For his entire career, Ozzy Osbourne was a live-wire entertainer, stealing the limelight with his time fronting Black Sabbath, his solo singing career, and his reality TV insanity. Since the man known as the “Prince of Darkness” passed away last year, the world has felt a deep absence. The BRIT Awards have put a special celebration of his life in place for Saturday’s ceremony, including a Lifetime Achievement Award for his nearly 60 years in the industry, as well as a musical tribute headed up by Robbie Williams.
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Born in the West Midlands in 1948, Ozzy founded the band Earth with bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward and guitarist Tony Iommi, later renaming it to Black Sabbath in 1969. Sabbath became what is widely considered the first heavy metal band, writing music with dark, satanic themes and an evil sound unlike anything else in the 60s or early 70s. Osbourne’s instantly-recognisable wails and his energetic, hard-partying performances became a calling card of the band as they rose to prominence. After 8 studio albums, millions of records sold and hundreds of concerts, his substance problems had become too much for the three other members and they fired him from the band.
He bounced back from the dismissal by starting a solo career under the guidance of manager Don Arden, and the supervision of his daughter and Ozzy’s then-girlfriend Sharon Arden. 1980’s debut album ‘Blizzard Of Ozz’ was a global smash hit, catapulting Osbourne back to fame. The 80s saw him release 5 solo albums with a star-studded list of musicians behind him, as well as his marriage to Sharon in 1982.
In the 1990s and 2000s, Ozzy and Sharon became far more prolific than ever, but not necessarily through Ozzy’s music. 1996 saw Sharon found their own annual festival, Ozzfest, which boosted their profiles and those of many up-and-coming bands. In 2002, the couple opened the doors to their Beverly Hills home for MTV’s reality TV sensation “The Osbournes”, offering a chaotic insight into the family lives of Ozzy, Sharon, and two of their children – Jack and Kelly. Ozzy’s exploits made him an idol to many due to a mix of his charisma, alcoholic antics, and his unusual demeanour from decades of drug abuse and the onset of then-undiagnosed Parkinson’s disease.
Osbourne continued to release new music and tour into the 2020’s, until his worsening health from Parkinson’s had made it too difficult. In 2025, he reunited with the full Sabbath lineup of Iommi, Butler and Ward, performing a spectacular farewell concert at Villa Park in his home city of Birmingham. Named “Back To The Beginning”, the event saw many of the biggest names in rock and metal make cameos before Ozzy performed a set of his solo music, and finally his last ever Black Sabbath concert. Unable to walk, he was seated on a throne, watched by thousands in the stadium and millions online. Just weeks after Back To The Beginning, Ozzy Osbourne sadly died at home on the 22nd of July 2025.
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In the wake of his passing, he was mourned as true rock royalty. Naturally, the BRIT Awards, the UK’s biggest music award ceremony, could not turn a blind eye to such a major event in British history. They announced today that they will be bestowing Ozzy, who presented the 2008 ceremony alongside his family, with a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award. The statement on their website reads “The BRIT Awards 2026 with Mastercard today announces that global rock icon Ozzy Osbourne, the celebrated founding member and frontman of Black Sabbath and pioneering ‘godfather’ of British heavy metal, will be honoured at this year’s ceremony on Saturday 28th February with a BRITs Lifetime Achievement award, in recognition and celebration of his inimitable impact and influence on music worldwide.”
In addition, a special performance of his 1991 solo single ‘No More Tears’ will be played by a supergroup of Ozzy’s former collaborators and one very special fan. Pop megastar Robbie Williams has credited Osbourne as a personal hero and a dear friend, and will sing the track live. The rest of the band consists of artists who played in Ozzy’s groups in the past – guitarist Zakk Wylde, who co-wrote the song while in Ozzy’s band; Metallica bassist Rob Trujillo; keyboard player and son of Yes’s Rick Wakeman, Adam Wakeman; and drummer Tommy Clufetos. The collective were hand-chosen by Sharon as some of the best musicians to participate in her husband’s endeavours.
The 46th edition of the BRIT Awards will be held this Saturday, the 28th of February, at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena, with further performances from acts including Harry Styles, Olivia Dean, and Raye. Comedian Jack Whitehall will be hosting it from 8PM on ITV, on-demand service ITVX, and the BRITs official Youtube channel.
