The MOBOs celebrated its 21st birthday year in Glasgow on Friday night, recognising the best music of black origin from the past 12 months. Taking home the big awards on the night were Lady Leshurr, who picked up Best Female, Craig David for Best Male, and Kano with Best Album for Made In The Manor — which the jet setting grime star accepted via video, while walking backwards up an airport escalator.
Chip took the gong for Best Grime Act, Popcaan for Best Reggae Act (for the second year in a row), Section Boyz for Best Hip Hop Act and Drake for Best International Act, with WizKid claiming the Best African Act.
There was an incredibly awkward mix up that led to WSTRN being announced as the winners of Best Track, for In2, and then an hour later a correction being announced, with the award actually being claimed by Abra Cadabra for Robbery (Remix) ft. Krept & Konan. WSTRN didn’t go home empty handed though — they took the Best Newcomer award.
Nadia Rose won video of the year for Skwod, a clip of her Adidas-kitted crew dancing down Surrey Street in Croydon.
The double Olympic Gold winning Team GB boxing legend Nicola Adams was awarded the Paving The Way award. Accepting the prize, Adams made a stirring speech about how many people had told her she could never achieve her dream, detailing the investment her mum put in to get her to the top, and saying, “I knew I wanted to create a path so girls could follow, and they wouldn’t have to struggle; and mums like mine wouldn’t have to work so hard”.
The unveiling of my “Paving The Way” award from the Mobos today. Right in front of my gold post boxes in Leeds – now to rename the road pic.twitter.com/GtdskKHXxh
— Nicola Adams MBE (@NicolaAdamsMBE) November 7, 2016
Check out the full list of winners on MOBO.com.
Read More: Lady Leshurr Doesn’t Back Down For Anything, from i-D’s The Futurewise Issue, Summer 2016
Credits
Text Charlotte Gush
Photography courtesy MOBO