08/06/2026
Kanya King, the visionary founder of MOBO Awards has passed away on 3 June, following a long battle with cancer. She was 57.
Kanya King founded the MOBO Awards in 1996 with no institutional backing. For nearly three decades, she built a platform that legitimized Black British and international music, elevated artists, and shaped careers across the globe.
“What Kanya created was never simply an awards ceremony. It was an act of cultural justice. MOBO did not just celebrate Black music; it legitimised it, amplified it, and demonstrated its commercial and creative power to a world that had too often chosen not to see it,” the MOBO organisation said.
Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends, colleagues, and the entire MOBO community during this difficult time.
Rest in Power, Kanya King. 🕊️
