The 26th edition of the MOBO Awards, a celebration of Black musical talent in the UK and beyond, took place at the Utility Arena Sheffield.
ADVERTISEMENTCentral Cee emerged as the standout winner of this year’s MOBO Awards, clinching the honours for best male for the second consecutive year and securing the best song prize for ‘Sprinter’.
The catchy track, a collaboration with Dave, dominated the UK charts, making history as the first UK rap single to maintain its No. 1 spot for an impressive ten weeks.
Singer-songwriter Raye, fresh from earning a record-breaking seven Brit Award nominations in a single year, deservedly took home the award for best female act, seeing off competition from dance music sensation PinkPantheress and Mahalia.
The win marks a remarkable career turnaround for the pop R&B artist, who topped the charts at the beginning of 2023 with her hit ‘Escapism’ after a lengthy career battle with her former label, Polydor.
Her debut album ‘My 21st Century Blues’ made our Best Albums of 2023 list.
Other winners
Despite facing strong competition from the likes of Stormzy, Little Simz, J Hus, and Mercury Prize winning jazz virtuosos Ezra Collective, the album of the year award went to rapper Potter Payper for his debut album «Real Back in Style».
Hailing from East London with Irish-Algerian heritage, Payper’s album made an impressive debut at number two on the charts upon its release during the summer, despite his concurrent two-month incarceration.
Within the rap categories, Little Simz secured the title of best hip-hop act, while K-Trap clinched the best drill act award for the second consecutive year, and Manchester rapper Tunde beat nine other nominees to take home the best newcomer prize.
The enigmatic producer extraordinaire, Inflo, was honoured with the best producer award, while his equally mysterious collective, Sault, claimed victory in the best R&B/soul act category.
Elsewhere, it came as no surprise when Ezra Collective clinched the title for best jazz act, while Drake and 21 Savage jointly secured best international act.
Throughout the evening, viewers were treated to performances by the Sugababes, recipients of the Mobo Impact Award, and Soul II Soul, who were celebrated with a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.
Here’s the full list of winners:
Best male act: Central Cee
Best female act: Raye
Album of the year: Potter Payper – Real Back In Style
Song of the year: Central Cee & Dave – Sprinter
Best newcomer: Tunde
Video of the year: Stormzy – Mel Made Me Do It
ADVERTISEMENTBest RnB/ soul act: Sault
Best hip-hop act: Little Simz
Best grime act: Bugzy Malone
Best drill act: K-Trap
Best international act: Drake & 21 Savage
ADVERTISEMENTBest performance in a TV show/ film: Damson Idris as Franklin Saint – Snowfall
Best media personality: ShxtsNGigs
Best African music act: Asake
Best Caribbean music act: Valiant
Best jazz act: Ezra Collective
ADVERTISEMENTBest alternative music act: Skindred
Best electronic/ dance act: Shygirl
Best producer: Inflo
Best gospel act: Limoblaze
Lifetime achievement award: Soul II Soul
ADVERTISEMENTImpact award: Sugababes
Paving the way award: Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill
Pioneer award: Ghetts
Video editor • Theo Farrant
