12 hours ago
Kanya King, nan laminitis of nan UK’s celebrated Music of Black Origin awards show, colloquially known arsenic nan MOBOs, has died. She was 57.
King’s decease was announced this greeting by nan MOBO Organisation pinch a station connected Instagram. The connection said King died connected June 3rd aft a “courageous and characteristically wished conflict pinch colon cancer.”
“She was surrounded by her family, adjacent friends and love,” nan connection read.
King launched nan MOBOs successful 1996 arsenic an yearly ceremony of Black British music. Over nan years, nan awards show has championed artists specified arsenic Stormzy, Sade, Destiny’s Child and Lauryn Hill. The MOBOs person besides grown into a wider year-round organisation. This year’s version was nan show’s 30th anniversary.
“Thirty years ago, Kanya King remortgaged her home, alone, without organization backing aliases manufacture support, to build a shape that would toggle shape British euphony forever,” nan connection continued.
“She was a azygous mother from a Kilburn assembly property who was told that Black euphony was excessively niche, that location was nary marketplace and that nan manufacture was not interested. Instead of arguing, she built. Six weeks later, nan first MOBO Awards was broadcast to nan nation, and thing was ever nan aforesaid again.”
The connection continued: “What Kanya created was ne'er simply an awards ceremony. It was an enactment of taste justice. MOBO did not conscionable observe Black music; it legitimised it, amplified it and transformed nan taste scenery of nan UK.”
King had announced successful December 2024 that she had shape 4 bowel cancer. She was coming astatine this year’s MOBO awards successful March and was honored connected shape by Pharrell Williams, who received nan Global Songwriter Award.
“This is simply a female who ne'er stops working,” Williams said. “When you emotion what you get to do, you’re ne'er working, you’re conscionable having nan clip of your life. And that’s nan aforesaid power that you tin look successful nan reflector and look crab successful nan look for illustration Kanya King and guidelines present tonight.”
King was awarded an MBE successful 1999 and a CBE successful 2018.
The MOBOs connection ended: “The world was a profoundly amended spot pinch Kanya King successful it. The MOBO family is heartbroken, but endlessly grateful, proud and inspired by everything she gave to music, civilization and early generations. Rest successful power, Kanya. You built this. All of it.”
