EPIC NOMINEE LIST ANNOUCED FOR 18^TH ANNUAL MOBO AWARDS

• Very tight race around this year’s MOBO Award nominees
• Laura Mvula and Wiley lead with four gongs each

LONDON - some of the most exciting names in music joined forces for the hotly anticipated announcement of the nominees for this year’s MOBO Awards. Ahead of the 18^th anniversary show at the brand new, SSE Hydro in Glasgow on Saturday, October 19; the nominations were revealed at London’s Grand Connaught Rooms – where the awards show started in 1996, following careful deliberation from this year’s MOBO music panel.

During an important year for the internationally-renowned entertainment brand, the star-studded London event saw names from the MOBO Awards past and present arrive to hear this year’s shortlist before opening to the public vote. It will now be down to the fans to decide who walks away with a coveted MOBO Award in October, with the categories now open to the public via www.mobo.com/voting2013. Never in its 18 year history has such a fierce competition been witnessed among MOBO music talent with Laura Mvula and Wiley being nominated in four categories each, immediately followed by Disclosure, Naughty Boy, Rudimental and Wretch 32 with three gongs respectively being put forward to be publicly recognised for their achievements over the past year.

Tickets for the show are on sale now, giving fans the chance to be there as the winners are revealed. Prices vary from £25 to £49 and are available from www.mobo.com/tickets.

Hosted by long-standing MOBO Awards supporter and BBC 1Xtra DJ; Sarah-Jane Crawford and appearances from Jessie J, So Solid, CEO Dancers (Britain’s Got Talent), 90s pop sensation; Gabrielle, Lianne La Havas, Wiley, Naughty Boy, MKS (original Sugababes line-up) Jason Derulo and Jourdan Dunn to name just a few - this year’s nominations party didn’t disappoint.

One particular highlight of the evening was a surprise performance from past MOBO Award winners; So Solid Crew, who opened the evening with a lively performance of their hit track ‘Oh No’. Jahmenegave a rousing, soulful performance singing an Amy Winehouse classic, ‘Back to Black’, while Fuse ODG and the CEO Dancers (Britain’s Got Talent) came together in an explosive AfroBeats collaboration which had all the audience on their feet to his hit track ‘Azonto’.

The Best Newcomer in association with HTC category is always hotly anticipated and this year is no exception. The category has long provided a platform for the UK’s most exciting artists, launching the careers of NDubz, Emeli Sandé and Rita Ora to name a few.  A glimpse of this year’s nominees includes Daley, Sam Smith, Fuse ODG, Stylo G and Jahmene Douglas – a showcase of exciting and varied talent.

“This year’s 18^th Anniversary Awards will be no different” says inspirational MOBO Awards founder and CEO, Kanya King MBE: “MOBO turning 18 is a huge achievement and we have some truly incredible artists on the shortlist for this year’s event.  They demonstrate the diverse range of music that is at the heart of youth culture in Britain and globally. Our aim has always been to give a platform and voice to emerging and established artists; we celebrate these artists all year round.  We’re really proud of the nominees and wish them all the best with the public vote and the show in Glasgow on October 19!”

The nominations come ahead of next month’s MOBO Awards on 19^th October, which will be making their debut at Glasgow’s SSE Hydro. With chart toppers, Rudimental, Australian female rapper, Iggy Azalea and three-time MOBO Award winner, Tinie Tempah already announced to perform.  Coming back to Glasgow for a third time is the result of a very successful partnership between the MOBO Organisation, EventScotland and Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and this year’s awards are set to make more noise than ever.

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For more information on the awards, nominees, images and/or interview time please contact:

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Full nominations list:

Best Newcomer in association with HTC:

• Daley
• Elli Ingram
• Etta Bond
• Fuse ODG
• Jacob Banks
• Jahmene Douglas
• Krept and Konan
• Sam Smith
• Shakka
• Stylo G

Best Male Act:

• Disclosure
• Naughty Boy
• Rudimental
• Wiley
• Wretch 32

Best Female Act in association with Tresor Paris:

• Jessie J
• Jessie Ware
• Laura Mvula
• Lianne La Havas
• Rita Ora

Best Video in association with SBTV:

• AlunaGeorge ‘Attracting Flies’
• Dizzie Rascal ‘Bassline Junkie’
• Fuse ODG feat. Wyclef ‘Antenna’
• Laura Mvula ‘Green Garden’
• Naughty Boy feat. Sam Smith ‘La La La’
• Rizzle Kicks ‘Lost Generation’

