The city of Birmingham officially paid its respects to its most famous son today, holding a private ceremony to honor the life and legacy of Ozzy Osbourne on what would have been his 77th birthday.
During the event, Kelly Osbourne was present to accept the prestigious Lord Mayor’s Award on behalf of her late father. The honor, which is one of the highest civic accolades the city can bestow, was presented by the Deputy Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Ken Wood. Additionally, the Lord Mayor, Councillor Zafar Iqbal MBE, gifted Kelly with the city’s Books of Condolence, which contain thousands of messages penned by fans in the wake of Ozzy‘s death in July.
Speaking to BBC Radio WM after the presentation, Kelly admitted the return to her father’s hometown was deeply moving.
“It’s been a bit of an emotional one for me,” Kelly said. “Birmingham is so special to him and never in my wildest dreams did I expect the outpouring of love that we received. There is no place like Brum.”
She continued, describing Ozzy not as a rock star, but as a man who remained grounded despite his global fame.
“He was the people’s person, he never changed and was always the working class hero,” she explained. “He never thought he was better than anybody else, he just loved what he did so much, entertaining and making people happy. My dad has shown the world not just Birmingham, but Birmingham particularly, that you can be a boy from Aston and be everything.”
In addition to her radio comments, Kelly released a separate video message thanking the community for their support during the family’s period of mourning.
“Hello, I’m Kelly Osbourne, and I just wanna 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 stated in the clip. “I mean, we’re here today receiving the Lord Mayor’s Award. We got to see the Books Of Condolences that have hundreds of thousands of signatures in it. It’s beyond our wildest dreams. We can’t thank you enough.”
She concluded the message by highlighting her father’s enduring pride in his roots.
“The one thing that my father was most proud of is that he was a Brummie, and Birmingham has done him proud.”
The Lord Mayor’s Award recognizes individuals who have delivered exceptional service to the city and its people. For Ozzy Osbourne, a boy from Aston who became the voice of Black Sabbath and a solo superstar, the award acknowledges his permanent impact on Birmingham’s cultural and musical identity.
