The UK’s biggest celebration of Black music and culture will take place on 9 December, live-streamed for the very first time on YouTube at 7.00PM GMT, and broadcast on BBC One at 10.45PM GMT with a highlights special available on BBC iPlayer the same night and supporting content in BBC Sounds.
Reigning Hip Hop king Nines leads the 2020 MOBO Awards nominations. The 30-year-old North West London MC has picked up a staggering five nominations: Best Male Act, Best Hip Hop Act, Album of The Year for the critically-acclaimed Crabs In A Bucket, Video of The Year for ‘Clout’ and Best Album (2017-2019) for 2018’s Crop Circle.
While Grime has captured the mainstream’s attention for the past few years, MOBO continues to have their ear to the ground by recognising the cultural buzz and influence sub-genres like Drill, Afro-swing and Alternative UK Hip Hop is starting to amass with the likes of Headie One, J-Hus, Dutchavelli, Kojey Radical, NSG and D-Block Europe securing nominations.
Soulful songstresses Lianne La Havas, Mahalia and Tiana Major9 amass three nominations each including Best Female Act and Best R&B/Soul Act. Elsewhere, the renaissance of women in rap makes indelible impact on this year’s nominations as rising stars Ms Banks, Ivorian Doll, Shaybo and Bree Runway are all first-time nominees.
2020 has been a momentous year for artists from the motherland, with the scene at large undeniably being in the midst of its golden age. Ever supportive of the Black diaspora at large, this year’s Best African Act category is the most jam-packed it has ever been with veteran mainstays artists like Burna Boy, Davido, Adekunle Gold and Tiwa Savage racking up nominations alongside newer acts who have recently crossed over international waters like Rema, Fireboy DML and Stonebwoy.
New categories added this year include Best Music Producer, as well as arts categories Best Performance in a TV Show / Film and Best Media Personality – the latter two will be public voted, alongside a few other music categories such as Song of The Year, Best Grime Act, Best Newcomer, Best African Act, and Best International Act – visit https://voting.mobo.com/. The independent MOBO Awards judging panel of music connoisseurs will determine the nominees and winners for the majority of categories.
BEST MALE ACT
HEADIE ONE
J HUS
STORMZY
NINES
AJ TRACEY
YOUNG T & BUGSEY
BEST FEMALE ACT (IN ASSOCIATION WITH ISAWITFIRST)
LIANNE LA HAVAS
MS BANKS
TIANA MAJOR9
MAHALIA
DARKOO
FKA TWIGS
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
J HUS – ‘BIG CONSPIRACY’
STORMZY – ‘HEAVY IS THE HEAD’
MAHALIA – ‘LOVE AND COMPROMISE’
NINES – ‘CRABS IN A BUCKET’
LIANNE LA HAVAS – ‘LIANNE LA HAVAS’
SONG OF THE YEAR [PUBLIC VOTED]
YOUNG T & BUGSEY FEAT. HEADIE ONE – ‘DON’T RUSH’
DIGGA D – ‘WOI’
DARKOO FEAT. ONE ACEN – ‘GANGSTA’
TION WAYNE FEAT. STORMZY & DUTCHAVELLI – ‘I DUNNO’
ABRA CADABRA – ‘ON DECK’
BEST NEWCOMER (IN ASSOCIATION WITH ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND)
[PUBLIC VOTED]
AITCH
ALICAÌ HARLEY
DARKOO
DUTCHAVELLI
IVORIAN DOLL
M1LLIONZ
MIRAA MAY
PA SALIEU
SHAYBO
TIANA MAJOR9
M HUNCHO
LOSKI
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
BREE RUNWAY – ‘APESHIT’ (DIRECTED BY WILL HOOPER)
NINES – ‘CLOUT’ (DIRECTED BY CHARLIE DI PLACIDO)
NSG – ‘LUPITA’ (DIRECTED BY KEVIN HUDSON)
JORJA SMITH – ‘BY ANY MEANS’ (DIRECTED BY OTIS DOMINIQUE)
KNUCKS – ‘HOME’ (DIRECTED BY RAY FIASCO)
KOJEY RADICAL – ‘20/20’ (DIRECTED BY CHARLIE DI PLACIDO)
BEST R&B/SOUL ACT
WSTRN
TIANA MAJOR9
MICHAEL KIWANUKA
MAHALIA
LIANNE LA HAVAS
BEST HIP HOP ACT
J HUS
NINES
MS BANKS
D-BLOCK EUROPE
KREPT & KONAN
POTTER PAYPER
BEST GRIME ACT [PUBLIC VOTED]
GHETTS
P MONEY
MANGA SAINT HILARE
CAPO LEE
JME
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT [PUBLIC VOTED]
BURNA BOY
DRAKE
KOFFEE
MEGAN THEE STALLION
POP SMOKE
POPCAAN
RODDY RICCH
REMA
SHENSEEA
SUMMER WALKER
H.E.R
LIL BABY
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A TV SHOW/FILM [PUBLIC VOTED]
KANE ROBINSON AS SCULLY – ‘TOP BOY’
MICHAELA COEL AS ARABELLA – ‘I MAY DESTROY YOU’
NCUTI GATWA AS ERIC EFFIONG – ‘SEX EDUCATION’
JESSICA PLUMMER AS CHANTELLE – ‘EASTENDERS’
MICHEAL WARD AS MARCO – ‘BLUE STORY’
DAMSON IDRIS AS FRANKLIN SAINT – ‘SNOWFALL’
BEST MEDIA PERSONALITY [PUBLIC VOTED
MUNYA CHAWAWA
CHUNKZ
YUNG FILLY
MO GILLIGAN
CLARA AMFO
MAYA JAMA
HENRIE KWUSHUE
KSI
HARRY PINERO
ZEZE MILLZ
BEST ALBUM (2017 – 2019)
This is a one-off additional category just for this year’s MOBO Awards to highlight the best albums released from 1st September 2017 – 31st August 2019.
DAVE – ‘PSYCHODRAMA’
KANO – ‘HOODIES ALL SUMMER’
ELLA MAI – ‘ELLA MAI’
SKEPTA – ‘IGNORANCE IS BLISS’
NINES – ‘CROP CIRCLE’
LITTLE SIMZ – ‘GREY AREA’
BEST AFRICAN ACT (IN ASSOCIATION WITH AFROZONS)
[PUBLIC VOTED]
BURNA BOY
TIWA SAVAGE
DAVIDO
FIREBOY DML
REMA
MASTER KG
ADEKUNLE GOLD
NSG
AFRO B
WIZKID
STONEBWOY
SHATTA WALE
BEST REGGAE ACT
POPCAAN
KOFFEE
LILA IKÉ
BUJU BANTON
PROTOJE
BEST GOSPEL ACT (IN ASSOCIATION WITH PREMIER GOSPEL)
CALLEDOUT MUSIC
NOEL ROBINSON
GUVNA B
THE KINGDOM CHOIR
SHEKINAH
BEST JAZZ ACT
MOSES BOYD
JOE ARMON-JONES
TOM MISCH & YUSSEF DAYES
YAZMIN LACEY
EGO ELLA MAY
BEST PRODUCER
JAE 5
808 MELO
SIR SPYRO
TSB
STEEL BANGLEZ
M1ONTHEBEAT