Best UK Hip Hop/Grime:

• Akala
• K Koke
• Tinie Tempah
• Wiley
• Wretch 32

Best Album:

• Angel - ‘About Time’
• Disclosure - ‘Settle’
• Laura Mvula - ‘Sing To The Moon’
• Rudimental - ‘Home’
• Wiley - ‘Ascent’

Best R&B/Soul Act:

• Angel
• Daley
• Jessie Ware
• Laura Mvula
• Lianne La Havas

Best Song in association with PRSforMusic:

• ‘White Noise’- Disclosure feat. AlunaGeorge

               Written by: Howard Lawrence (Disclosure), Guy Lawrence (Disclosure), Aluna Francis,

               George Reid, James Napier

• ‘La La La’ - Naughty Boy

               Written by: Shahid Khan (Naughty Boy), Al-Hakam El-Kaubaisy, Frobisher Mbabazi, Sam Smith,

               James Napier, James Murray, Mustafa Omer, Jonny Coffer

• ‘Waiting All Night’- Rudimental feat. Ella Eyre

               Written by: Rudimental, James Newman, Jonny Harris

• ‘Reloaded’ - Wiley feat. Chip

               Written by: Richard Cowie (Wiley), Jahmaal Fyffe, Dayo Olatunji, Talay Riley

• ‘Black Out’- Wretch 32 feat. Shakka

               Written by: Jermaine Scott (Wretch 32), Shakka Philip, Knox Brown

Best International Act:

• Ciara
• Iggy Azalea
• J Cole
• Jason Derulo
• Jay Z
• Justin Timberlake
• Kanye West
• Kendrick Lamar
• Miguel
• Robin Thicke

Best African Act:

• Atumpan
• Bombino
• Fuse ODG
• Ice Prince
• Liquideep
• Mafikizolo
• Seun Kuti
• Spoek Mathambo
• Tiwa Savage
• Wizkid

Best Reggae Act:

• Mavado
• Popcaan
• Sean Paul
• Stylo G
• Tarrus Riley

Best Jazz Act:

• Sons of Kemet
• Courtney Pine
• Soweto Kinch
• Jazz Jamaica
• Lineage

Best Gospel Act:

• Guvna B
• El-Mafrex
• Lurine Cato
• IDMC
• Sandra Godley

Additional information:

• Photos and videos from the nominations event can be downloaded here
• The 18^th MOBO Awards ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 19 at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland
• Tickets are being sold at £25, £35 and £49 respectively
• Chart toppers Iggy Azalea, Rudimental and Tinie Tempah have been announced as the acts to perform on the night
• The 18^th MOBO Awards ceremony will be aired on BBC3, repeated on BBC1 and syndicated to millions around the world
• Opening on the site of the SECC later this year, the SSE Hydro will play host to national and international music mega stars as well as global entertainment and sporting events. With a maximum seating capacity of 12,000 The Hydro will augment the SECC’s existing facilities and will play host to around 140 events per annum. The global significance of this iconic building, designed by Foster + Partners, cannot be overestimated. Aspiring to attract an audience of 1 million visitors each year will position The SSE Hydro in the top five busiest indoor music arenas in the world alongside such iconic venues as Madison Square Garden and The O2 arena.  It has the potential to inject an additional £131 million annually into the local economy.
• Glasgow City Marketing Bureau (GCMB) is the official destination marketing organisation for the city of Glasgow. As custodian of the ‘Glasgow: Scotland with style’ brand, GCMB works with partners, stakeholders and businesses to position and promote Glasgow across national and international markets as one of Europe’s most vibrant, dynamic and diverse cities in which to live, work, study, invest and visit. For more information, visit: www.seeglasgow.com  or follow @seeglasgow on Twitter.
• EventScotland is working to make Scotland the perfect stage for events. By developing an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events EventScotland is helping to raise Scotland’s international profile and boost the economy by attracting more visitors. For further information about EventScotland, its funding programmes and latest event news visit  www.EventScotland.org  and follow  @EventScotNews  on Twitter. EventScotland is part of VisitScotland, the national tourism organisation which markets Scotland as a tourism destination across the world, gives support to the tourism industry and brings sustainable tourism growth to Scotland.