In 1996, at London’s Grand Connaught Rooms, the MOBO Awards was hosted as a trailblazing celebration of the music produced by black artists within the UK and around the world. 25 years after its birth, the MOBOs have indoctrinated themselves as an imperative element of empowering emergent artists and illustrating the future of British music, whilst providing an equitable platform for young black artists.
The 25th awards show will be held at the OVO Arena Wembley in London, with the hosts and performers yet to be officially announced. Munya Chawawa and Leigh-Anne Pinnock were warmly received as the hosts for the 2021 ceremony, building excitement for this year’s milestone awards.
Past creatives who have been embraced at the awards include Dave, Skepta and Stefflon Don. International performers who have appeared at the unmissable cultural event across the last 25 years include Janet Jackson, Rhianna and Lauryn Hill. The evening will be a celebration of the legacy of the ceremony since its creation, whilst recognising present artists continuing to channel this vibrance in contemporary work.
The MOBO Awards are an annual celebration of the positive movement being made across varied genres, including hip-hop, R&B, soul, grime and drill. Heavyweight nominees this year include Little Simz, fresh from winning the 2022 Mercury Prize with Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, with four nominations. Rapper Knucks leads with five nominations, whilst MOBO Best Newcomer for 2021 Central Cee has been nominated for four categories.
As the MOBOs remains a key platform in supporting new creatives within the music industry, the awards have increased to recognise the achievements of key figures within the arts and cultural industries. This included Steve McQueen winning the Inspiration Award at last year’s ceremony, while Chunkz and Young Filly took the Best Media Personality award.
To celebrate the milestone quarter-of-a-century achievement, two new categories have been added to further recognise the expansive volume of music being produced by black artists. This includes Best Alternative Music Act and Best Dance/Electronic Act, with the winner chosen by a selected judging panel spanning a variety of genres.
Nova Twins, nominated for Best Alternative Music Act, stated “We hope this new category helps give future artists more options, allowing them to be whatever musician they want to to be, be it in Hip Hop, Rock, Pop, Punk, R&B or anywhere in between, the choice is theirs.”
Publicly voted categories include Song of the Year, Best International Act and the Best Newcomer Award. Voting is currently live on the MOBO Awards website.
Kanya King CBE, the founder of the MOBO awards, stated “MOBO continues to rise and create a cultural and social footprint, it will continue to be an agent for positive change in arts, culture, music, and society as a whole”
The 25th MOBO Awards will be hosted on 30 November 2022 and is predicted to be streaming on the official MOBO Awards YouTube channel as it has done in previous years.
Words by Alanya Smith
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