MOBO Awards tonight - Stylo G, H.E.R., Davido to perform
Published:Wednesday | December 9, 2020 | 12:13 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer
The desire to end 2020 on a bold and optimistic note was one of the motivations for organisers to break the two-year hiatus and stage the MOBO Awards this year. The 90-minute virtual ceremony, which unfolds this evening at 7:00 GMT (2 p.m. in Jamaica) will honour the very best of black culture across music and entertainment.
“We had always planned to bring the awards back, as it always has been so important to a lot of people, and not just the talent. And especially after this historic year, we were not going to ignore the times that we are in,” said Kanya King, CEO of the awards which was started in 1996 to celebrate the incredible talent-making ‘music of black origin’ (MOBO) in the United Kingdom.
King is excited at the embrace the event has received since the recent announcement and noted that there weren’t many particular challenges to overcome from the hiatus.
“Obviously, we had to adapt, like the rest of the arts industry this year when the pandemic hit. But, as they say, ‘the show must go on’, and we have found an effective way to safely produce a special ceremony packed with exclusive music performances from dancehall star Stylo G to Afrobeats royalty Davido and Tiwa Savage, in addition to American R&B trendsetter H.E.R.,” King told The Gleaner.
NEW CATEGORIES
The MOBOs, as part of their ongoing mission to expand the awards and honour black excellence across the arts, has introduced three new categories this year – Best Music Producer, Best Media Personality and Best Performance in a TV Show/Film. The last two are 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.
Jamaican artistes Koffee, Popcaan and Shenseea scored nominations in the International category which sees them facing off against the likes of Burna Boy, H.E.R., Drake, Megan Thee Stallion, Pop Smoke and others. The Reggae category has five nominees: Buju Banton, Popcaan, Koffee, Protoje and Lila Iké.
King shared her delight at the progress in reggae and dancehall music with The Gleaner. “It has been really wonderful to see this generation of reggae artistes such as Koffee, Protoje and Popcaan make an incredible impact on the contemporary landscape, while also honouring a veteran like Buju Banton whose influence continues to transcend generations and cultures. Lila Iké, in particular, is one we’ve been keeping an eye on. The entire panel loved her EP, The ExPerience, so we were delighted to nominate her. Shenseea, she noted, [has] continually proven that her reach is global.”
CONTRIBUTION TO THE INDUSTRY
In explaining what exactly the MOBO means to the music industry, King pointed out that the award has consistently championed artistes across a host of genres from reggae to grime, gospel, soul and R&B to hip-hop for almost 25 years. “Every year we have nominated some 50 to 70, mostly emerging artistes and put them on to the ladder of success. A MOBO nomination or category win has changed many artistes’ lives,” she said.
The MOBO founder said that her organisation supports talent and breaks artistes through their talent development programmes such as MOBO UnSung with PRS Foundation and the MOBO Help Musicians Fund backed by Help Musicians. These programmes provide opportunities and financial support for emerging talent.
“It is rewarding to see that artistes such as Tiana Major9, who came through the MOBO Unsung platform, is now a three-time MOBO nominee this year. It shows that these programmes do work. We strive to help bring about positive change in the music industry. This is done with our career mentoring activities, ensuring that those wanting a job in music can connect, grow and learn from other creatives and individuals on our platform and at industry events via our mentor pathway,” King told The Gleaner.
This evening’s event will be hosted by broadcaster Maya Jama and YouTube creator and comedian Chunkz. The independent MOBO Awards judging panel of music connoisseurs will determine the winners for the majority of categories.