Sir Elton John is following in the footsteps of his late friend Diana, Princess Of Wales after he was named as the recipient of a prestigious charity award for his work in the fight against Aids.

The Rocket Man hitmaker, who has raised millions for good causes through his Elton John Aids Foundation, is to be presented with the Harvard Aids Initiative Leadership Award, which honours individuals who have displayed "outstanding vision, leadership, and courage in the worldwide struggle against Aids".

The award will be presented to the star during his charity's An Enduring Vision benefit gala in New York City next month (Oct13), and he admits he feels honoured to receive a prize once presented to Princess Diana.

He says in a statement, "When I think of the extraordinary people who have received this honour before me, including my dear, dear friend Princess Diana, I admit to being quite humbled at the thought of being numbered among such august company... I pledge to continue my work for as long as it takes to achieve an Aids-free generation and ultimately a world without Aids."

Other previous recipients include Richard Gere and Paul Michael Glaser's wife Elizabeth, who died from an Aids-related illness in 1994 after contracting Hiv through a blood transfusion.

The gala will take place on 15 October (13) at a venue in Manhattan.