The MOBO Awards will not be staged in 2018, it has been confirmed.
MOBO Organisation CEO Kanya King announced today that the awards show is taking a year off as the brand is relaunched.
The MOBO Organisation has appointed global advertising and marketing agency, Ogilvy UK, to work on the development, overarching strategy and positioning of the brand. They will focus on new content as well as talent, creative and partnership strategies.
While the 2018 edition had not been formally announced, it has become a regular fixture in the music industry calendar and has a higher profile thanks to the success of grime and UK rap stars Stormzy, J Hus, Skepta, Stefflon Don and Dave, alongside established artists such as Craig David. MOBO can take some of the credit for elevating the new generation of urban music stars to the mainstream.
Stormzy won three awards at last year’s event at Leeds’ First Direct Arena, which was televised on Channel 5.
King said: “We understand that the MOBO Awards will be missed this year, but we will be back in 2019, bigger and bolder. The evolution of the MOBO Awards is always at the forefront of our mind and we want to ensure that we continue to build on the strong foundation of the brand and its heritage for a wider purpose and bigger impact. We will bring the platform to brand new heights and most importantly, continue to amplify the exposure of the large pool of exceptional talent celebrated by MOBO. In this respect we are very pleased to be teaming up with Ogilvy UK.”
Michael Frohlich, CEO, Ogilvy UK, said: “The team here at Ogilvy UK are incredibly proud to work with MOBO on its brand positioning. We hope to collaborate in ensuring the organisation maintains its place as an influential cultural force in the UK and beyond. Here at Ogivly, we relish the opportunity to build on the MOBO legacy of being an amazing urban music and cultural platform for established and emerging artists, while helping shape the brand’s future across music, media and entrepreneurship in unexpected ways.”
In recent years, the MOBO Awards has grown to include broader cultural arenas. It is set to to pilot an entrepreneur support programme to be launched early next year and will further help create a nationwide platform for people in typically excluded communities to access support, resources, finance and contacts. MOBO is also launching a film production company.
King added: “We are thrilled by all these new developments. It has long been our ambition to expand MOBO into new areas of the arts and help more talent succeed so that exceptional talent will not go unnoticed. We want to thank everyone who has supported us so far and we look forward to continuing this journey with you.”
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