Aerosmith will come out of retirement to perform at a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne despite a report that lead singer Steven Tyler has sustained a permanent vocal cord injury, according to the Daily Mail.
The report said the long-running rock band agreed to take part in the tribute concert even after what it described as a permanent injury to Tyler’s vocal cords. The Daily Mail account did not detail how the group plans to adapt the performance or who, if anyone, might handle lead vocal duties.
The announcement came as the music world also turned its attention to the MTV Video Music Awards, where established stars and breakout acts collected top honors. Lady Gaga, who led the field with a dozen nominations, won Artist of the Year, underscoring her prominence at this year’s ceremony.
Ariana Grande claimed Video of the Year and Best Long Form Video for "Brighter Days Ahead." Grande’s project also won Best Pop, while Grande’s visual work featured in multiple technical categories. Sabrina Carpenter won Best Pop Artist and took the prize for Best Visual Effects for her video "Manchild." Alex Warren was named Best New Artist.
Rosé and Bruno Mars won Song of the Year for "Apt.," and Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars took Best Collaboration for "Die With a Smile." Doechii won Best Hip-Hop and also secured Best Choreography for "Anxiety." Tate McRae’s performance video "Just Keep Watching (From F1® the Movie)" was awarded Song of the Summer and Best Editing.
Coldplay won Best Rock for "All My Love," and Sombr took Best Alternative for "Back to Friends." In the R&B category, the award went to "Dangerous," while Tyla won Best Afrobeats for "Push 2 Start." Blackpink was named Best Group.
Several awards recognized video craft and social impact. Kendrick Lamar won Best Cinematography for "Not Like Us," and Charli XCX’s "Guess" featuring Billie Eilish won Video for Good. Lady Gaga also won Best Direction and Best Art Direction for her work on "Abracadabra."
The ceremony conferred legacy honors as well: Mariah Carey received the MTV Video Vanguard Award, Ricky Martin was presented with the Latin Icon Award, and Busta Rhymes was honored with the Rock The Bells Visionary Award.
Organizers and artists framed the VMAs as a broad showcase of contemporary pop, hip-hop, rock and international genres, with winners spanning established superstars and newer names. The awards highlighted collaborations across genres and regions, reflecting the music industry’s continued emphasis on cross-genre projects and global audiences.
Aerosmith’s reported one-off return for the Osbourne tribute and the VMAs’ slate of winners illustrate two converging themes in the current music landscape: the persistence of legacy acts in high-profile live events and the rising visibility of diverse contemporary artists in recorded and visual categories. The Daily Mail report on Aerosmith did not include an exact date for the tribute performance, and the band had not issued a public statement at the time the report was published.