Sharon Osbourne took the reigns at last night’s Rolling Stone UK Awards for Ozzy Osbourne after he was honoured with the icon award.
The likes of The Last Dinner Party, Daniel Kaluuya, Jessie Ware and The Chemical Brothers also all went home winners from the London awards show held at The Roundhouse, in collaboration with Rémy Martin.
Ozzy – the publication’s latest cover star and Black Sabbath legend – now 74, couldn’t be at the event due to something ‘cropping up’, but his wife of 40 years Sharon, 71, accepted the accolade in his place.
As she did, Sharon gave an emotional speech and explained how it was ‘f**ked up’ the rock n’ roll legend couldn’t be there to pick up the award himself.
Since a fall in 2019, Ozzy has undergone four operations on his back. He’s been pictured using a wheelchair and walkers since, and declared in September he would only endure one more surgery, and that was it – regardless of the outcome.
‘You’ve got me instead of the legend,’ Sharon began, then nodding to his recent cover star interview with the publication, continued: ‘Rolling Stone UK you have no idea what it means as an artist to be on the cover of Rolling Stone.
‘I can remember when Ozzy first got the cover, he said: “Does this mean I’ve made it now?” And I’m like, yeah, I think so.’
Talking of his love for music, Sharon declared, ‘It’s all Ozzy’s ever known his entire life,’ before crumbling into tears.
Composing herself, Sharon praised Yungblud who presented the award, confessing that when Ozzy met the young rocker, he felt as if he was meeting himself.
‘I’m just so f**ked up that he’s not here tonight, it means so much and he’s worked so hard his entire life to give back,’ she continued, full of emotion.
Focusing on her husband, she explained how the worst thing you can do to Ozzy was confide him in a music studio, but even so, he always emerged with a banger.
‘Now it’s 55 years he’s been making music,’ she said, ‘and a 55-year career where he’s never had a dud album.’
Having sold over 100million albums, Ozzy forged an almighty solo career after being booted out of Black Sabbath for substance use in 1979.
‘I am just so proud of him as a man, as a musician,’ she continued. ‘It’s been my honour to be on his coattails, I adore him and you’ve just got no idea what this means to him right now,’ Sharon confessed, breaking into tears again, and then joking she knew she was going to ‘f**k this up’.
Summarising Ozzy’s legacy, Sharon said he is what ‘rock n’ roll is all about’.
‘He’s wild, he’s fabulous, he’s talented, he’s like a f**king uncaged animal and I adore him, and I know you all do, and just thank you, thank you, so much,’ she concluded.
Rolling Stone UK Awards winners
The Icon Award, supported by Visit West Hollywood
Ozzy Osbourne, presented by Yungblud and accepted by Sharon Osbourne
The Artist Award, in collaboration with Rémy Martin
Jessie Ware, presented by Billy Porter
The Film Award, in collaboration with Rémy Martin
Daniel Kaluuya for The Kitchen, presented by Clara Amfo
The Breakthrough Award, supported by Volvo
Maisie Peters, presented by Aisling Bea
The Album Award, supported by Brooklands Studio
The Chemical Brothers – For that Beautiful Feeling, presented by Louis Tomlinson
The Rising Star Award, supported by Moving Venue
The Last Dinner Party, presented by Busted
The Song of the Year Award
PinkPantheress, ‘Boy’s A Liar Pt 2’, presented by Vick Hope
The Record Label Award
Partisan Records, presented by AJ Odudu
The Festival Award
Download Festival, presented by Nova Twins
The Live Act Award
Yungblud, presented by Jodie Harsh
The Television Award
Doctor Who, presented by Juno Dawson and accepted by David Tennant
The Gamechanger Award
Lewis Capaldi, presented and accepted by Roman Kemp
The Trailblazer Award
Digga D, presented by Skepta
In a video message, Ozzy said: ‘I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there tonight, only something cropped up and I just couldn’t make the flight. My wife’s gonna be there on my behalf and she’s great.
‘The only one bit of advice is keep her away from the bar because she gets very rowdy when she has a few drinks!
‘My success is just a dream come true. I’d like to thank Rolling Stone UK and all the readers for this wonderful award. This award means everything to me. I’m just so sad.’
‘It’s really knocked me about,’ Ozzy told Rolling Stone UK in their cover star interview chatting about his operations in recent years.
‘The second surgery went drastically wrong and virtually left me crippled. I thought I’d be up and running after the second and third, but with the last one they put a f**king rod in my spine.
‘They found a tumour in one of the vertebrae, so they had to dig all that out too. It’s pretty rough, man, and my balance is all f**ked up.’
Sharon added: ‘It’s been nearly five years of heartache, and at times I’ve just felt so helpless and so bad for Ozzy, to see him going through the pain.’
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