Just two months ago, Ozzy Osbourne took the stage for the final time. He joined his former Black Sabbath bandmates for their Back to the Beginning farewell concert in their hometown of Birmingham, England. Little did we all know how final, as the heavy metal legend died just 17 days later at age 76. Considering Ozzy’s tremendous impact on the music industry during his nearly six-decade career, it’s really not possible to honor this man enough. During Sunday’s (Sept. 7) 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, Gen Z pop-rocker Yungblud joined forces with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, along with guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, to pay tribute to Ozzy Osbourne.

Yungblud Goes “Crazy” For Ozzy Osbourne VMAs Tribute

For many, Yungblud was the highlight of the Back to the Beginning benefit concert in Black Sabbath’s hometown of Birmingham, England. The 28-year-old belted a powerful rendition of the 1972 Black Sabbath song “Changes,” further underlining some glaring similarities between himself and the Prince of Darkness.

This time, a shirtless Yungblud kicked off the tribute with Ozzy’s famous “All aboard!” refrain. From there, he launched into a dizzying rendition of the Godfather of Heavy Metal’s solo debut single “Crazy Train.”

Things then mellowed out some as Yungblud reprised his Back to the Beginning performance of “Changes.” Next, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, along with Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt, took the stage to honor the Godfather of Heavy Metal. All three musicians similarly participated in Back to the Beginning.

Tyler broke out the high notes for “Mama I’m Coming Home,” joined by Yungblud. “Ozzy forever, man!” the budding rock star bellowed at the performance’s conclusion.

Yungblud Put His Tour on Hold For This

Currently, Yungblud is making his way through the North American leg of his Idols: The World Tour. However, he put his tour on pause when it came time to honor the Prince of Darkness. He is postponing two shows, one in Cleveland and the other in Washington, D.C.

“I have to do this,” Yungblud explained to his fans on his Instagram Channel. “You know how much of a hero he is for me, and the reason why a lot of us have been introduced to each other. I have to honor him, and I hope you guys understand.”

After news broke that he would lead the VMAs’ tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, Yungblud penned a message to his “north star” on social media.

“I’ll try my best to do you proud Oz,” he wrote. “Tune in from up there. I love you forever.”

While no artist—including Yungblud—will be the “next Ozzy,” fans can’t help but see the parallels between the two rockers. Some say “a torch has been passed,” we’ll say Ozzy’s memory is in good hands.