YUNGBLUD joined stars for a powerhouse Ozzy Osbourne tribute for MTV
YUNGBLUD and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, Joe Perry and Nuno Bettencourt to honour “Prince of Darkness” with must-watch salute to the global rock icon.
2 min read
Credit: Tom Pallant 📸
The 2025 MTV “VMAs” hosted a powerhouse tribute of Rock & Roll royalty led by YUNGBLUD, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler & Joe Perry, and Nuno Bettencourt, all coming together for a once-in-a-lifetime performance honouring the legendary “Prince of Darkness” and metal luminary Ozzy Osbourne, with a medley of his greatest hits.
Ozzy Osbourne needs no introduction. He was one of the greatest rock stars of a generation, practically inventing metal as he led Black Sabbath. The artist passed away abruptly after his final stadium show on July 22, 2025.
This MTV show was aired to honour his legacy and show a new generation the difference that Ozzy Osbourne made to music. Leading the charge was YUNGBLUD, who is fast becoming one of the world's key musical voices, blending influences from rock and punk to monumental effect. The young singer-songwriter was known to be close to Osbourne in his later years and performed a stunning rendition of "Changes" at the "Back To The Beginning" show in July, with all proceeds going towards Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, and Acorn Children’s Hospice. His fourth studio album IDOLS topped the charts and was praised for his homage to classic rock.
Alongside him were Rock & Roll Hall of Fame members Aerosmith and internationally acclaimed guitarist, singer-songwriter, and producer Nuno Bettencourt, best known as the lead guitarist of Grammy-nominated rock band Extreme.
Together, the musicians covered Osbourne’s solo classics ‘Crazy Train’ and ‘Mama, I’m Coming Home’, as well as Black Sabbath‘s ‘Changes’.
Many praised their performance, but not everyone was so welcoming. Dan Hawkins from the award-winning rock band The Darkness questioned the motives behind the appearance and dubbed them ‘a bunch of bellends’, adding ‘…makes me sick how people jump on this shit to further their own careers’.
During the IDOLS album campaign, which is still ongoing, the marketing and narrative are predominantly around YUNGBLUD leaning into classic rock and finally being accepted by the masses as a serious artist. His association with Osbourne, consistently alongside this, has undeniably given him a platform to audiences he couldn’t reach before. While it’s understandable these crossovers have felt planned and potentially PR-driven, we do believe the connection between the two artists was authentic. Osbourne gifted YUNGBLUD a cross for good luck back in 2022, a favour Harrison later repaid in 2025.
In the audience of the show, there was also a star-studded crowd including Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter. While MTV’s VMA’s may not be the most rock and roll platform to give a tribute to Osbourne, it sure left an impact to any watching.
Watch the MTV “VMAs: main show on Paramount+ from Tuesday, 9th September and on Pluto TV, on MTV Biggest Pop, from Wednesday, 10th September.
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