Organisers at an upcoming awards ceremony in London have announced that Michael Jackson will appear at the event.
Jackson has only appeared in public once since being acquitted of child molestation charges in June 2005. That appearance was at MTV Japan's Video Music Awards in Tokyo in May of this year. Since his acquittal, Jackson has moved from his Neverland ranch, living as a virtual recluse in various locations around the world, including Bahrain, Ireland and France.The 48-year-old will be receiving the Diamond Award at the World Music Awards, to be held at London's Earls Court on November 15, marking Jackson's first public appearance in the UK for over nine years. The prize recognises the fact that the pop star has sold over 100 million albums. Previous winners include Rod Stewart and Bon Jovi.
"We are thrilled to be bringing the World Music Awards to London, the music capital of the world," said Melissa Corken, founder and executive producer of the awards, which is based on music sales rather than voting. "The UK is the home of many of the world's greatest selling artists of all time. The presence of Michael Jackson is very exciting for us."
