NEWS
Ozzy Osbourne is set to be posthumously recognized with Birmingham’s Lord Mayor’s Award.
This honour, considered one of the city’s most respected civic distinctions, will be handed to members of the Osbourne family on December 3, the date that would have marked the late Black Sabbath singer’s 77th birthday.
The presentation will be carried out by Deputy Lord Mayor Councillor Ken Wood, while Lord Mayor Councillor Zafar Iqbal MBE will formally give the family the Books of Condolence.
The recognition highlights Ozzy’s lasting impact on Birmingham’s cultural landscape and musical legacy.
He was born in Aston and eventually achieved worldwide acclaim as the lead vocalist of the trailblazing heavy metal group Black Sabbath during the ’70s, later moving into a hugely successful solo career. Over more than fifty years in music, the Paranoid hitmaker sold upward of 100 million records, earned five Grammy Awards, and joined the small group of just 27 performers who have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
Ozzy continued to maintain a close bond with his hometown. His Working Class Hero exhibition at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery has welcomed nearly 400,000 attendees since its launch in July. Earlier this year, he and the rest of Black Sabbath were awarded the Freedom of the City ahead of their final Back To The Beginning performance.
In a statement, the Osbourne family shared: “We are deeply touched to receive this award in honour of Ozzy. He was so loved by the people of Birmingham and it is great to see the impact he has had in his hometown.”
Councillor Zafar Iqbal MBE described Osbourne as “a proud and much-missed son of Birmingham.”
Deputy Lord Mayor Ken Wood also reflected on his legacy, saying: “Ozzy Osbourne was more than a music icon — he was a proud son of Birmingham whose influence reached every corner of the globe.”
Osbourne passed away in July at age 76, following years of significant health struggles, including a widely known fight with Parkinson’s disease.
Lizzo has responded to fat-shamers online.
The Grammy-winning artist went on her official Instagram page to call out people making jokes about her body.
“Today I came across a fat joke about me in 2025 and it was going viral,” she wrote alongside a photo of herself relaxing in a yellow and black snakeskin bikini.
“It was a silly joke and they were laughing at me simply because I’m fat. Let me remind everyone to never let anyone make you feel bad for what you decide to do with your own body. When you are bigger, they talk st. When you are smaller, they talk st. Your body will never be enough for them because it is not meant for them. It is meant for you.”
The About Damn Time singer has faced body-shaming comments throughout her entire mainstream pop career.
Earlier this year, during an appearance on the Just Trish podcast, Lizzo shared that she tried Ozempic but eventually chose to focus on changing her diet as part of her personal weight loss journey.
“If I get a BBL, mind ur business. If I lose 100lbs, mind ur business. If I gain every pound back and then some, mind ur f**king business,” she wrote at the end of her caption.
“Anyways, my fat ass stays living with a paid-off mortgage in y’all b**ches heads.”
Lizzo’s message to her critics comes shortly after she drew attention for a Substack essay she posted titled Cancel Me (Again): A ‘Cancelled’ Woman’s Take on Why Everyone Should Get Cancelled at Least Once.
“Not everybody liked my most recent essay and that is exactly why I wrote it,” she said in a follow up post.
“I deserve the freedom to express myself like anyone else. I am human and I have earned the right to be wrong, to be prickly and even unlikable sometimes. It feels freeing for someone like me who used to be a chronic people pleaser. Thank you for the comments and the criticism. I welcome all of it.”
