Wiley and D Double E are among the artists announced for a tribute to 25 years of grime at this year’s MOBO Awards ceremony.
The awards, which celebrate the biggest and most influential Black music and culture in the UK and beyond, are marking their 30th anniversary this year, with the show set to take place on March 26 at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena – find tickets here.
It is set to be a star-studded show, with Olivia Dean, FLO and Tiwa Savage already announced as performing live at the ceremony, and now an all-star tribute to the legacy of grime music has been added to the line-up.
‘MOBO Salutes: Grime 25’ will be curated by DJ Target and will feature a medley of performances from Wiley, Chip, Nolay, Scorcher and D Double E.
Kanya King, founder and CEO of the MOBO Group, has said: “Celebrating Grime on the MOBO stage feels incredibly meaningful. It’s one of the most important cultural movements this country has produced, and its rise reflects MOBO’s own journey – championing homegrown sounds, elevating new voices and helping take underground culture into the mainstream.”
“MOBO has always stood for community as much as celebration, which is why partnerships like our work with Prostate Cancer UK are so important,” she added. “Using this platform to raise awareness and drive change is a responsibility we take seriously.”
MOBO have also confirmed they are collaborating with Manchester City Council this year to deliver the MOBO Fringe Festival, a week-long celebration of music and culture in the lead-up to the awards show, featuring a free programme of panels, showcases, workshops and live performances.
The nominees for this year’s awards were announced last month, and leading them were Little Simz, Olivia Dean, and rising stars kwn and Jim Legxacy – who each earned four nominations.
On their heels are Central Cee, Flo, PinkPantheress and Skepta, each with three nominations, and the 10 nominees for Best Newcomer include EsDeeKid, Jim Legxacy, Finessekid and YT.
The awards also recognise outstanding cultural contributions across film and television, and nominees include Ashley Walters and Stephen Graham for their work in Adolescence, Cynthia Erivo for Wicked and Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners.
See the complete list of nominees here.
Last year’s MOBO ceremony took place in Newcastle’s Utilita Arena, and saw Bashy take home the prestigious Album Of The Year prize for his first record in 15 years, ‘Being Poor Is Expensive’, Darkoo win Best Female Act and Song Of The Year for ‘Favourite Girl’, and Ayra Starr win Best African Music Act and Best International Act.