Three decades after launching the awards, founder Kanya King reflects on being ahead of the crowd and why Mobo has always been more than music
For the audience watching performances by twentysomethings Olivia Dean, Myles Smith and Aitch on Thursday night in the Co-op Live arena in Manchester it will seem like a lifetime away from 1996, when the Mobo awards began.
What has become known as a joyful celebration of music of Black origin came from “a very real sense of frustration”, said Kanya King, Mobo’s founder and chief executive. “I could see the impact that Black music and culture was having on British culture – I mean it was shaping everything – but it wasn’t being properly recognised or respected by the mainstream industry.”
There are two awards apiece for the UK artists, while Nigerian singer Ayra Starr also wins two at Newcastle-hosted ceremony for Black musical excellence
Seventeen years since his debut single, British rapper Bashy has capped his long-awaited return to music with two wins at the 2025 Mobo awards, given each year to the best music of Black origin in the UK and overseas.
The 40-year-old vocalist and actor, born Ashley Thomas, won best hip-hop act as well as album of the year for Being Poor Is Expensive. While it didn’t make the UK charts, the album earned critical acclaim and a dedicated audience on streaming, drawn to its examination of race, mental health and working-class life in north-west London.
Bashy originally broke through in 2007 with Black Boys, an anthem for racial pride that celebrated successful peers like Dizzee Rascal and Kano while rejecting stereotypes about young Black men: “No we ain’t hooligans / Just young and talented nubians.” He released his debut album, Catch Me If You Can, in 2009, and while there were handful of mixtapes in the following years, it took until 2024 for him to release a follow-up album.
In between, he has had a successful acting career, with roles in TV shows such as Top Boy, Them and 24: Legacy, and films such as Brotherhood and the Oscar-winning short Skin.
Another artist with two awards at the Mobos, held this year at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena, was British-Nigerian vocalist Darkoo, who won best female act and song of the year, for Favourite Girl. She continues to build on the early success of 2019 hit Gangsta and a No 1 in 2021 as part of the multi-MC remix of Tion Wayne and Russ Millions’ drill hit Body. Favourite Girl has racked up tens of millions of streams both in its original and a remix with Nigerian star Rema, and other recent songs such as Focus On Me (All the Sexy Girls in the Club) and the Davido-featuring Right Now have been performing well.
Also with two wins was Odeal, who picked up best newcomer and best R&B/soul artist, after winning a major following for his heart-on-sleeve vocal style. The singer was originally born in Germany and raised across Nigeria and Spain before settling in the UK, and put out a steady stream of music in 2024 including the EP Sunday at Zuri’s and the mini-album Lustropolis, featuring a collaboration with US star Summer Walker.
Central Cee was named best male act, following the release of his long-awaited debut album Can’t Rush Greatness, which cemented him as the most popular UK rapper globally – it reached No 1 in the UK but also No 9 in the US, an unusually high placing there for a UK MC. In the other rap categories, Scorcher won best grime act and Pozer picked up best drill act.
Elsewhere at the ceremony, which featured live performances from Bashy, Darkoo, Odeal, Pozer and more, former Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis was given the Paving the Way award. The Impact award was given to Vybz Kartel, the dancehall vocalist who last year was released from a Jamaican prison after 13 years, after his sentence for a murder – which he consistently denied – was quashed.
Best male act: Central Cee Best female act: DarkooBest newcomer: Odeal Album of the year: Bashy – Being Poor Is Expensive Song of the year: Darkoo – Favourite Girl (ft Dess Dior)Video of the year: Mnelia – My Man (directed by Femi Bello) Best hip-hop act: Bashy Best grime act: Scorcher Best drill act: Pozer Best R&B/soul act: Odeal Best media personality: 90s Baby Show Best African music act: Ayra Starr Best performance in a TV show/film: Jacob Anderson as Louis in Interview With the Vampire Best electronic/dance music act: Tsha Best gospel act: Annatoria Best jazz act: Ezra Collective Best producer: Juls Best Caribbean music act: Shenseea Best alternative music act: Alt Blk EraBest international act: Ayra Starr MOBO Paving the Way award: Denise LewisMOBO Impact award: Vybz Kartel
Source: theguardian.com