MOBO Awards

"MOBO" redirects here. For other uses, see MOBO (disambiguation).
The MOBO Awards
Country United Kingdom
First awarded 1996
Official website www.mobo.com
Television/Radio coverage
Network

The MOBO Awards for "Music of Black Origin" were established in 1996 by Kanya King and Andy Ruffell. The MOBO Award show is held annually in the United Kingdom to recognise artists of any ethnicity or nationality performing black music. In 2009, the awards ceremony was held in Glasgow for the first time. Prior to that, it had been held in London. In 2011, the ceremony returned to Scotland for a second time. The awards then moved to Leeds for 2015.

The Music Of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards were established in 1996 to recognise and celebrate artists who create Black or urban music. The MOBOs may be the most prestigious but were not the first Black music awards show in the country. In Britain, the Black Music Awards (BMA) show ran from 1992 to 1996 in various venues in London.[1][2] For non-music shows, the Afro Hair and Beauty show was set up by Dyke and Dryden beauty company in 1982,[3] and is still an annual event in London.

The first MOBO award was presented to UK trio Baby D, in the Best Dance Act category.[4] The MOBO Awards are seen as a UK equivalent to the BET Awards and Soul Train Awards for being the main award show in Britain to focus on Urban music.

Venues

The MOBO Awards show has previously taken place in the following venues:

Broadcast

The ceremony was broadcast on ITV (Carlton Television) from 1996 to 1997 before moving to Channel 4 from 1998 until 2003. Since 2004 the awards have been broadcast by the BBC, and in 2006 the show was aired live for the first time in its history on BBC Three, and repeated two days later on BBC One. Highlight shows were broadcast on BBC One in a late-night timeslot. In 2014, the awards show moved to ITV2 due to the BBC launching its own music awards, the BBC Music Awards.

Performers

In the course of its history, the MOBO Awards show has witnessed performances from UK and international talent. Over the years, artists have included Janet Jackson, Destiny's Child, Dionne Warwick, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Tina Turner, Rosie Gaines, Dizzee Rascal, Jay-Z, LL Cool J, Amy Winehouse, Coolio, Usher, John Legend, Jason Derulo, and Jessie J .

In 2000, Sade came out of retirement to perform at the Awards, her first performance in almost a decade.

History

Kanya King launched the MOBO awards in 1996, aiming to establish a platform for music that, according to King, encompasses urban, hip hop, R&B and reggae. After failing to raise support for her plan, she raised funds by re-mortgaging her house.[5]

1997

The 1997 award ceremony was held at London's Connaught Rooms on 10 November. The gala included performances by Mary J. Blige and Eternal.

1998

The MOBO Awards show was held at The Royal Albert Hall and hosted by Mel B and Bill Bellamy. It was broadcast nationally by Channel 4. Performers and presenters included footballer Sol Campbell, girl band All Saints, DJ Trevor Nelson, boxers Lennox Lewis and Chris Eubank, Puff Daddy, Chaka Khan, Goldie, Another Level, and Martine McCutcheon. Contribution to Black Music went to Carl McIntosh and B.B. King won the Lifetime Achievement Award.

1999

The 1999 award ceremony was held at The Royal Albert Hall, sponsored by Malibu and hosted by Mel B and Wyclef Jean. International Hip-Hop Act Award went to Jay-Z, Best Album was awarded to Beverley Knight, International Act to Lauryn Hill and Lifetime Achievement Award to Tina Turner. Performers and presenters included Des'ree, Dru Hill, Tim Westwood, Lionel Richie, Lulu, Victoria Beckham, Chris Eubank, Another Level, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Destiny's Child, and girl band Eternal.

2003

In 2003, the MOBO awards show moved to The Royal Albert Hall and was hosted by Blu Cantrell and Lil' Kim, with performances from DMX, Lumidee, Wayne Wonder, George Benson, Lemar, Seal, Mis-teeq and Redman, J'Nay John Adeleye, Big Brovaz, The Black Eyed Peas and Kool and the Gang. Among the winners of the night were: 50 Cent, Justin Timberlake, Big Brovaz and Lisa Maffia, who was the only UK female artist to win an award.

2004

The ninth awards ceremony took place on 30 September 2004 at The Royal Albert Hall and was broadcast by BBC Television. So Solid Crew won the award in the UK garage Act category award beating Dizzee Rascal and The Streets. Controversy surrounded the removal of reggae artists Vybz Kartel and Elephant Man from the "Best Reggae Act" category at the 2004 awards due to their homophobia and incitement to murder.[6]

2005

The 2005 awards show saw one of the biggest line-ups in MOBO award history, including John Legend, Ms Dynamite, Lemar, Kano, Damien Marley, Public Enemy and Lauryn Hill. The event was hosted by Gina Yashere and Akon at The Royal Albert Hall, with guest presenters Chris Eubank, Lisa Maffia, Josie Darby, Simon Webbe, Myleene Klass, Estelle, Tim Westwood, Kwame Kwei-Armah and Chuck D. Big winners on the night included Corrine Bailey-Rae, Lemar, The Black Eyed Peas, Rihanna, Sean Paul and Beyoncé.

2006

In 2006 the awards ceremony was hosted by Coolio and Gina Yashere at The Royal Albert Hall. For the first time the World Music and Jazz categories were suspended. Corinne Bailey Rae won the prize for Best UK Newcomer. British rapper Akala won Best Hip Hop Act, beating stiff competition from American acts such as Kanye West, 50 Cent, and The Game.

