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Estelle finds her Mobo after Mercury blow
Danny Brierley11.09.08
London singer Estelle has put her Mercury Music Prize disappointment behind her with five nominations at this year's Mobos.
The 28-year-old from Hammersmith is up for more awards than fellow Londoner and X-Factor winner Leona Lewis in the shortlist for the Music of Black Origin awards.
The news will ease some of the pain of losing at the Mercury to Elbow on Tuesday.
Estelle had hits with 1980 and Freedom but was then dropped by her British record company. She left London and went to the US where she met rapper Kanye West who helped her make her No1 single, American Boy, and Mercury-nominated album, Shine.
Lewis, from Hackney, recently became the first British woman to reach No1 in the US singles charts for more than 20 years.
Grime rapper Dizzee Rascal, from Bow in east London, is entered in three categories.
Mobos chief executive Kanya King, speaking at the launch of the nominations at Beach Blanket Babylon in Shoreditch last night, said: "It's fantastic to see artists like Estelle, who Mobo championed early on, get their due. I'd like to call on the music industry to keep up the good work and capitalise on this. There are still barriers out there.
"Estelle had to go to America to really break through and be given her big chance. The talent is undoubtedly here, let's get behind them."
The 13th annual Mobo awards, co-hosted by Spice Girl Mel B, will be held at Wembley Arena on 15 October.
Reader views (2)
Why has this racist award show been allowed to continue? If there was an award show for white only artists there would be uproar. More PC bias in this nation under rule by an ultra left regime.
- Brandon Thomas, London SW7
Serves her right for saying Adele wasn't a valid soul singer because she was white, what comes around goes around.
- Wendy K, London
