Ozzy Osbourne – The Prince Of Darkness and one of the most iconic names in rock music – is to be honoured as 2018’s Golden God at The Metal Hammer Golden God Awards 2018 in association with Monster Energy. This is the evening’s most prestigious accolade that honours the most inspirational, important and groundbreaking artists in rock and metal history.
The award ceremony will take place at Indigo at The O2, London, on Monday, June 11, capping off what is always the UK’s biggest weekend in rock and metal. This is an award ceremony all about the fans and tickets are on sale now for just £15. As well as the award ceremony there will be live performances from Baroness, with an incredible headliner to be announced imminently. Tickets are available at http://bit.ly/2KTqpLX.
With a career dating back almost five decades, Ozzy Osbourne’s status sees him rightly revered as one of the most important – and, at times – infamous figureheads in all of rock and metal.
In 1969 he founded the legendary Black Sabbath alongside Tony, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward, with the four men going on to invent and popularise the genre of music that’d come to be known as heavy metal. Ozzy’s original tenure with the band produced some of the greatest albums in metal’s long history, initially fronting the band for ten years and eight albums.
After being kicked out of Sabbath in 1979, he released his debut solo album The Blizzard of Ozz, which was met with global critical and commercial acclaim. In all, Ozzy has released 11 solo records and nine with Black Sabbath – including the band’s 2013 reunion album, 13 – resulting in sales of over 100 million. His touring schedule has been unrelenting, playing sold out shows in stadiums and arenas around the world for almost 50 years solid, and it shows no signs of waning, with him currently in the middle of The No More Tours 2 Tour that will see him headline Download Festival on 10 June.
Previous recipients of the Golden God Award include Motorhead legend Lemmy, Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine and Rob Zombie amongst others.
“It just doesn’t get any bigger than this,” says Metal Hammer Editor, Merlin Alderslade. “The Prince Of Darkness, the most iconic name in heavy metal, a man without whom these very awards, this very magazine – hell, our very culture – would quite simply not exist. Seeing Ozzy walk out on that stage at the Indigo on June 11 is going to be unmissable. We can’t wait to share what will be a very special moment with you all. All aboard!”
Metal Hammer is the biggest and best heavy metal magazine on the planet, and Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta will host this, their 16th annual Metal Hammer Golden God Awards in association with Monster Energy ceremony.
Metal Hammer put on this show for the people who truly matter – the fans. As well as the awards that are a combination of reader-voted and editorially chosen, there will be live music from Meshuggah, Baroness, Carpenter Brut, Myrkur and the show’s headliners, who will be announced June 1. In previous years, there have been headline sets from Motörhead, Mastodon, Anthrax, Steel Panther and many more.