Kanya King, the visionary entrepreneur who founded the Mobo awards celebrating Black British music, has died at the age of 57 after a battle with colon cancer. The Mobo Organisation confirmed her passing on Wednesday, describing her as "one of the most fearless champions" in the music industry.
In a statement, the organisation said: "The music world has lost one of its most fearless champions. 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."
Born in Kilburn, north London, to a Ghanaian father and Irish mother, King was working as a TV researcher when she identified a gap in the market for an awards ceremony that would honour Black British musicians often overlooked by other industry events. She remortgaged her house to raise the initial funds for the first Mobo awards in 1996, which eventually grew into a major arena-filling event.
Over the years, the Mobo awards have celebrated artists such as Stormzy, Dave, and Olivia Dean, becoming a cornerstone of the British music calendar. King's legacy extends far beyond the ceremony itself, as she tirelessly advocated for the recognition and commercial success of Black music globally.
More details are expected to follow as the music community mourns the loss of a pioneering figure.
