappointment at the Eurovision Song Content, where he appeared as a guest performer on San Marino's entry, but failed to make it through to the final.

Speaking before the event, he told the BBC he wanted to write the UK's entry for 2027 rather than perform it.

"I think the emphasis should be about the song. Write the song first, then find the singer," he said.

"You need someone with an amazing voice, like a big European belting hit the sky voice […] and the song should be a ballad that's pretending to be disco, that's pretending to be Irish, but a bit gay. I mean, that's so Eurovision."

Boy George, whose real name is George O'Dowd, is best known for the 1980s hit Karma Chameleon.

He also became known for challenging the gender stereotypes of fashion; wearing make-up and ribbons in his hair on Top of the Pops in 1982, at a time when most pop stars kept their sexuality hidden.

He was hit by scandal in 2006 after pleading guilty to falsely reporting a burglary in New York and again in London in 2009, when he was sentenced to 15 months in jail for the false imprisonment of Audun Carlsen, a model and escort.

He served four months and has since quit drink and drugs, often crediting his career's longevity to his sobriety.

The British LGBT awards are considered one of the most significant events for the LGBTQ+ community and have been held annually since 2014, attended by celebrities, campaigners and LGBTQ+ allies.

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

Other winners on the night included Kate Winslet, who won an advocate award, which she accepted via a video message, and Stephen Libby, who won "media moment of the year" for jointly winning series four of The Traitors.

Previous winners include: Ian "H" Watkins from Steps, Adele Roberts, for her work promoting awareness of bowel cancer; Tom Daley, who won the sports personality of the year category, and Doctor Who actor David Tennant, who won the celebrity ally award.