Before Black British music became a cultural force recognised around the world, Kanya King was fighting to ensure it had a stage, an audience and a future. Her work changed careers, opened doors and helped reshape Britain’s music industry for an entire generation.
Kanya King, the entrepreneur and cultural pioneer who founded the MOBO Awards, has died at the age of 57 after a battle with colon cancer, bringing to a close a career that transformed the visibility of Black British music and culture.
The MOBO Organisation announced that King died on June 3, surrounded by family and close friends. In a statement, the organisation described her as one of the music industry’s most fearless champions, crediting her with creating far more than an awards ceremony.
“What Kanya created was never simply an awards ceremony. It was an act of cultural justice,” the statement said.
Born in Kilburn, north London, to a Ghanaian father and Irish mother, King identified a major gap in the British music industry during the 1990s. While Black artists were making significant contributions to music, they often received little recognition from mainstream award shows and industry institutions. Rather than waiting for change, she decided to create it herself.
In 1996, she launched the MOBO Awards, short for Music of Black Origin. The decision was a huge gamble. King famously remortgaged her home to fund the first event after being told there was little appetite for an awards ceremony focused on Black music. Those doubts would soon prove unfounded.
The inaugural ceremony was broadcast on television and quickly established itself as a major platform for artists who were often overlooked elsewhere. Over the years, the awards helped spotlight genres ranging from R&B and soul to garage, grime, Afrobeats, hiphop and drill, while celebrating artists such as Craig David, Stormzy, Dave, Little Simz and many others.
As the music industry evolved, so did the MOBOs.
King expanded categories, adapted to emerging genres and pushed the organisation beyond London, taking events to cities including Glasgow, Newcastle, Coventry, Sheffield and Manchester. The move reflected her belief that opportunities in music should not be limited to one part of the country.
Her influence extended beyond awards nights.
Through initiatives such as the MOBO Trust and talent development programmes, King worked to create pathways for young artists and creatives seeking opportunities in music and entertainment. She consistently argued that representation should be matched by real investment and longterm support.
Even after being diagnosed with stage four colon cancer in 2024, King remained active in the organisation she built. She continued speaking publicly about her illness, encouraging people to pay attention to symptoms and seek medical advice early. Despite being given a grim prognosis, she remained determined to continue working and advocating for causes she believed in.
Tributes poured in from across the music and entertainment world following news of her death.
Actor and musician Idris Elba praised her dedication and influence, while singer Beverley Knight said she would always be grateful for King’s vision. Broadcaster DJ Target described the MOBO Awards as a place where Black artists could thrive and be celebrated on their own terms.
King received a CBE in 2018 for services to music and culture and was honoured repeatedly throughout her career for her contributions to the creative industries. Yet many believe her greatest achievement was creating a platform that changed perceptions of Black music in Britain and helped countless artists find mainstream recognition.
Three decades after she launched the first MOBO Awards, the event remains one of the most influential celebrations of Black music and culture in Europe.
That legacy, built through persistence, vision and a refusal to accept exclusion as normal, ensures that Kanya King’s impact will continue to be felt long after her passing.
