The MOBO Awards are back on December 5.
The UK's biggest celebration of Black music and culture is returning next month at Coventry Building Society Arena.
For the second year running, MOBO are partnering with YouTube and BBC to bring the Awards to the global audience, and the Awards will be live-streamed on YouTube. BBC One will also be broadcasting a special behind-the-scenes show including exclusive backstage content and performances and interviews from the award ceremony.
BBC 1 Xtra will also be covering the awards from December 6; DJ Target will dedicate his weekday shows to the MOBO Awards 2021 and bring listeners with performances and interviews from this year’s nominees and winners.
Over the past two decades, the MOBO Awards have seen performances from a range of British stars such as Sade, Amy Winehouse, Stormzy, FKA Twigs, Tinie Tempah, Emeli Sandé, Labrinth, Craig David, Ms Dynamite, Laura Mvula, and Sugababes. The Awards has continued to be monumental firsts for talents like Krept and Konan, Headie One, Stefflon Don, Ray BLK, Ms Banks, Kojey Radical, Young T and Bugsey, among many others.
“In 2020, we proudly did the unthinkable by producing an awards show amid a global pandemic, which was no easy feat,” said Kanya King CBE, founder and CEO of MOBO Group, and this year’s winner of The Strat Award at The Music Week Awards. “This year, we are delighted to be returning to a live format in the incredible city of Coventry. Over the past 24 years, the MOBO Awards has set a precedent for delivering memorable moments and iconic performances, and this year’s ceremony will be no different. I can say for certain that the MOBO Awards on December 5 is going to be the most significant event in UK Black culture this year. Stay tuned for announcements on the amazing live acts we are lining up as we have some very special performances up our sleeves.”
Dan Chalmers, director of YouTube Music EMEA said: “This is the second year the MOBO Awards will be available to watch live by a global audience. Last year was such a success, we saw viewers tune in both live from around the globe and on demand afterwards, and we expect this year the viewership to grow exponentially. We want to make MOBO Awards the global calendar moment it should be."
Councillor George Duggins, leader of Coventry City Council also commented: “We are absolutely delighted to be the host city for the MOBO Awards as we feel Coventry is the perfect venue to welcome the UK’s biggest celebration of Black music and culture. As a proud and modern multi-cultural city and one that has an excellent national reputation for successfully hosting major events, I’m sure the MOBO Awards will be another great success, and great that it’s the first time they’ve been held in the Midlands too. Given the pride and our ambition that goes with the title of being UK City of Culture 2021, this partnership with MOBO and the Coventry Building Society Arena is yet another example of how Coventry is matching its ambition of being a major player in the country.”
