Mobo Awards founder Kanya King dies at 57, remembered as 'visionary'

Kanya King, founder of the Mobo Awards, died on Wednesday at age 57 after a battle with colon cancer. The Mobo Organisation confirmed she was surrounded by family and close friends. King launched the first Music of Black Origin awards in 1996, funding it from her own pocket. Tributes poured in from stars including Alesha Dixon, Stormzy, Sir Idris Elba, Oritsé Williams, and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who called her a 'true pioneer' who 'changed the face of culture and music'. Over three decades, the Mobos became globally renowned for recognizing black talent, early support for UK garage, grime, Afrobeat, and other genres. King, a teenage mother who dropped out of school, studied English literature at Goldsmiths College and later worked as a TV researcher before spotting a gap in the market. She received an MBE in 1999 and a CBE in 2018. The awards faced criticism for giving prizes to white artists and negative media coverage in 2002, but King remortgaged her home to keep them going. In December 2024, she announced her stage four bowel cancer diagnosis on Instagram while receiving a LIVE foundation lifetime achievement award.