During the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, attendees became enamored with the 33-foot-tall mechanical bull sculpture that stole the show during the opening ceremonies. Now, thousands have voted to have the bull named after Ozzy Osbourne.
The bull was initially scheduled to be dismantled following the games. But it was such a crowd pleaser, a petition to keep the sculpture intact generated over 10,000 signatures, and now the bull will stand under the atrium of the Birmingham New Street railway station.
After it was announced that the sculpture would live on, a public vote was held to give it a formal name. Over 28,000 votes were cast, with “Ozzy” sweeping over 70 percent of the vote.
It’s a fitting choice considering the Black Sabbath singer was raised in Birmingham and will forever be linked to the 2022 games after making a rare live appearance alongside Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi to perform “Paranoid” during the closing ceremonies.
Ozzy took to BBC Breakfast to accept the honor and offer his thanks to the citizens of Birmingham and those who voted. “I’m absolutely blown away,” he said. “Thank you for all your votes. And Birmingham forever.”
West Midlands mayor Andy Street said the public “couldn’t have made a clearer choice” in nomenclature.
“Like people right across our region, I cannot wait to see Ozzy take pride of place in New Street Station in a triumphant homecoming this summer — proudly bearing the name of the Prince of Darkness himself.”
Prior to the vote, the sculpture was informally known as “Raging Bull.” Other shortlisted names that received votes were “Bostin,” an oft-used regional phrase meaning “excellent;” “Brummie,” a term for people from Birmingham; and “Boulton,” after 18th Century industrialist Matthew Boulton.
Below you can revisit the opening ceremonies of the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and the reveal of the bull now known as “Ozzy.”