BY RICHARD JOHNSON
Observer senior reporter—
THE British Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards will not be held this year. Organizers have put the popular event on hold to “revamp the ceremony for 2019”.
According to founder Kanya King, “We understand the MOBO’s will be missed this year but we will return next year, bigger and bolder,” she said, in a statement, posted on the show’s official Twitter feed.
“We look forward to bringing you a much bigger, revamped show, announcing major partnerships as well as introducing a series of initiatives and events over the next 12 months in music, film and entrepreneurship,” King’s statement continued.
The MOBO’s are held annually in the United Kingdom. Since its inception in 1996, the event has become one of Europe’s most influential music award ceremonies, celebrating excellence in black music in the UK and internationally.
Awards are handed out in the genres of hip hop, grime, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and African music. The MOBO Awards are the UK’s equivalent to the BET Awards and Soul Train Awards in the United States.
Jamaican artistes have been big winners at the MOBOs.
Beenie Man won Best International Reggae Act in 1997 and 1998. He also took home that trophy in 2000 when it changed to Best Reggae Act.
Mr Vegas, Shaggy, Sean Paul, Wayne Wonder, Sean Kingston, Mavado, Gyptian, Popcaan, and Damian “Junior Gong” Marley, have won MOBOs.
Jamaican acts have also been embroiled in MOBO controversy. In 2004 Vybz Kartel and Elephant Man were removed from the Best Reggae category due to their “homophobia and incitement to murder”.
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