Yungblud is responding to musicians who expressed negative opinions about his tribute performance for Ozzy Osbourne during the MTV Video Music Awards in September.
The 28-year-old English singer participated in an all-star tribute alongside Aerosmith‘s Joe Perry and Steven Tyler, as well as Extreme‘s Nuno Bettencourt, during this year’s awards show. The group performed a medley of Ozzy’s songs, including “Changes,” “Mama I’m Coming Home,” and “Crazy Train.”
While the performance seemed well-received during the broadcast, some musicians online offered harsh critiques of Yungblud’s rendition of Ozzy’s classics.
Yungblud’s Response To VMAs Criticism
Yungblud recently appeared on Jack Osbourne‘s Trying Not to Die podcast, where he shared his thoughts on those who criticized his tribute at the VMAs.
“The thing about hate is you will never see someone that’s bigger or more emotionally evolved than you talk shit on you,” Yungblud told Osbourne.
He further explained that successful musicians are not quick to criticize others.
“You ain’t ever going to see fucking James Hetfield slag off a young rock star. Because he’s James fucking Hetfield. And they’re not going to see your dad slag off a fucking rock star because they don’t got anything to prove. They don’t need to insert themselves into a conversation because they’re emotionally evolved and they know what it takes to get somewhere.”
Who Criticized Yungblud’s VMA Performance?
Among the most vocal critics of Yungblud’s VMA performance was Dan Hawkins, guitarist for The Darkness. Hawkins shared a clip of the performance on Instagram, stating it was “another nail in the coffin for rock’n roll.”
“Cynical, nauseating and more importantly, shit,” Hawkins commented in his Instagram post. “Makes me sick how people jump on this shit to further their own careers.”
Yungblud believes much of the criticism stems from individuals projecting their own insecurities rather than him seeking attention following Ozzy’s death.
“It’s just bitter and jealous,” he stated on the podcast. “They are doing the things they say we are doing. They are trying to insert themselves into the conversation to obtain some kind of relevancy on the back of us honoring one of the greatest rock stars that ever lived.”
What Jack Osbourne Texted Yungblud the Night of His VMA Performance
During the podcast, Jack Osbourne became emotional while discussing the backlash against Yungblud’s VMAs performance. He feels many are quick to criticize without understanding Yungblud’s relationship with Ozzy and the Osbourne family.
“You were so much more involved,” Jack said through tears. “And we respected that you respected that. But these people didn’t fucking know. They don’t know the fucking story of it.” “And I was just like fuck you, dude. Dom (Yungblud’s birth name) meant something to my dad. My Dad meant something to Dom.”
Before Yungblud took the stage that night, he received an encouraging text message from Jack.
“Fucking crush it,” read the message.
“All I was trying to do was my best for your old man because he gave me such a gift.”
Yungblud recently announced a North American tour for 2026 that will kick off in Sterling Heights, Michigan on May 1. A complete list of tour dates and ticket information can be found on his website.
MTV VMAs 2025 – Red Carpet + Performances
Scroll through photos of rock musicians on the red carpet and onstage at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards.
Gallery Credit: Loudwire Staff
