Fellow Rocker Slams YUNGBLUD and Aerosmith’s VMAs Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, Calls it ‘Nauseating S***’
One of the most memorable and emotional performances during the 2025 MTV VMAs was the tribute to the late Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne.
British rocker YUNGBLUD, along with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, and Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, brought the energy as they covered the hits “Crazy Train,” “Changes,” and “Mama, I’m Coming Home.”
Fans took to social media to praise the performance, and the other musicians in attendance were on their feet, rocking out and enjoying the set. But there is one person who didn’t think it was great.
Darkness guitarist Dan Hawkins took to his Instagram and slammed the tribute, sharing a clip of YUNGBLUD and Tyler’s duet as Ariana Grande stood up and sang along.
He captioned it: “Another nail in the coffin of rock n roll. Cynical, nauseating, and more importantly; shit. Makes me sick how people jump on this shit to further their own careers.”
It’s interesting that while Dawkins had no problem bashing the other artists, he appears to have turned off his Instagram comments so he doesn’t have to deal with anyone bashing him for his take.
Dawkins’ opinion is in the minority as most people who watched the show labeled it a stellar performance. Variety even called it the “most tender and rewarding” moment of the awards ceremony.
