Robbie WilliamsThe BRIT Awards were held in Manchester last weekend (28 February) and, in addition to Olivia Dean taking home major wins, Ozzy Osbourne was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
While the award was accepted by the heavy metal icon’s wife and daughter, Sharon and Kelly Osbourne, Ozzy was also honoured in a performance led by Robbie Williams. Yep, that Robbie Williams of Take That and Angels fame.
Williams, “a long-standing fan of the music and friend of the [Osbourne] family,” performed a tribute to Ozzy alongside an impressive roster of the singer’s collaborators, such as guitarist Zakk Wylde and keyboardist Adam Wakeman, who played as part of Ozzy’s band, plus Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo and Black Sabbath reunion drummer Tommy Clufetos.
Together, the group performed an energetic version of No More Tears during the award ceremony.
Nearly a week after the BRITs took place, Williams took to Instagram to detail his experience at the awards. From praising Olivia Dean, Sombr, and Sam Fender, to sharing a shoutout to Wolf Alice, whom he only saw in rehearsal, he also discussed his Ozzy tribute.
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“Mrs O reached out and asked if I'd honour Ozzy,” Williams wrote, to which he said his response was “Fucking yes. All day, every day, and twice on a Sunday, please.”
Adding that “there are not many people who have existed that everyone thinks are theirs,” Williams called back to the impact of Usain Bolt, saying he doesn’t just belong to Jamaica, but to all of us. And it’s the same case with the Queen, as it is with Ozzy Osbourne. It’s a subconscious thought at times, resulting in the same feeling: being glad they’re around.
“Ozzy left us with a discography and a smile in our hearts,” Williams continued, before opening up about the power of performing a metal track on a huge stage.
“My God though... Standing up there singing with those lads playing behind me… FUCK. THE POWER. I get it,” he wrote, “And I think I'm addicted. I want to experience more of that. It was a life highlight.”
He concluded, “Before the screen went up, I was standing there facing it and let out a genuine giggle. ‘Robbie from Take That fronting a metal band.’ Delicious. And pats self on back - I delivered.”
In a follow-up slide, Williams shared a hilarious anecdote in which his daughter, Coco, questioned his performance.
“I promised Mrs O by email that I wouldn't let her or her family down,” he began. “So, I didn't. I love being in their universe. Special family.
“Also, as a tribe, ‘rock guys’ are always the kindest. Genuine. They don't come with the same judgments as the ‘alt-rock guys.’
“The week before, I came off a Zoom and Coco, my seven-year-old, asked, ‘What was that about, Daddy?’ I said, ‘A lovely man who was very famous for singing has gone to heaven, and his family want me to sing one of his songs at an award show to honour him.’
“Coco thought about it for a second and said: ‘Was nobody else available?’”
You can see Williams’ post below.
As Rock Cellar Magazine notes, Williams has some rock credentials. On his latest album, Britpop, there’s a collaboration with one of Osbourne’s longtime musical partners, Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi. He played a guitar solo on the song, Rocket.
Ozzy Osbourne passed away on 22 July 2025 – just seventeen days after taking to the stage for the final time at Black Sabbath’s Back to the Beginning farewell concert.
Numerous artists paid tribute to Ozzy, including Metallica, Oasis, Yungblud, Evanescence, Judas Priest, Fall Out Boy, Halestorm, Elton John, and many others.
While Osbourne’s family were set to hold a private funeral to farewell the singer, the City of Birmingham honoured him with a public procession on 30 July.
