Ozzy Osbourne Tribute Brings Together Post Malone, GN’R Greats at Grammys
The 2026 Grammy Awards paid tribute to one of the founders of the heavy metal genre, Ozzy Osbourne, with a star-studded live performance of the Black Sabbath classic “War Pigs.” The…
The 2026 Grammy Awards paid tribute to one of the founders of the heavy metal genre, Ozzy Osbourne, with a star-studded live performance of the Black Sabbath classic "War Pigs." The tribute was during the ceremony's In Memoriam segment.
A few days before the Grammy Awards, organizers announced that Slash and Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses, Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers producer Andrew Watt and musician Post Malone would lead a dedication to Osbourne, who died at the age of 76 in July 2025.
The Ozzy tribute drew a strong round of cheers from the crowd. It was part of a handful of live performances during the In Memoriam segment, as the Grammy Awards honored musicians and industry icons who passed away the last year.
The tribute saw the performers playing a shortened version of "War Pigs" with Post Malone singing with his raspy, heartfelt style and Slash and Watt shredding on guitar. McKagan and Smith locked in for a cozy rhythm section, and the group not only got a round of applause from the crowd but also some bittersweet tears from the Osbourne family.
Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath Cover Gets a Grammy
The 2026 Grammy for Best Rock Performance went to “Changes,” the Black Sabbath song performed at the Back to the Beginning concert in July 2025 by Yungblud, Frank Bello of Anthrax, Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme, Adam Wakeman of Ozzy Osbourne and II of Sleep Token.
The Grammys honoring Ozzy Osbourne with an In Memoriam performance felt heavy in the best way. Not polished. Not overly sentimental. Just real. Ozzy was never meant to be summarized in a highlight reel, but that moment came close. It reminded everyone watching that heavy metal didn’t just happen, it was built, loud and unapologetic, by someone who refused to fit the mold.
Seeing Ozzy recognized in that space mattered. It was an acknowledgment that his influence stretched far beyond metal, beyond shock headlines, beyond the myths. His music shaped decades of sound and attitude. The performance didn’t try to soften him or clean him up. It let Ozzy be Ozzy, and that made it powerful.
