Jackson’s U.K. Court Appearance

After all the time spent at the hands of the U.S. judicial system, Michael Jackson could be forgiven for being a little wary of going to Earls Court. But his November 15th appearance at the London venue is to pick up an award.

The last time the reclusive pop star visited Britain was in 1997, when he passed through on the HIStory tour.

Reportedly recording a comeback album after being cleared of child molestation charges in the U.S., the 48-year-old King of Pop – who’s been living in the Republic of Ireland – will collect a Diamond Award at the World Music Awards.

Diamonds are given to acts who sell more than 100 million albums. Jackson’s Thriller, which was released 25 years ago, did nearly half of that on its own.

Past recipients include Rod Stewart, Mariah Carey, Bon Jovi and Celine Dion.

The World Music Awards is the most televised music awards show in the world, with an estimated global audience of 1 billion viewers across 160 countries. The U.K.’s Channel 4 will broadcast the ceremony on November 22nd.

The show was hosted in Monaco for 15 years and has been held in the U.S. for the past two.

– John Gammon