MOBO founder Kanya King dies at 57 after cancer

Kanya King, the founder and CEO of the MOBO Awards, has died at the age of 57. She passed away peacefully on June 3, 2026, after what her organization described as a courageous and determined battle with colon cancer. She was surrounded by her family and close friends.

King founded the Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards in 1996, creating a landmark platform to celebrate Black music and artists in the UK and around the world. The organization confirmed her death in a statement on Friday, June 5, noting that the 2026 awards ceremony, which marked the event's 30th anniversary, would be dedicated entirely to her memory.

The statement highlighted King's extraordinary journey, noting she was a single mother from a council estate in Kilburn, north London, who was repeatedly told Black music was too niche for a major awards show. Undeterred, she remortgaged her home to fund the first event, which was broadcast nationally just six weeks after she secured a venue. The statement said what she created was "never simply an awards ceremony," but "an act of cultural justice" that legitimized and amplified Black music.

Over three decades, the MOBOs became a globally recognized institution,...