Medal Design 2D

A Medal for a legend 

You are enthusiastically invited to design a medal to celebrate and commemorate the life, work, impact and contribution of one of Birmingham’s icons, Ozzy Osbourne. He was an English singer, songwriter, and media personality who co-founded the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath in 1968, and rose to prominence in the 1970s as their lead vocalist. During this time, he adopted the title “Prince of Darkness”.

In June 2025, just a few weeks before his death, Ozzy Osbourne and his Black Sabbath bandmates were awarded the Freedom of the City of Birmingham. This civic honour recognised their significant role in the city's musical and cultural identity and their pioneering work and impact in heavy metal. 

Your challenge is to design a medal which captures the character of Ozzy Osbourne and acknowledges his contribution to Birmingham.

Designs should maximise the surface areas available on the medal using both sides, as well as the edges where appropriate, in a fluent and cohesive design. This is a fabulous opportunity to create a visual narrative around an iconic, controversial and memorable figurehead from the City of Birmingham.

The medal dimensions are: 60mm diameter circle, 5mm thick.  The judging panel for this award will include representatives from Fattorini and BAO. 

• Imaginative and creative outcomes, showing innovation and aesthetic appeal

• Practical and functional solutions

• Suitability of proposed materials, processes and methods of manufacture

• Highest standards of presentation and visual communication, including inspiration source, design development leading to the final design

• Appropriate inclusion of all details as laid out in the brief

• Designs are to be presented on one side only and mounted on card, foam board or equivalent backing board

• Submissions - 1 x A3 (maximum)

• Designs must include a 1.1 scaled drawing

• Designs can be created by hand or using CAD

• Summary/description integrated within your design

• Names should only be visible on the back of the entry

• If AI is used, list what and how much  

The winning designer will have their name included on the reverse side of the medal, along with Fattorini, who will produce it by press stamping.

The intention is to provide two silver medals, one as a gift to the Osbourne family, the second, offered to the most appropriate Birmingham Museum as a commemorative medal for their collection.

The winning designer will be invited to Fattorini to see the production of their medal design. 

The art medal is a medium for expressing two ideas in one artwork, also engaging with its edge to create a complete narrative.  Designs should think about how the form of the medal can be used to emphasise their concept in a clever and compelling way. 

The art medal is held in the hand, and therefore its texture is an integral part of any design.  

The definition of an art medal: a two-sided, low relief medal that fits into the palm of the hand and is not intended to be worn. It is usually cast using the lost-wax technique.

For more information and inspiration on medal design, please visit the British Art Medal Society website.  

Participants can download a new online book about making medals here: