Learn more about the MOBO Awards - Europe's biggest celebration of Black music and culture !
Learn more about the MOBO Awards - Europe's biggest celebration of Black music and culture !
Since its inception in 1996, the MOBO Awards has truly become one of Europe’s biggest Music Award ceremonies, and perhaps the most important and influential event for music makers and fans. Celebrating excellence in music for close to 30 years, Sade, Stormzy, Jay Z, Central Cee, Cardi B, Lauryn Hill, Skepta, Little Simz, Krept and Konan, Kano, Amy Winehouse, Janet Jackson, Tems and Vybz Kartel are just a few of the names to have graced the MOBO stage.
MOBO continues its rich legacy and ongoing growth as the premiere outlet for recognising and honouring the artistic and technical achievements of exceptional British and international talent in the musical fields of Hip Hop, Grime, RnB/Soul, Electronic/Dance music, Alternative, Reggae, Jazz, Gospel, and African music.
The MOBO Awards is brought to you by MOBO, an independent organisation based in London, established by Kanya King CBE in 1996 to recognise the outstanding achievements of artists who perform in music, as well as film and entertainment.
The MOBO Awards is an annual UK event which has been previously hosted in Newcastle, London, Sheffield, Leeds, Coventry, Liverpool and Glasgow - A total of 27 award ceremonies.
The 2026 MOBO Awards will take place in Manchester.
The 2026 MOBO Awards will take place live from the Co-op Live arena in Manchester on 26th March.
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To be eligible for a MOBO Award nomination, recordings (Albums, Singles, Mixtapes & EP’s) must be released within the specified eligibility period.
The eligibility period for the 2026 MOBO Awards is from 1st September 2024 – 1st October 2025.
To be eligible, recordings must be for sale commercially via general distribution or made available as a digital recording, either for sale or via a recognised streaming service.
Outlined below is more detailed information on what qualifies as a digital recording and general distribution:
General Distribution: Works must be released via general distribution, defined as the nationwide release of a recording via third-party online retailers, and/or applicable digital streaming services. Applicable streaming services are paid subscription, full catalogue, on-demand streaming/limited download platforms that have existed as such within the United Kingdom for at least one full year as of the eligibility period.
Digital Recordings: Recordings released nationwide via download or streaming service.
The MOBO team start this part of the process by compiling a list of recordings that were released in the eligibility period. Using information made available by Official Charts Company, record labels, streaming and online platforms, MOBO meticulously evaluates each one to ensure they are eligible for inclusion in the list of potential nominees. MOBO does not make artistic or technical judgments about the recordings, but merely ensure that each entry is placed in the proper category.
A longlist of eligible nominees is then presented to members of the MOBO Awards Voting Academy via a secure online Voting Academy Website where they will select their top 6 or 10 choices in each category.
The MOBO Awards Voting Academy is the body who help to select the nominees of most of the MOBO Awards categories each year via a secure online system. The Voting Academy is made up of over 250 key professionals drawn from across the UK music industry.
The MOBO Awards Judging Panel is an independent voting body, which was originally convened in 2017, who will again select some winners of this year’s MOBO Awards. The MOBO Awards judging panel consists of knowledgeable music enthusiasts representing every sector of the music industry: DJ’s, journalists, editors, agents, streaming platforms and media.
Chaired by artist manager and consultant Kwame Kwaten, and made up of independent music expert judges, the role of the MOBO Awards Judging Panel is to screen the results from the online MOBO Awards Voting Academy to produce the final list of nominees and, ultimately, the winners for the following MOBO Award categories:
BEST MALE ACT
BEST FEMALE ACT
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
BEST HIP HOP ACT
BEST R&B/SOUL ACT
BEST GRIME ACT
BEST DRILL ACT
MOBO Awards Voting Academy Members are professionals within the UK music industry. These may include songwriters, producers, music video directors, press officers, journalists, agents, DJ’s and A&R’s.
The criteria for being a Voting Academy Member remain the same as ever, however members are only invited by the MOBO team on the basis of their expertise across different aspects of music. For further information, please contact theacademy@mobo.com
For the Nominations Process, MOBO Awards Voting Academy members only. The results from Voting Academy members are then screened by the independent MOBO Awards Judging Panel to produce the final list of nominees.
Once the complete list of nominees is announced at our Nominations Launch, voting opens up to the general public and the MOBO Awards Judging Panel will reconvene to determine the eventual winners for specific MOBO Award categories.
In order to preserve the integrity of the voting process, in select award categories — Jazz, Gospel, Caribbean Music Act, Alternative Music, African Music, Electronic/Dance and Producer — MOBO Award winners are determined by Specialist Category Committees, comprised of highly specialised Voting Academy Members who are knowledgeable, passionate, and qualified within these fields.
There are currently 10 fields (General, Grime, Gospel, Caribbean music, Hip Hop, R&B/Soul, Afrobeats, Jazz, Electronic/Dance and Alternative) and 20 distinct award categories across those fields, as well as film, TV and entertainment.
The awards process is constantly evolving to reflect what’s happening in music. Each year, we receive proposals with suggested changes on everything from awards categories to rule revisions. We typically alert the public and Voting Academy members of any category or rule changes in October.
Award process updates for the next MOBO Awards will be reflected here. For further information, please contact theacademy@mobo.com.
There are currently 20 MOBO Awards categories in total.
