After a three-year hiatus, the MOBO Awards is back on YouTube and BBC One next week (December 9).
In the latest issue of Music Week, MOBO founder and CEO Kanya King discusses the return of the ceremony.
Here, Dan Chalmers, director of YouTube Music, EMEA, discusses the global reach that the MOBOs can achieve…
How will YouTube support this MOBOs in terms of the livestream and production?
“The MOBO Awards are such an incredible example of British content and creativity that should be celebrated. To help promote the event this year, we are providing a medley of promotional support, ranging from on-platform promos, billboard advertising, social media boosts and more. Also, on YouTube Music people will be able to enjoy a MOBO playlist of nominees and winners. We are eager and excited to drive as much traffic and views to the awards as possible.”
YouTube has been active in supporting UK rap, was it important to show support for this event?
“Yes very, we want this to be a real moment in the music calendar globally. The MOBO Awards is such an important part of Black music culture in Britain and it’s so important that we amplify the event on such a large scale, in turn supporting the Black music communities. Our $100m #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund aims to amplify Black voices and perspectives in exactly this way, reflecting back the power of our global community. Over the next several years, this global fund will be used to directly support Black creators and artists so that they can thrive on YouTube.”
Breaking artists and discovering new emerging talent is and will always be a priority for YouTube
Dan Chalmers
What are your ambitions in terms of the global reach?
“Obviously, this is the first time the MOBO Awards will be available to watch live by a global audience, which is hugely exciting. We are ambitious with the reach, we hope that with the talent secured and with the incredible legacy that exists with the MOBO brand, viewers will tune in from around the globe both in the moment but also enjoy the show on-demand afterwards. It’s a model that worked well for GRM Daily’s Rated Awards in September.”
Can it help artists build on their success, will there be moments to benefit newer artists?
“Breaking artists and discovering new emerging talent is and will always be a priority for YouTube. Giving events like the MOBO Awards a global platform is a part of that strategy which we have seen before can be very effective and helps keeps the industry fresh and allows for new voices from a diverse mix of artists. The live streamed event will connect these incredible artists with new fanbases all over the world which is an extremely powerful tool in music discovery.”
Subscribers can read the Kanya King interview here.
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