Ozzy tribute at the Grammys 2026 turns “War Pigs” into a prime-time farewell

The Grammys closed the gap between arena-rock spectacle and memorial on February 1, 2026 (ET), with an all-star performance honoring Ozzy Osbourne. The tribute landed inside the ceremony’s In Memoriam segment and leaned hard into the music that made Osbourne a defining figure of heavy metal: a full-band rendition of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs,” staged as both celebration and goodbye.

Ozzy Osbourne died on July 22, 2025, at age 76. Seven months later, the Grammys’ choice to spotlight “War Pigs” — a song that’s equal parts riff-driven anthem and anti-war statement — gave the moment weight beyond a standard montage.

Ozzy tribute at the Grammys 2026

The performance brought together Post Malone, Slash, Duff McKagan, Chad Smith, and Andrew Watt for “War Pigs,” with the kind of production the Grammys usually reserves for marquee collaborations: big lights, big volume, and a visual backdrop that kept the focus on Osbourne’s image and legacy rather than any single guest star.

Key details of the tribute

• Song: Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs”

• Lineup: Post Malone, Slash, Duff McKagan, Chad Smith, Andrew Watt

• Placement: The In Memoriam segment during the main telecast

The result was less “quiet remembrance” and more “stadium-sized salute,” a stylistic choice that fit Osbourne’s career. It also let the show honor heavy music on its own terms — not softened, not condensed, and not treated as a niche footnote.

Why “War Pigs” still hits

“War Pigs” is one of the rare classics that works as both a time capsule and a living document. Written in the shadow of past wars yet constantly resurfacing in new ones, it’s a reminder that Osbourne’s early catalog wasn’t just dark imagery and theatrics — it also carried pointed social commentary.

On a night built around genre-spanning pop, rap, R&B, and global sounds, the tribute’s message was simple: this wasn’t just nostalgia. It was a statement that the metal and hard-rock lineage remains part of the center of music history, not the fringes.

The Osbourne family in the spotlight

Osbourne’s family attended and watched the tribute from the audience, underscoring that this was a public memorial with private grief at its core. In pre-show remarks circulating from the venue, Kelly Osbourne acknowledged that the weeks leading up to the tribute had been emotionally difficult, describing the experience as overwhelming even as she expressed gratitude that her father’s impact was being recognized at the industry’s biggest night.

The family’s presence also shaped the tone of the performance. It wasn’t framed as a career retrospective in the abstract; it was framed as remembrance for a person whose absence is still fresh.

Yungblud’s parallel tribute with “Changes”

The night’s Ozzy moments didn’t stop with “War Pigs.” Yungblud won Best Rock Performance for his cover of Black Sabbath’s “Changes,” then used his acceptance speech to salute Osbourne’s influence. Sharon Osbourne joined him onstage during the speech, turning a standard awards beat into a visibly emotional handoff between generations.

That combination — a heavyweight ensemble tribute plus a younger rock artist directly tying his own milestone to Osbourne — made the memorial feel threaded through the ceremony rather than isolated to a single segment.

What it signals for rock at the Grammys

Rock often shows up at the Grammys in flashes: a legacy nod here, a guitar cameo there. This year’s approach was more intentional. The tribute wasn’t built around “crossover” packaging; it was built around musicians who could deliver the song’s force without sanding down its edges.

It also suggested a broader truth about Osbourne’s role in modern music: his influence travels easily across scenes. Metal’s DNA is embedded in contemporary rock, pop production, and even rap performance aesthetics — from stagecraft to vocal attitude to the way heavy riffs have been sampled, referenced, and reimagined.

What to watch next

With the Grammys’ memorial now part of the public record, attention is likely to shift to how Osbourne’s catalog is curated in the year ahead: anniversary editions, tribute concerts, and renewed chart interest tend to follow moments like this. The other likely marker will be whether major festivals and award shows continue to give heavy music prominent real estate — not as a novelty, but as a foundational genre with an active present.

For one night, at least, the ceremony treated Ozzy Osbourne the way his fans always have: not simply as a personality, but as a force.

Sources consulted: The Recording Academy; ABC News; People; Pitchfork