"An iconic and much missed son of Birmingham, the city he loved so much"
By Tom Skinner 4th December 2025
Ozzy Osbourne at 'Back To The Beginning'. CREDIT: Ross Halfin
Ozzy Osbourne has been posthumously honoured with Birmingham’s Lord Mayor’s Award on what would have been his 77th birthday.
- READ MORE: Ozzy Osbourne, 1948-2025: culture-smashing revolutionary that redefined rock and reality TV
The prestigious, annual award recognises recipients’ “outstanding achievement or exceptional service to the City and people of Birmingham”, per a post by Birmingham City Council.
Advertisement“It’s not simply for a job that’s been done well or because someone has reached a particular level. Instead, it recognises people who have ‘gone the extra mile’.”
In a video message, the late Black Sabbath icon’s daughter, Kelly, said: “I just want to take a second to thank the people of Birmingham for not only showing my family so much love, but for showing up for my father in a way that made him the happiest man on the planet.”
Kelly received the honour along with her mother and Ozzy’s widow, Sharon. The pair were also given the book of condolences containing tributes from Birmingham citizens, following the legendary singer’s death in July, aged 76.
View this post on Instagram
The book allowed fans to write their own messages about what the Prince Of Darkness meant to them. People queued extensively to pen their respects, including Birmingham’s Lord Mayor, during Ozzy’s funeral cortege.
RecommendedFans could then pay tribute by signing the book at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, after Ozzy’s funeral procession saw thousands gather in the city.
Kelly explained in her new video message that the book contains “hundreds of thousands of signatures”, adding: “It’s beyond our wildest dreams. We can’t thank you enough.”
She concluded: “The one thing that my father was most proud of is that he was a Brummie, and Birmingham has done him proud.”
Birmingham’s Lord Mayor, Councillor Zafar Iqbal, shared a series of photographs online, too. “Today, the Deputy Lord Mayor and I was honoured to meet with the Osbourne family and posthumously present Ozzy Osbourne’s Lord Mayor’s Award and the Book of Condolences following his passing,” he wrote.
Advertisement“An iconic and much missed son of Birmingham, the city he loved so much 🖤 Ozzy forever.”
View this post on Instagram
Ozzy’s death came just 17 days after he played his final-ever live show as a soloist and with Black Sabbath at Birmingham’s Villa Park.
The artist’s death certificate confirmed his cause of death to be a heart attack, while also mentioning that he was suffering from coronary heart disease and Parkinson’s. The document listed his occupation as “Songwriter, Performer and Rock Legend”.
In the wake of Ozzy’s passing, fans pushed to rename Birmingham Airport in honour of the late star.
Meanwhile, the Osbourne family recently spoke publicly together about Ozzy’s death, revealing that he had been hospitalised two weeks before the ‘Back To The Beginning’ gig. The podcast also saw them play a voicemail tribute sent from President Trump, and hit out at “ugly human being” Roger Waters.
Elsewhere, Sharon confirmed how much Ozzy and Sabbath’s last-ever concert had raised for charity. In a separate conversation, Ozzy’s eldest son Louis spoke about his late father’s “humbling” funeral in a rare interview with half-brother Jack.
Jack is currently appearing on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, where he has opened up about his grief. He has also claimed on the show that his late grandfather, Don Arden, would threaten and “firebomb” rival record labels, as well as send “hitmen” after Ozzy.
