Mobo Awards founder Kanya King has been remembered as a “visionary” who “changed the face of culture and music”, following her death at the age of 57.
King worked tirelessly to champion black musicians’ contribution to British culture, and funded the first Music of Black Origin awards in 1996 out of her own pocket.
She died on Wednesday after “a courageous and characteristically determined battle with colon cancer”, the Mobo Organisation said in a statement.
Tributes have been paid by stars including TV host and Mis-Teeq singer Alesha Dixon, who called King an “incredible woman”, adding: “You helped so many people, your impact is immeasurable!”
Stormzy posted heart and dove emojis, while Sir Idris Elba said she was gone “too soon”.
The Luther actor posted: “You inspired me. Your dedication is unmatched. I will miss you @kanyakingcbe, we will all miss you.”
JLS star Oritsé Williams said she was “a pioneer” who had “created a powerful platform that championed cultures, communities and talent that were often unseen and underrepresented, despite our cultural influence being felt across the world”.
Williams added: “You didn’t just create opportunities; you created belief. Belief in our culture, our creativity and our potential.
“You are an icon, a true visionary, I trust and believe that your impact will be felt for generations to come.”
‘A renegade’
Rapper Tinie Tempah told BBC Radio 5 Live she was “a national treasure” who “definitely took a huge risk” to set up the Mobos.
“She was an influential force within the UK music industry, a renegade to a certain extent, doing her own thing in the way she wanted to do it through all the adversity in the world,” he said. “But that’s why we have to celebrate her so much because it’s by no means an easy feat at all.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan echoed his sentiments, calling King “a true pioneer” who “changed the face of culture and music”.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy added: “She was a real pioneer who changed British music for the better through the MOBO Awards.”
King’s family said they were “devastated” by her death.
“She faced every moment of her illness as she faced every moment of her life: with courage, with faith, with humour, and with an absolute refusal to be diminished,” they said.
Through the Mobos, she gave “an entire generation of black British artists the right to be seen, to be celebrated, and to be heard on their own terms”, they added.
“Kanya leaves behind 30 years of music of joy, of resistance, of proof – proof that one woman, with vision, nerve, and love, can move an entire culture.
“We are broken. We are grateful. We are so profoundly, endlessly proud to have been her family.
“Kanya King CBE. Gone too soon. Never, ever forgotten.”
Defied expectations
Over three decades, the Mobos have become globally renowned for their recognition of black talent – platforming upcoming stars and pushing to break industry boundaries.
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King defied expectations as a teenage mother who dropped out of school to gatecrash the predominantly white male music industry.
She studied English literature at London’s Goldsmiths College and later, while working as a TV researcher, spotted a gap in the market for a black-focused awards show.
But success did not come easily.
“I remember being told, ‘You’ve got a chip on your shoulder, why are you talking about race all the time?'” she told Music Week in 2021.
By 1999, King had been awarded an MBE for services to music as the Mobos grew from scrappy underdog to music industry fixture, holding its own against the long-established Brit Awards.
Its musical spectrum remains uniquely broad – giving early support to UK garage at the turn of the millennium, alongside R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, Afrobeat and broader African music, and championing grime before its mainstream explosion.
