Sharon Osbourne Curates 'No More Tears' Tribute Led by Robbie Williams at 2026 BRIT Awards
Sharon Osbourne curated a special arrangement of "No More Tears" that closed the 2026 BRIT Awards, with Robbie Williams fronting an all‑star band in a live tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne. The performance and the posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award underscore the ceremony's focus on the singer's five‑decade career and recent death.
Robbie Williams Leads 'No More Tears' Tribute
Robbie Williams led an all‑star band through a rendition of "No More Tears" as the finale of the BRIT Awards in Manchester. Williams was personally invited by Sharon Osbourne to take the role; the arrangement he fronted had been curated by her. Musicians who performed alongside Williams on the night included guitarist Zakk Wylde, Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, Black Sabbath reunion drummer Tommy Clufetos and keyboardist Adam Wakeman — all players who have been part of Ozzy Osbourne's touring or recording lineups.
Sharon Osbourne Accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award
Sharon Osbourne and Kelly Osbourne accepted the BRIT Awards' Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of the late Ozzy Osbourne. Sharon paid tribute to his career in a speech, saying, "We all know how fickle this industry can be, and my old man was blessed with a one‑in‑a‑million career. He was at the top of his game for 56 years. " She added that Ozzy rose from a small working‑class neighborhood in Birmingham to become one of the most recognizable and respected musicians of his life.
Ozzy Osbourne's Legacy and Accolades
Ozzy Osbourne's recorded output and industry honors were central to the award citation. He sold more than 100 million albums worldwide across five decades, with 19 studio albums and eight live albums credited with Black Sabbath and another 13 studio albums as a solo artist. His accolades include five Grammy awards, induction into both the UK Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — each achieved with Black Sabbath and as a solo artist in separate years — and an Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement with Black Sabbath.
Co‑op Live in Manchester Hosted the Ceremony
The BRIT Awards took place at Manchester's Co‑op Live on Saturday and were hosted by Jack Whitehall. It was the first time in the event's history that the ceremony was held outside London. Performers across the night included 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. Harry Styles gave a live debut of material from his record "Aperture, " and the evening also presented Jacob Alon as this year's Critics' Choice winner, named Noel Gallagher as Songwriter of the Year and honored PinkPantheress as Producer of the Year.
Grammys, MTV and Other Tributes Followed the BRIT Recognition
The BRIT celebration followed tributes in the United States. At the Grammys, Post Malone performed a cover of "War Pigs" alongside producer‑guitarist Andrew Watt, Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Guns N' Roses members Slash and Duff McKagan. The MTV Video Music Awards also staged tributes to the Black Sabbath singer. In addition to those live homages, the BRITs reiterated Ozzy's standing noted by Stacey Tang, chair of the 2026 BRIT Awards Committee and co‑president of RCA Records at Sony Music UK, who described him as a "mighty force in modern music" with an unmistakable voice and presence.
What makes this notable is the concentration of high‑profile collaborations and cross‑platform tributes: Williams' frontline role, the appearance of long‑time Osbourne band members, and major U. S. televised performances combined to mark a coordinated recognition of Ozzy's influence after his recent death. The timing matters because Ozzy died last July, just weeks after his farewell performance in his hometown of Birmingham, which has focused attention on posthumous honors.
Coverage around the ceremony included a range of other items mentioned in the same outlets: UConn remained the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA women's basketball tournament committee's second Top 16 reveal; a move will save Minnesota an $18. 65 million hit against the salary cap in 2026; Honor displayed a humanoid robot and features for a Robot Phone and a 200MP camera; the Indiana men and Michigan women won Big Ten titles in swimming and diving; and consumer and tech items were also noted, including an Anker Space One follow‑up and a collagen‑infused exfoliator praised by more than 31, 000 shoppers. These disparate notes appeared alongside the BRITs coverage but did not detract from the ceremony's closing salute to Ozzy Osbourne.
