The MOBO Awards Announce Their 2021 Nominees

The UK’s most prestigious celebration of Black music and culture – the MOBO Awards – have announced their 2021 nominees, ahead of the Awards’ return as a live show extravaganza on Sunday 5 December at Coventry Building Society Arena.

MOBO is proud to partner with YouTube and BBC for the second consecutive year to bring the Awards to a global audience. The ceremony will be live-streamed on YouTube on 5 December – tune in and hit ‘subscribe’ at youtube.com/mobotv . BBC One will broadcast a special behind-the-scenes show which will include exclusive backstage content and never-before-seen performances and interviews from the award ceremony. BBC Radio 1Xtra will also be covering the awards starting on Monday 6 December, DJ Target will dedicate his weekday shows (7-9pm) to the MOBO Awards 2021 bringing listeners the hottest performances and exclusive interviews with this year’s nominees and winners.

Kanya King CBE, Founder and CEO of MOBO Group said: “The past 20 months have been extremely challenging for artists everywhere but as always we are seeing creatives rise up and adapt, even in a global pandemic. This year’s crop of MOBO nominees have not only shown resilience but incredible talent and range. We could not be prouder to celebrate their achievements across the 18 categories that span genres, as well as excellence in TV, film and media. Congratulations and best of luck to all of our nominees. Here’s to a big night on 5th December in Coventry!”

DAVE, CENTRAL CEE, GHETTS AND HEADIE ONE LEAD 2021 NOMINATIONS

RAP MAVERICK DAVE LEADS THE PACK WITH 5 NOMINATIONS
– INCLUDING BEST MALE ACT, ALBUM OF THE YEAR AND SONG OF THE YEAR

LITTLE SIMZ, ARLO PARKS AND CLEO SOL SCORE 3 NOMINATIONS EACH
– INCLUDING BEST FEMALE ACT and ALBUM OF THE YEAR

BACKROAD GEE, ENNY, JOY CROOKES AND PINKPANTHERESS EARN
BEST NEWCOMER NOMINATIONS

WIZKID, TEMS, AYRA STARR AND REMA NOMINATED FOR
BEST AFRICAN ACT

DAMSON IDRIS and DANIEL KALUUYA SCORE
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A TV SHOW/FILM NOMINATIONS

Dave, an artist who is undeniably a pivotal voice in the contemporary landscape of UK music leads the 2021 MOBO Awards nominations. The 23-year-old South London MC has picked up a staggering five nominations: Best Male Act, Best Hip Hop Act, Album of The Year for the critically-acclaimed “We’re All Alone In This Together”, Song Of The Year – in association with Coventry Building Society for ‘Clash’ featuring Stormzy, and Video Of The Year for his Fredo collaboration ‘Money Talks’.

The awe-inspiring Little Simz has been quietly celebrated and adorned for years but it was finally with 2021’s “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert” that the dexterous MC finally started receiving the recognition deserving of her stature. Simz scores a hattrick of nominations:Best Female Act, Best Hip Hop Act, and Video of The Year for ‘Woman’.

Arlo Parks rounds up a year filled with phenomenal success as she scores three MOBO nominations for Best Newcomer – in association with ASOS, Best Female Act, and Album of The Year for her effortlessly breath-taking debut album “Collapsed In Sunbeams”. Soul siren Cleo Sol, the vocalist behind SAULT, has received universal acclaim for her latest album “Mother” and its contemplative, intimate and shimmering take on classic soul, family and interpersonal relationships. Cleo is in the running this year for Best R&B/Soul Act, Best Female Act, and Album of The Year.

London rapper Central Cee, whose trajectory to stardom this past year has been near historic, makes a strong MOBO debut with four nominations: Best Male Act, Song Of The Year – in association with Coventry Building Society for ‘Commitment Issues’, Best Newcomer – in association with ASOS and Best Drill Act – in association with Trench. Meanwhile imperial Grime veteran Ghetts,who made a momentous comeback with his timely and incisive body of work “Conflict Of Interest”, earns three nominations for Best Male Act, Best Grime Act, and Album Of The Year.

In a move that shows that MOBO is forever one step ahead their contemporaries, this year marks the arrival of the inaugural award for Best Drill Act – in association with Trench – recognising the cultural and urgent force that the genre has become over the last few years. The crop of MCs who make up the first-ever round of nominees in this category include ‘King Of Drill’ Headie One who is also one of this year’s most nominated, in addition to Tion Wayne, Unknown T, Digga D, M1llionz and more.

Coventry rapper Pa Salieu scores two MOBO nominations in the year the Awards is hosted in his home city. The hotly-tipped rising star is up for Song of The Year – in association with Coventry Building Society and Video of The Year for ‘My Family’ featuring BackRoad Gee.

Wizkid and Tems earn Best African Act nominations, suitably following this year’s global smash ‘Essence’. The category also includes rising stars Ayra Starr and Ckay, in addition to mainstays like Burna Boy, Rema and Davido, showing the ongoing integration of African music into the mainstream.