2007

The 2007 awards ceremony was broadcast live on BBC Three from the O2 Arena in London and hosted by Shaggy and Jamelia. The jazz category returned. Shaggy opened the evening with a medley. T-Pain performed on stage with Yung Joc, Craig David and Kano collaborated on stage; Ne-Yo, Mutya Buena and Robin Thicke also performed. Amy Winehouse performed two songs and accepted the award for Best UK Female. N-Dubz won Best Newcomer. England cricketer Monty Panesar and England footballer Micah Richards were among a line up of guests presenting individual awards which also included Sinitta and Quentin Tarantino.

2009

Main article: MOBO Awards 2009

The 2009 awards event took place on 30 September at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) in Glasgow, the first time the MOBO awards show took place outside London. A tribute performance was dedicated to Michael Jackson, and the Young Soul Rebels performed their charity single "I Got Soul". Reggie Yates and Keri Hilson hosted the awards show, with Peter Andre presenting backstage.

2010

The awards ceremony took place on 20 October 2010 in Liverpool.[7]

2011

The awards show returned to Glasgow's SECC on 5 October 2011, hosted by Jason Derülo and Alesha Dixon. Jessie J won four awards, making her the biggest winner of the night. Boyz II Men received the award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. Other winners included Rihanna, Tinie Tempah, Adele and Alborosie. Amy Winehouse was given an award and a special tribute, following her death in July 2011.

2012

The 17th Awards show took place on 3 November 2012 at the Liverpool Arena. Presented by Miquita Oliver and Adam Deacon - with backstage support from Rickie and Melvin - the night saw Trey Songz, Conor Maynard, Emeli Sandé, Misha B, JLS, Stooshe, Labrinth and Wiley perform.

Emeli Sandé won awards for Best Female, Best Album and Best R&B/Soul while Plan B took Best Male Act and Best Hip Hop/Grime. TLC were awarded Outstanding Contribution to Music, with Dionne Warwick receiving the MOBO Lifetime Achievement Award. The full list of winners where:

2013

The 18th Awards show took place on 19 October 2013 and was held at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow. It was hosted by Trevor Nelson and Sarah-Jane Crawford. Performances included Tinie Tempah, Iggy Azalea, Naughty Boy, Rudimental and Jahméne Douglas.[8]

The winners were:

2014

The 19th Awards show took place on 22 October 2014 and was held at The SSE Arena in London. It was hosted by Mel B and Sarah-Jane Crawford. It was broadcast live on ITV2 for the first time.

Performances

The winners were:

2015

The 20th Awards show took place on 4 November 2015 and was held at the First Direct Arena in Leeds.[9] The show was broadcast live on ITV2 and hosted by Sarah-Jane Crawford.

Performances:

The winners were:

Criticisms

Racism

The Independent newspaper columnist David Lister criticizes the MOBO awards, writing: "I find any notion of separate awards devised for black musicians, and still largely for black musicians, depressing." He went on to say[10] that such awards "limit the music and the performers they claim to honour" and "manage to be both ludicrous and dangerously divisive at the same time." Others[11] reject this criticism, calling it "pedant," and noting that MOBO simply focuses on genres just as other awards focus on other genres.

Critic Niall Crowley made allegations that the term "black music" is inaccurate, claiming that there were significant Jewish influences on rhythm and blues and rock n roll. He states: "Without these and many other non-African Americans who played a defining role in the evolution of rhythm and blues, we wouldn't have much of the great 'black' music we've had over the past 50 years or so." Crowley also juxtaposes the attitudes of the MOBOs with the huge success of black performers in recent decades, writing that the awards reinforce "the idea that today's black performers are simply the latest generation of sufferers in a long history of victimhood." He argues that in reality "no one could possibly claim that recent generations of black performers have suffered at the hands of a racist music industry" and the MOBOs "encourage music fans to see discrimination and racism where there is none."[12]

Commercialisation

DJ and music journalist "Bigger" criticises the awards for "veering away from its concept of rewarding music of black origin", suggesting this process started to occur during the second year of the awards though only became a major problem from the 2000 awards onwards. He cites winners such as Steve Jackson and Mick Hucknall as evidence that the awards were being "diluted", despite the huge influence Hucknall in particular has had on the modern British soul scene. He also criticises the increasing American domination of the event and commercialisation, arguing that by its fourth year MOBO stood for "music of big organisations".[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kwaku (15 Jan 1994). U.K. Black Music Awards Gain Industry's Respect In 2nd Year. Billboard. p. 34. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  2. ↑ Kwaku, Kwaku (10 December 1994). Wayne Marshall, Don Campbell Top Winners At U.K.'s BMAs. Billboard. p. 52. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  3. ↑ "Hair Events What to expect from the Afro Hair & Beauty Show 2012?". http://cefac.co.uk. Retrieved 17 May 2013. External link in |publisher= (help)
  4. ↑ 1996 Mobo Awards.
  5. ↑ "Mobo Awards founder Kanya King: How I defied teacher who told me to work in a supermarket". The Daily Record And Sunday Mail.
  6. ↑ "Growing up Gay in Jamaica". BBC News. 15 September 2004. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  7. ↑ "MOBO Lands In Liverpool!". MOBO. 19 October 2010. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  8. ↑ "Laura Mvula leads the MOBO Awards victors as she beats Rita Ora and Jessie J to take home Best Female AND wins Best R&B Act". Daily Mail. 19 October 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  9. ↑ "MOBO Awards 2015 will take place in Leeds!". MOBO. 31 August 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  10. ↑ Lister, David (4 October 2008). "The Mobos are past their sell-by date". The Independent (London).
  11. ↑ Horan, Tom (25 September 2003). "MUSIC: How Ms MOBO proved them wrong". Daily Telegraph (London).
  12. ↑ Niall Crowley, "Message to MOBOs: ditch the victim act", spiked, 5 October 2011.
  13. ↑ "Are the Mobos good for black music?". BBC News. 20 September 2006.

External links

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