Ozzy Osbourne will be honored with a star-studded tribute at the MTV Video Music Awards, airing Sunday night.
Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, guitarist Nuno Bettencourt and British pop-punk star YUNGBLUD will pay tribute to the heavy metal icon, who died in July at age 76. The rockstars are scheduled to salute Osbourne with a medley of his greatest hits.
In addition to being one of the most widely known figures in hard rock, Osbourne had a long history with MTV, from appearing on the “Headbangers Ball” series in the 1980s to starring in the groundbreaking reality show “The Osbournes,” which aired on the network from 2002 to 2005.
The Black Sabbath frontman was honored with the MTV EMAs Global Icon Award in 2014. Later this year, MTV’s sister brand, Paramount+, will debut the documentary “No Escape From Now,” described as a “deeply personal portrait of the rock legend’s harsh new realities” as his health began getting in the way of his desire to perform.
Osbourne revealed in 2020 that he’d been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and underwent multiple spinal surgeries in the years that followed. At his farewell concert just weeks before his death, he performed from a chair because he was unable to stand, but his voice still carried as strong as ever.
The concert, held in his hometown of Birmingham, England, also served as a Black Sabbath reunion, and featured a 10-hour lineup of acts including Metallica, Steven Tyler, Guns N’ Roses and Jack Black.
Fans of the Prince of Darkness can tune in to the VMA tribute when the show airs on CBS at 8 p.m. on Sunday. The live ceremony, broadcast from the UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., will also be simulcast on MTV and stream on Paramount+.
In addition to the Ozzy tribute, the VMAs will feature performances from Lady Gaga, Tate McRae, Alex Warren and Sabrina Carpenter.
Mariah Carey will perform as part of being honored with the Video Vanguard Award, while Busta Rhymes and Ricky Martin will receive inaugural awards for their career achievements.
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