BEST MALE ACT
BEST FEMALE ACT
BEST NEWCOMER
SONG OF THE YEAR
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
BEST HIP HOP ACT
BEST DRILL ACT
BEST GRIME ACT
BEST R&B/SOUL ACT
BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ACT
BEST ELECTRONIC/DANCE ACT
BEST CARIBBEAN MUSIC ACT
BEST AFRICAN MUSIC ACT
BEST GOSPEL ACT
BEST JAZZ ACT
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT
BEST PRODUCER
BEST MEDIA PERSONALITY
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A TV SHOW/FILM
Subject to the venue, arena tickets typically start from £29.95 (plus handling charges). To find out more information, please click here.
For the general public, you must purchase an arena ticket to gain entry to the event. MOBO recommends all children under 18 attend with an adult and all children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
For nominated artists, an Awards department representative will get in touch immediately after nominations are announced to outline the ticket application and accreditation process to gain access to the red carpet and telecast.
VIP packages are the only way to receive exclusive insider access to everything that’s happening around the MOBO Awards. VIP Packages include the best seats, excellent networking opportunities, access to after show parties and the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the hottest stars in music and entertainment.
To find out more information, please click here.
An Awards department representative will work directly with nominees to co-ordinate ticket orders and pick-ups. In order to pick up your artist's tickets, we must have authorisation from the artist.
We share the MOBO Awards show rundown—as well as lots of other pertinent information— shortly after our Nominations Launch, which takes place in the lead-up to the awards ceremony. Stay tuned for more information.
If you purchase a MOBO Awards ticket via a third party site your ticket will be sent to your selected address or can be collected at the venue box office.
For VIP ticket holders, we will arrange for your tickets to be collected at the venue box office or sent as an e-ticket. Further details regarding access to the after party will be outlined in an email, as well in your ticket package.
Please contact press@mobo.com to find out further information. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of applications, we cannot guarantee access or a response to all press applicants.
An Awards representative will reach out regarding the status of your application a couple weeks prior to the awards.
MOBO Fringe is a series of cultural events, conversations and live experiences that take place alongside the MOBO Awards. It brings together artists, creatives, industry professionals and communities to celebrate Black music and culture while creating opportunities for learning, collaboration and discovery.
The programme can include live music showcases, industry talks, workshops, networking events, exhibitions and community-led activities. MOBO Fringe aims to spotlight emerging talent, connect the music industry with local communities and provide spaces for people to engage with music, culture and creativity beyond the awards night itself.
MOBO Fringe 2026 will take place across Manchester from 17–25 March, in the lead-up to the MOBO Awards, and will feature a diverse programme of events celebrating music, culture and creativity across the city.
The programme will include live performances, industry panels and talks, talent development opportunities, community events and cultural activations hosted in partnership with venues, organisations and creatives from across Greater Manchester.
To explore the full programme and find out how to attend events, please visit mobo.com/fringe.
MOBO encourages ticket holders to take a lateral flow test prior to travel on the day of arrival, this is especially important if an individual is not fully vaccinated.
Ticketholders are asked to be socially responsible when attending the award ceremony.
Stay tuned for exciting additional details, to be announced closer to the show.
Follow @MOBOAwards on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram for up-to-the-minute updates. You can also head to mobo.com/awards.
We appreciate your interest in having your artist or client participate in the MOBO Awards. Please direct all inquiries to talent@mobo.com
When talking about the MOBO Awards, please use #MOBOAwards.
X (Formerly Twitter)
For nominated artists:
Honoured to be among the nominees announced by @MOBOAwards for the 2026 #MOBOAwards.
For congratulating other nominated artists:
So many talented artists nominated by @MOBOAwards as nominees for the 2026 #MOBOAwards. Can't wait to celebrate their achievements <insert date> at <insert location>!
General info:
Excited to join @MOBOAwards and celebrate the creative community at the 2026 #MOBOAwards, <insert date> at <insert location>.
And please make note of our social URL links:
Further details regarding public access to the MOBO Awards red carpet will be made available closer to the ceremony.
We're expecting several high-profile special guests at the MOBO Awards but any interaction with fans is solely to their discretion.
If you have a general enquiry, please contact team@mobo.com. Alternatively, click here if you have a more specific MOBO enquiry.
Stay tuned for exciting additional details, to be announced closer to the show.
Follow @MOBOAwards on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram for up-to-the-minute updates. You can also head to mobo.com/awards.
We appreciate your interest in having your artist or client participate in the MOBO Awards. Please direct all inquiries to talent@mobo.com
When talking about the MOBO Awards, please use #MOBOAwards.
X (Formerly Twitter)
For nominated artists:
Honoured to be among the nominees announced by @MOBOAwards for the 2026 #MOBOAwards.
For congratulating other nominated artists:
So many talented artists nominated by @MOBOAwards as nominees for the 2026 #MOBOAwards. Can't wait to celebrate their achievements <insert date> at <insert location>!
General info:
Excited to join @MOBOAwards and celebrate the creative community at the 2026 #MOBOAwards, <insert date> at <insert location>.
And please make note of our social URL links:
Further details regarding public access to the MOBO Awards red carpet will be made available closer to the ceremony.
We're expecting several high-profile special guests at the MOBO Awards but any interaction with fans is solely to their discretion.
If you have a general enquiry, please contact team@mobo.com. Alternatively, click here if you have a more specific MOBO enquiry.