#moboawards

The MOBO Awards 2026 celebrated 30 years of Black music with major wins for Pharrell Williams, DC3, P2J and more, highlighting both global icons and rising stars shaping the culture.

Niko Omilana won Best Media Personality at the 2026 MOBO Awards, then told the BBC he had frauded his way to it. Classic Niko — and completely deserved.

Ayra Starr just became the only female artist in MOBO history to win Best International Act more than once. At the 2026 ceremony — the awards’ 30th anniversary — she defended her title against Cardi B, Gunna, Tyla, Kehlani, and Vybz Kartel, among others.

Did you know Kanya King organised the first MOBO Awards from a makeshift office in her bedroom, on a six-week deadline and almost no money? The mainstream music industry told her it would never work. She mortgaged her house, found a business partner, and went ahead anyway. Thirty years later, MOBO reaches over 250 million people globally and is still the most important night in Black music.

From Fuse ODG’s pioneering wins to Wizkid and Burna Boy’s global dominance, African artists are reshaping the MOBO Awards and the world of music. Find out who has taken home multiple awards and why they matter.