Sharon Osbourne’s curatorial role reshapes the Brit Awards tribute as Robbie Williams leads supergroup for Ozzy’s Lifetime Achievement

Riley Calderon

Published: March 1, 2026 2:39 AM ET

Sharon Osbourne’s curatorial role reshapes the Brit Awards tribute as Robbie Williams leads supergroup for Ozzy’s Lifetime Achievement

Why this matters now: sharon osbourne has taken an active, visible role in shaping how Ozzy Osbourne will be remembered at the Brit Awards — curating a closing performance that places family choices, legacy and longtime collaborators at the center of a national ceremony. That curatorial control will define the night’s tone for fans, fellow musicians and the event itself when the Lifetime Achievement award is presented.

Sharon Osbourne’s hands-on role and who feels the impact first

Sharon Osbourne curated a special arrangement of No More Tears that will close the ceremony, and she personally invited Robbie Williams to front that moment. The decision positions Ozzy’s family as active stewards of the tribute and directly affects the performers chosen, the set’s emotional shape and how fans will experience the posthumous honour.

Here’s the part that matters: the invitation of a high-profile pop artist to lead a heavy-metal icon’s farewell underlines an intention to bridge audiences and highlight personal connections rather than stage a purely genre-bound memorial.

How the tribute will be presented

Robbie Williams will lead the tribute performance, fronting the specially arranged No More Tears that Sharon Osbourne curated. The performance will feature musicians who played in Ozzy’s band over the years — Adam Wakeman, Robert Trujillo, Tommy Clufetos and Zakk Wylde — and it is billed to close the show. Williams’ involvement follows his recent collaboration with Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi on the single Rocket, and his prior live performances of sections of Paranoid.

Robbie Williams: fronting the closing tribute.
Arrangement: special No More Tears, curated by Sharon Osbourne.
Band members involved: Adam Wakeman, Robert Trujillo, Tommy Clufetos, Zakk Wylde.
Williams’ recent links to Black Sabbath: teamed with Tony Iommi on Rocket and performed parts of Paranoid live.

Ceremony setting, lineup and awards on the night

The Brit Awards will take place on Saturday at Manchester's Co-op Live, hosted by Jack Whitehall. It is the first time in the event’s history the ceremony will be held outside of London. Performers on the night include EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami — the singing voices of HUNTR/X from KPop Demon Hunters — Alex Warren, Harry Styles, Olivia Dean, Mark Ronson, Raye, Rosalía, Sombr and Wolf Alice. Jacob Alon has been announced as the winner of this year’s Critics' Choice award; Noel Gallagher will be presented with Brits Songwriter of the Year; and PinkPantheress will be honoured with the Brits Producer of the Year award.

Legacy details, prior tributes and the broader context

Ozzy Osbourne died last July, just weeks after his farewell performance in his hometown of Birmingham, and will be posthumously honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award at the ceremony in Manchester. He amassed more than 100 million worldwide album sales over five decades, including 19 studio albums and eight live albums with Black Sabbath and another 13 studio albums as a solo artist. His industry accolades include five Grammy awards, induction into both the UK Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — both with Black Sabbath and as a solo artist, in separate years — and the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement, with Black Sabbath.

If you’re wondering why this keeps coming up: Ozzy previously hosted the Brit Awards in 2008 alongside Sharon Osbourne and his two children, Kelly and Jack, and the posthumous honour follows earlier tribute moments such as the US Grammys performance where Post Malone, Slash, Duff McKagan, Chad Smith and Andrew Watt covered War Pigs.

More than 100 million album sales worldwide across five decades.
Discography highlights: 19 studio + 8 live albums with Black Sabbath; 13 solo studio albums.
Major accolades: five Grammys; inductions into both major halls of fame (with Black Sabbath and solo, in separate years); an Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement Award with Black Sabbath.

What’s easy to miss is that the tribute’s personnel mix — family curation, a pop frontman and long-term band members — reflects an explicit choice about how Ozzy’s musical footprint will be framed for a mainstream awards audience. The real question now is how that framing will land with long-time fans and new viewers tuning in for the ceremony.

Key takeaways:

Sharon Osbourne curated the closing tribute and personally invited Robbie Williams to front it.
Robbie Williams’ recent work with Tony Iommi and past Paranoid performances link him to Ozzy’s catalogue.
The tribute will include core Ozzy band members and will close the Brit Awards show at Manchester’s Co-op Live on Saturday.
The ceremony marks the first time the Brit Awards are held outside London and features an expansive lineup across genres.

Writer’s aside: It’s notable how family-led decisions at a major ceremony can redirect the narrative of a legacy — this event will be remembered as much for its curatorial choices as for the trophy presented to Ozzy Osbourne.