Robbie Williams Leads Ozzy Tribute
Robbie Williams led an all-star tribute to Ozzy Osbourne at the 2026 BRIT Awards, featuring a medley with top UK acts honoring Osbourne's Lifetime Achievement Award. The performance became a viral highlight of the ceremony and was widely praised across social media.
The posthumous award for Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away in July 2025 at age 76, followed a lengthy battle with Parkinson's disease and injuries from a 2003 quad-bike accident. Just weeks before his death, Osbourne gave a final farewell performance in his hometown of Birmingham. Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy's wife, personally invited Robbie Williams to front the tribute. In an emotional acceptance speech for the award alongside her daughter Kelly, Sharon called her late husband "authentic, gifted, totally unpredictable, a wild man... a true artist." The choice of Williams was fitting, as he is a self-proclaimed fan and family friend who had previously collaborated with Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi. The performance saw Williams, a pop icon, embrace a rock persona for a cover of Osbourne's 1991 hit, "No More Tears." Backing Williams was a supergroup of musicians from Osbourne's extensive solo career, including guitarist Zakk Wylde, bassist Robert Trujillo, keyboardist Adam Wakeman, and drummer Tommy Clufetos. Their presence added a layer of authenticity to the tribute. This was not Williams' first foray into rock, having previously performed sections of Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" during his own live shows. Williams himself holds the record for the most BRIT Awards in history, with 18 wins as a solo artist and with his former group Take That. The 2026 ceremony marked the first time the BRIT Awards were held outside of London, taking place at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester. Other honorary awards during the night went to Mark Ronson for Outstanding Contribution to Music and Noel Gallagher, who was named Songwriter of the Year.
