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Tonight the 14th Mobo Awards take place — outside London, for the first time in the event's history. But even as the move to Glasgow causes speculation over A-list no-shows, I for one am as pumped as ever to see what this year's awards hold.
The stand-out performance has to be the hotly anticipated Michael Jackson tribute. Rumoured to be performing it are Britain's Got Talent contestant Shaheen Jafargholi, Jermaine Jackson, Janet Jackson and JLS. There is no way this year's awards could have gone ahead without a tip of the hat to the moonwalking master — and if anyone is going to give him the right send-off, the Mobos know how.
More important, though, is what these awards say about the quality of British black music today. I believe this is the best line-up of UK black music talent at the Mobos in more than 10 years.
Not since we had the likes of Damage, So Solid Crew and Craig David in the charts has the UK produced so many true crossover artists — acts just as likely to be nominated at the Mobos as they are at the Brits.
From looking at the nominations, you realise, too, that it is not just UK talent dominating but born-and-bred Londoners. Chipmunk, Tinchy Stryder, N-Dubz, Alexandra Burke and Jade Ewen, to name a few, all call the capital their home and inspiration.
At the same time, it's striking that many of this year's nominations owe their breakthrough to reality TV programmes, with the likes of Alexandra Burke, JLS and Lemar all in the running for awards. Only a few years ago this route to stardom would have been a hindrance to achieving any industry acclaim. Now it is one of the most organic and accepted routes to launching a music career.
The excellence of the talent will not, of course, divert anyone from one of the great joys of the Mobos: gossip. Whether it's the spontaneous booing at no-show winners (Leona Lewis and Beyoncé have both been on the receiving end) or the entertaining year when awards host Shaggy spent the entire evening trying to prove to co-host Jamelia just why he is nicknamed “Mr Lover Lover”, the potential for top YouTube material is never far away.
Likewise Kanye West's infamous outburst at last month's VMAs in New York during Taylor Swift's Best Video acceptance speech: he was outraged that Beyoncé's Single Ladies failed to win. This year the Mobos has both Beyoncé's video — the best in the past decade, in my view — and Mr Hudson and Kanye West's video for Supernova nominated: it will be interesting to see the reactions this time.
Most exciting of all, perhaps, I and my Kiss 100 Breakfast show main man, Melvin, are nominated for the first time this year in the best DJ category, a mix of radio and club DJs. I think we should definitely win but people such as Mista Jam have had a great year. We are also up against members of the Kiss DJ family, such as Shortee Blitz and Manny Norte, which has made for some quality in-studio rivalry.
I hope Glasgow is ready for the Mobos to come to town. I know a lot of Londoners are sad to see it move this year but it is great to showcase the event somewhere else in the UK: that will help its appeal to grow. London is so lucky to be a hotbed of fantastic music events and clubs that I feel gracious enough to lend the Mobos to another part of the UK.
Just for one year, though: let's see them back in their birthplace next year.
Rickie Haywood-Williams is co-host of Kiss 100's weekday Breakfast Show.
Reader views (9)
hold on Rickie. i know you wanna big up the MOBOs coz you got nominated but it smells a bit like a little brown-nosing to me...
if memory serves me correctly, didn't the MOBOs give Joss Stone the 'best urban artist' award a few years ago...??? where were they for black artists then? it's not like there weren't any that year. let's face it the MOBOs like all awards are basically an elaborate music marketing ploy and so to stay in business they have to toe the general music industry line - which is that more people will buy 'black' music made by white people than will buy music (even if it's the same music) made by a black artist. it's great there are a few more black artists (Lemar is mixed race and not black btw, there is a difference in the collective music industry mind) in the mainstream but let's not get carried away - there's a lot more work to do. Estelle anyone? no one would sign her in the UK and that was after a successful debut album... bit odd no?
One more thing - entering the music industry via a tv talent contest is anything but 'organic'. Man that made me laugh. Puppets like you shouldn't be DJ-ing on the radio - there's so much good stuff out there not getting a platform coz they ain't exactly in the mould of something that's been before - which, in case you hadn't noticed, are the only kinds of acts that ever win tv talent contests. support music that means something and not just simon cowell fodder - if DJs like you don't, who will?
- Jay Bee, London
What do you call the NME'S the BRITS,where exactly is the Black talent represented there.The Brits are a disgrace in the way they shut out Black acts.There is no double standard in that if there where no MOBOS no black act would ever win an award in the UK.
- Ben, London UK
Mr. Diamond (available on itunes), that denounces gun and knife Crime and black on black violence will never see the light of day as its not produced and distributed by the usual high profile production houses. Surely music that makes a contribution to actively sending a clear message of peace and unity within black communities rather than attemps by the high profile production houses to glamourise unattainable "USA" gangster rap to the masses and then to be awarded with awards for it reeks of hypocrisy and as a result MOBO's are defunt as an award process!
- Clive, Streatham
If you go far enough back in history you will find that Scottish Missionaries taught African people to sing hymns and introduced them to the western musical scale. This musical form was then brought to America by slaves and evolved into blues, jazz etc. MOBO is a big con, there is Music of Black Influence however, but please Music is not of black origin. Do your research - Middle Ages, plainsong, first examples of written music, evolved into western musical scale, hymns taught to Africans etc etc
- David, London
Glasgow - "Too white"??? And us "whiteys" are constantly tagged as racist! Typical
- Chris, Norwich UK
Isn't all music of black original except classical?!
Rock started off as "black" music until Elvis came along.
- C L, London
Mike Murphy - Do you appreciate that events like the MOBO awards are intended to celebrate the (overlooked and sidelined) positive contribution of the Black community to society? The contribution made by white people is already celebrated on a daily basis.
Don't you think racism exists? What do you think should be done to get rid of it? Do you realise that white people can win MOBO awards?
- Nolan, Londonist
Mike Murphy, london
It's funny how people like you "white wash" History.
Anybody who knows anything about music knows that black artist were "black listed"
when it came to playing there style of music on the radio or tv.simply for being....BLACK!
It wasn't until the late,great Michael Jackson show cased his talents in the early 80's on MTV who initilly REFUSED to sho black artists, finally relented because he (Jackson) tore up the rule book and sent standards into the stratosphere.
The MOBO'S are a way of saying, you (The record industry) discriminated against black artist, so we'll organise something for ourselves.
- Sam, beds
Music of black origin, if we had a MOWO, music of white origin awards we'd be racists. How come the double standard
- Mike Murphy, london