BEST MALE ACT
AJ TRACEY
CENTRAL CEE
DAVE
GHETTS
HEADIE ONE
POTTER PAYPERBEST FEMALE ACT
ARLO PARKS
BREE RUNWAY
CLEO SOL
LITTLE SIMZ
SHAYBO
TIANA MAJOR9

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
ARLO PARKS – “COLLAPSED IN SUNBEAMS”
CELESTE – “NOT YOUR MUSE”
CLEO SOL – “MOTHER”
DAVE – “WE’RE ALL ALONE IN THIS TOGETHER” 
GHETTS – “CONFLICT OF INTEREST”
HEADIE ONE – “EDNA”

SONG OF THE YEAR – IN ASSOCIATION WITH COVENTRY BUILDING SOCIETY
A1 X J1 – ‘LATEST TRENDS’
CENTRAL CEE – ‘COMMITMENT ISSUES’
DAVE FEAT. STORMZY – ‘CLASH’
ENNY FEAT. AMIA BRAVE – ‘PENG BLACK GIRLS’
PA SALIEU FEAT. BACKROAD GEE – ‘MY FAMILY’
TION WAYNE & RUSS MILLIONS, ARRDEE, BUGZY MALONE, BUNI, DARKOO, E1 (3X3), FIVIO FOREIGN & ZT (3X3) – ‘BODY (REMIX)’

BEST NEWCOMER – IN ASSOCIATION WITH ASOS
ARLO PARKS
ARRDEE
BACKROAD GEE
BERWYN
CENTRAL CEE
ENNY
JOY CROOKES
MIDAS THE JAGABAN
PINKPANTHERESS
WES NELSON

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
BREE RUNWAY – ‘HOT HOT’ (DIRECTED BY JOCELYN ANQUETIL)
FREDO FEAT. DAVE – ‘MONEY TALKS’ (DIRECTED BY EDEM WORNOO)
LITTLE SIMZ FEAT. CLEO SOL – ‘WOMAN’ (DIRECTED BY LITTLE SIMZ)
M1LLIONZ – ‘LAGGA’ (DIRECTED BY TEEEEZY C)
PA SALIEU FEAT. BACKROAD GEE – ‘MY FAMILY’ (DIRECTED BY FEMI LADI)
SLOWTHAI FEAT. A$AP ROCKY – ‘MAZZA’ (DIRECTED BY THE REST)

BEST R&B/SOUL ACT
BELLAH
CLEO SOL
JORJA SMITH
SAULT
TIANA MAJOR9
WSTRN

BEST GRIME ACT
BUGZY MALONE
CHIP
D DOUBLE E
FRISCO
GHETTS
SKEPTA

BEST HIP HOP ACT
DAVE
D-BLOCK EUROPE
FREDO
LITTLE SIMZ
POTTER PAYPER
SLOW THAI

BEST DRILL ACT – IN ASSOCIATION WITH TRENCH
CENTRAL CEE
DIGGA D
HEADIE ONE
K TRAP
LOSKI
M1LLIONZ
RUSS MILLIONS
SR
TION WAYNE
UNKNOWN T

BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT
DOJA CAT
DRAKE
KANYE WEST
LIL NAS X
MEGAN THEE STALLION
POLO G
REMA
SKILLIBENG
WIZKID
YOUNG STONER LIFE (YOUNG THUG & GUNNA)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A TV SHOW/FILM
ASHLEY THOMAS AS HENRY IN ‘THEM’
DAMSON IDRIS AS FRANKLIN SAINT IN ‘SNOWFALL’
DANIEL KALUUYA AS FRED HAMPTON IN ‘JUDAS & THE BLACK MESSIAH’
LETITIA WRIGHT AS ALTHEIA JONES-LECOINTE IN ‘SMALL AXE’
MICHEAL WARD AS FRANKLYN IN ‘SMALL AXE’

BEST MEDIA PERSONALITY
CHARLENE WHITE
CHUNKZ & YUNG FILLY
HARRY PINERO
HENRIE KWUSHUE
JULIE ADENUGA
MAYA JAMA
MO GILLIGAN
MUNYA CHAWAWA
NELLA ROSE
ZEZE MILLZ

BEST GOSPEL ACT – IN ASSOCIATION WITH PREMIER GOSPEL 
CALLEDOUT MUSIC
CECE WINANS
GUVNA B
KIRK FRANKLIN
MAVERICK CITY MUSIC
S.O.

BEST AFRICAN MUSIC ACT
AYRA STARR
BURNA BOY
CKAY
DAVIDO
KING PROMISE
NSG
REMA
TEMS
TIWA SAVAGE
WIZKID

BEST REGGAE ACT
LILA IKE
POPCAAN
SEAN PAUL
SHENSEEA
SKILLIBENG
SPICE

BEST JAZZ ACT – IN ASSOCIATION WITH BBC 6MUSIC
ALFA MIST
BLUE LAB BEATS
EMMA-JEAN THACKRAY
JACOB COLLIER
NUBIYAN TWIST
SONS OF KEMET

BEST PRODUCER – IN ASSOCIATION WITH COMPLEX UK
GOTCHA
JAE 5
JULS
M1ONTHEBEAT
P2J
TSB