Together with Duff McKagan and Chad Smith they will celebrate Ozzy once again. More information about this here.
With Ozzy Osbourne, one of the most influential figures in the rock and metal world passed away in 2025. The “Prince of Darkness” died of heart failure at his home in Birmingham on July 22nd. Some of his former colleagues from the scene will now pay tribute to him again in a public setting.
Tribute performance at the 2026 Grammy Awards
This year’s Grammys will be awarded on Sunday, February 1, 2026. A highlight of the event is likely to be the honoring of Ozzy Osbourne by several stars. Guns N’ Roses’ Slash and Duff McKagan team up with Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith to pay tribute to the late man. Singer Post Malone and music producer Andrew Watt are also there.
How exactly the appearance will be organized is not yet known. But one thing is clear: Ozzy’s honor is set to be one of the loudest and most emotional moments of this year’s Grammy Awards.
Musicians connected to Ozzy Osbourne
All four musicians who will be part of the tribute were close to Osbourne during his lifetime. Slash, Duff McKagan and Andrew Watt also all took part in Black Sabbath’s farewell concert, which took place on July 5, 2025 in his hometown of Birmingham.
Andrew Watt has also worked intensively with the metal singer in recent years: he produced both “Ordinary Man” (2020) and “Patient Number 9” (2022). Post Malone collaborated with the “Prince of Darkness” in 2019 and released “Take What You Want” with him.
Further honors of deceased artists
The Ozzy Osbourne honor is part of an expanded program that honors various deceased musicians. Lauryn Hill will pay tribute to R&B artists D’Angelo and Roberta Flack. Reba McEntire, Brandy Clark and Lukas Nelson also attend the memorial service.
Stars such as Sabrina Carpenter, Pharrell Williams and Justin Bieber will also appear during the event. The entire program and all artists can be officially viewed on the Grammys website.
ME List: The Most Emotional Honors at the Grammy Awards
Prince (2017): One of the most moving tribute moments ever. Bruno Mars opened the show with an energetic, loving tribute to Prince – complete with outfit, guitar and funk attitude. Emotional because it not only showed sadness, but also celebrated Prince’s joy of life.
Whitney Houston (2012): The Grammys took place just one day after her death. Jennifer Hudson sang “I Will Always Love You” – simply, without much staging. The silence in the room made the moment extreme.
David Bowie (2016): Shortly after Bowie’s death, Lady Gaga honored him with a lavish medley of his greatest songs. The mix of performance art, transformation and respect for Bowie’s legacy was overwhelming for many fans.
Aretha Franklin (2019): After the death of the “Queen of Soul,” there was a gospel-tinged tribute sequence with artists like Yolanda Adams and Fantasia. Particularly emotional because Aretha Franklin herself was so closely connected to gospel and spiritual music.
Kobe Bryant & Nipsey Hussle (2020): Although Bryant was not a musician, his death greatly influenced the mood of the show. Alicia Keys opened the Grammys with an emotional speech. In addition, rapper Nipsey Hussle – who had recently passed away – was honored several times, giving the evening a very serious, thoughtful atmosphere.
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Pre-order now: Exclusive 7-inch single “Baltimore”/“Stare” by Prince in MUSIKEXPRRESS 03/26
We are opening the year 2026 with a unique and extraordinary collaboration: on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of his death, ROLLING STONE and MUSIKEXPRESS are releasing two world-exclusive vinyl singles by Prince.
A few months before his death, the genius of the century had recorded two albums that once again show him in top form and will be re-released in the new year: “HITnRUN Phase I” and “Phase II”. These were to remain his last works. For “Phase I” he worked with singers such as Rita Ora and Lianne La Havas. “Phase II” shows him as a political observer of his time.
The March issue of MUSIKEXPRESS features a second world exclusive Prince single: “Baltimore” / “Stare”, two songs from HITnRUN Phase II. Prince wrote the ballad-like “Baltimore” under the impression of racist police violence in the USA. Both editions are also available HERE together in a bundle at the special price of EUR 19.90.
Included in delivery: MUSIKEXPRESS issue 03/2026 + exclusive Prince 7″ vinyl single
