Who is Yungblud? Ozzy Osbourne connection explained amid VMA tribute to late rocker

On September 7, 2025, Yungblud paid tribute to Ozzy Osbourne at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) held at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. He was joined by Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Nuno Bettencourt for the tribute performance dedicated to The Prince of Darkness, according to NBC News.

Yungblud is an English singer, songwriter, and actor, and, per LADbible, his real name is Dominic Harrison. He shared a close friendship with his mentor, Ozzy Osbourne. After Osbourne’s demise on July 22, 2025, Harrison called him “the greatest of all time.”

On Sunday, as part of his tribute on the stage of the MTV VMAs, Yungblud sang a solo version of Crazy Train from the audience, followed by the Aerosmith members joining him for the song, Changes, and wrapping up with Mama, I’m Coming Home.

The moment was shared on the official VMAs accounts across Instagram, X, and YouTube, and has since gone viral.

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All you need to know about Yungblud

Yungblud was born on August 5, 1997, in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. His parents are Samantha and Justin Harrison. He grew up with two younger sisters, Jemima and Isobel. The Abyss singer attended Ackworth School before moving to London to join the Arts Educational Schools. However, he dropped out in 2015 and began pursuing a music career.

Per Us Weekly, Harrison rose to fame in 2017 with his debut single, King Charles. In 2018, he unveiled his debut and self-titled EP, followed by his first studio album, 21st Century Liability.

The following year, Yungblud released his second EP, The Underrated Youth. His second studio album, Weird! was released in 2020 and peaked at number 1 on the UK Albums Chart and top 100 on the US Billboard 200 Chart.

Harrison dropped his eponymous album in 2022, which also made it to the charts. This year in June, he released his fourth album, Idols. His music spans across genres, including alternative rock, pop punk, and hip-hop. Besides being a vocalist and lyricist, Yungblud is also skilled in playing piano and guitar.

Some of his notable songs include parents, breakdown, acting like that, When We Die, Obey, and Polygraph Eyes, among others. Apart from being a musician, Yungblud is also an actor who appeared in the TV shows Emmerdale and The Lodge.

Dominic has collaborated with several artists, such as K. Flay, Charlotte Lawrence, Carlie Hanson, Kelsey, Travis Barker, MGK, Dan Reynolds, and Marshmello, among others.

In 2024, Harrison launched a music festival called Bludfest, which, according to its website, is:

“a movement, a family, and a space where individuality thrives.”

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Exploring Yungblud’s relationship to Ozzy Osbourne

Yungblud first collaborated with Ozzy Osbourne and his wife, Sharon Osbourne, on the music video of his March 2022 single, The Funeral. It was released on YouTube. At the time, Ozzy gifted Dominic one of his cross necklaces, which the latter wore on the 2025 MTV VMAs stage.

During the filming of the music video, the duo became close, and Dominic told Ozzy about the online backlash he received for spilling beer on his audience. According to the website Rova, Yungblud shared during an interview with NME in 2024,

“I was speaking to him about what happened on Twitter, and he said, ‘If you want to spit beer on the audience, do it, as long as you do it with love.’ People think [Ozzy] is kind of… gone, but he’s not. He’s so intelligent and so f**king beautiful. People are scared of him until they hear him speak.”

The Lowlife crooner claimed that Osbourne told him:

He “saw a lot of himself in me” and asked him to “never apologize for anything” and people would “understand you later,” adding, “Time always tells.”

Last year, Blud even appeared as a guest on The Osbournes Podcast, where both the rockers were seen sharing a unique camaraderie.

Two weeks before Osbourne's death, the 28-year-old rocker performed a cover of the iconic rocker's song Changes at the farewell Black Sabbath concert at Villa Park, Birmingham, on July 5, 2025. It was later released as a charity single.

Backstage, Yungblud reportedly gifted a sterling silver and diamond-studded cross-shaped pendant to the now-late rockstar, returning the past gesture. Ozzy Osbourne reportedly thanked his protégé for the honor with a hug and a kiss, congratulated him for his number 1 album, and asked him to “conquer America next.” The latter reportedly gave him a shoutout for his five decades of music.

Over the years, the NME Award nominee has credited the Black Sabbath frontman as his inspiration, close friend, mentor, and idol. Upon Osbourne’s demise, Yungblud paid tribute to his friend. The artist wrote on social media:

“I didn't think you would leave so soon. The last time we met, you were so full of life, and your laugh filled up the room. But as it is written with legends, they seem to know things that we don't. I will never forget you - you will be in every single note I sing and with me every single time I walk on stage. Your cross around my neck is the most precious thing I own.”

He reiterated that Osbourne’s “music was enough” and called it an “adventure.” Yungblud concluded by sharing how “truly heartbroken he was.”