Mobo Awards Founder Kanya King Passes Away at 57

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Kanya King, the visionary founder of the MOBO Awards and a tireless champion of Black British music, has died at the age of 57 after a battle with colon cancer.

The announcement was made by the MOBO Organisation in a statement released on June 5, 2026, confirming her death occurred on June 3. King was surrounded by family, close friends, and loved ones during her final days.

King founded the Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards in 1996, creating a platform that became one of the most influential celebrations of Black music in the UK and globally. The awards, which marked their 30th anniversary in 2026, have played a pivotal role in recognizing and elevating Black artists across genres including UK garage, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, Afrobeat, and grime.

In a statement, the MOBO Organisation described King as a “cultural icon” whose legacy transcended awards ceremonies. “What Kanya created was never simply an awards ceremony,” they said. “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.”

King’s journey to founding the MOBO Awards was marked by defiance and determination. Born in Kilburn, north London, in 1969 to a Ghanaian father and Irish mother, she became a teenage mother and dropped out of school before later studying English literature at Goldsmiths College. While working as a TV researcher, she identified a gap in the music industry’s recognition of Black talent and launched the MOBO Awards with co-founder Andy Ruffell.

Her leadership was recognized with an MBE in 1999 for services to music, and she later received a CBE in 2024. Despite facing skepticism—including being told, “You’ve got a chip on your shoulder, why are you talking about race all the time?”—King persisted, transforming the MOBO Awards from a grassroots initiative into a globally respected institution.

The 2026 MOBO Awards ceremony, held in March, featured performances by Olivia Dean and FLO, and celebrated the careers of artists including Stormzy, Amy Winehouse, 50 Cent, Sade, Central Cee, and international acts like Rihanna, Lauryn Hill, and Destiny’s Child.

King’s diagnosis of stage four colon cancer in 2024 did not diminish her resolve. At the 2025 MOBO Awards, she declared, “I never allowed someone to define my limits. Not in life. Not in business. And I’m certainly not going to have that happen now.” Her courageous battle with illness mirrored her lifelong fight to challenge industry norms and uplift Black voices in music.

The MOBO Awards will continue King’s legacy, ensuring that the platform she built remains a cornerstone of Black cultural recognition in the UK and beyond.