MOBO’s Awards 30th Show Will Honor Founding Visionary Kanya King

MOBO’s Awards 30th Show Will Honor Founding Visionary Kanya King.

The MOBO Awards announced that this year’s 30th anniversary ceremony will be dedicated to its founder, Kanya King CBE, who died on 3 June 2026 after a battle with colon cancer. King built the awards in 1996 to showcase Black British music, and over three decades her vision helped launch the careers of artists from Stormzy and Dave to Amy Winehouse and Olivia Dean. Industry leaders say her legacy as a trailblazer and “fearless champion” of culture will be front and centre as the MOBO community pays tribute on the big stage.

For many UK artists and fans, Kanya King’s passing is both a moment of mourning and of gratitude. By dedicating the 30th MOBO Awards to her, organisers acknowledge that this isn’t just an awards show year but a generational milestone.

Her tireless advocacy for equity earned MOBO a reputation for cultural justice. In announcements, the organisation emphasised that MOBO “did not just celebrate Black music; it legitimised it, amplified it and demonstrated its commercial and creative power”. As one official statement put it, “the music world has lost one of its most fearless champions”. That sentiment is echoed by artists and industry figures who have noted that every generation of UK talent owes a debt to King’s work. “She built a platform that has reached hundreds of millions of people,” read the MOBO tribute, highlighting that even Sade, Central Cee and Wizkid have felt the impact of the opportunities she created.