MOBO Awards live-streamed on YouTube for the first time this year –

show, performances and other content have generated almost 3 million YouTube views so far

Full 90-minute ceremony watched over 426,000 times on YouTube, a social media reach of 18 million on the night
#1 Twitter trending topic in United Kingdom

It’s time to MOBOLISE – MOBO announces exciting next steps with launch of innovative new platform that connects Black people to mentoring, networking, and the best career opportunities
Visit: mobo.com/mobolise

Download images from MOBO Awards 2020 here: https://bit.ly/MOBO2020

Dec. 17, 2020: The MOBO Awards is celebrating the success of their 2020 virtual ceremony, which took place last Wednesday 9 December. The UK’s biggest celebration of Black music was live-streamed on YouTube for the very first time in its 24-year history.  426,000 have watched the show on YouTube so far with almost 3 million views generated by the performances and other content to date.

MOBO Awards hit #1 on Twitter’s trending topic in the United Kingdom on the night, generating a social media reach of 18 million.

The MOBO YouTube channel alone attracted 2.6 million views from Dec 7^th to 15^th.

Catch up on the full 90-minute show, plus interviews, and backstage content surrounding the event on MOBO’s YouTube channel – youtube.com/mobotvofficial.

The virtual ceremony, hosted by Maya Jama and Chunkz, showcased homegrown and international talent from a range of genres from UK rap to Afrobeats, R&B and Soul, and Reggae. Artists like Headie One feat. M Huncho, H.E.R., Ms Banks, Davido, Tiwa Savage, Stylo G, Kojey Radical, Young T & Bugsey, Tiana Major9, and Shaybo delivered slick performances, while Nines, Mahalia, Headie One and Aitch scooped up top accolades.

This year’s ceremony also marks MOBO Awards’ return to BBC One, which worked in perfect synergy together with YouTube, enabling the show to reach a wide audience.

BBC One broadcast the MOBO Awards 2020 to the nation and became the first linear channel to host the iconic award show in three years. A highlights package of the night’s events, including all performances and surprise celebrity appearances, is now available to watch on BBC iPlayer. On 1Xtra, DJ Target celebrated music of Black origin with exclusive interviews from artists such as Young T & Bugsey and aired the live performance of ‘Damage’ by H.E.R. The full show is available to listen back to on BBC Sounds, along with the MOBOs Special 1Xtra Talks where Richie Brave reminisced on 24 years of the awards.

Kanya King CBE, MOBO founder said: “This year’s show was about unity, empowerment and creativity – It was time to reimagine what could be possible whilst providing positivity for the future.  It was great that everyone -Youtube, BBC, talent and viewers from around the world, all came together for a greater purpose and a bigger impact.”

Dan Chalmers, YouTube’s Head of Music EMEA, said: "We are thrilled to have played a key role in bringing the MOBO Awards to light this year, in what is a seminal moment in their history. The UK has long been at the epicentre of Black music and creativity globally. It is vital that we support institutions such as the MOBO Awards to continue celebrating and representing all that the UK has to offer.” 

Mahalia scooped up Best Female Act (in association with ISAWITFIRST) and Best R&B/Soul Act – her first major music awards and summed up the mood:

“As a young black artist at the MOBOs, everything it stands for and holds is really special."

NEXT STEPS – IT’S TIME TO MOBOLISE

WATCH MOBOLISE TRAILER HERE

The founder of the MOBO Awards Kanya King CBE has introduced a new platform that she hopes will encourage open conversations about race and diversity - because it will then boost the bottom line of companies who foster inclusion and opportunity. Visit mobo.com/mobolise.

Being developed in conjunction with Accenture (NYSE: ACN), MOBOLISE aims to reverse inequalities and showcase the skills of those within the black community who have the passion and ability to work for big businesses in these influential sectors. 

MOBOLISE is open for registration to companies and organisations who want to back the issue and take action, making a lasting impact. 

Kanya King, said: "Studies show that having more diverse talent has a positive impact on the bottom line. That is why we have launched MOBOLISE as a powerful tool for companies and organisations to drive diversity within their workforces and leaderships. We want to bring allies and advocates together so they can access talent of all ages and backgrounds with a wide range of abilities from a more diverse pool. Greater diversity of thought and ideas are good for companies as it expands their horizon and drives them forward."

The MOBOLISE platform is already championed by UK talent that includes Emeli Sandé, Afua Hirsch, Mo Gilligan and George The Poet and will offer the chance for people of all ages to network with leaders and employees from different industries to gain mentorship, boost confidence, find vacancies, showcase skills and attend networking and mentoring events that level the playing field of opportunities. 

MOBOLISE will also offer businesses the chance to reach underrepresented and undiscovered talent and educate their boards to prevent unconscious bias. 

Ms King said that MOBO itself is built on the idea that creativity is a powerful expression of identity, capable of transcending racial and cultural divides. MOBOLISE takes that a step further to meet both the growing demand for new jobs expected in 2021 and the changing future of work and the skills that will be needed.

It aims to reverse inequalities demonstrated by the likes of research that shows 1.5% of managers, directors and senior officials in the private sector are black [BITC]. Kanya King added: "It is not acceptable to see the level of underrepresentation of black talent in the tech and creative sectors, when we are talking about industries that are shaping the world. But in 2020, the world has woken up to the scale of injustice black people face in society and we have seen many positive strides from those who want to make a difference.

"Often when you are the 'other' in an organisation, it is a very lonely and isolating place. That is why I believe MOBOLISE is the next evolution of the successes we have achieved over the years. We have championed and empowered new talent within the music industry. In recent years our work has also driven change within film, theatre and the media. This is a way of expanding that into the wider business world.

"Companies tend to focus too much on educational qualifications and looking for people coming from an elite environment. There is a whole generation of talent being wasted who have the drive, determination and passion to succeed. Black talent may not be inclined to enter the creative and tech industries due to lack of connections, they don't have the same access to opportunities as Caucasian candidates due to bias in the hiring process and practices, while there is also a lack of role models who look like them and who they can relate to.

"By partnering with Accenture to develop MOBOLISE, we have put all of our knowledge from the past 25 years into a tech platform that will truly be a game-changer."

The journey to take MOBOLISE to full launch will see Accenture bring its digital capabilities and specialism in launching new ventures for clients to the initiative - as well as its own commitment to inclusion and diversity. Nnenna Ilomechina, managing director at Accenture, UK & Ireland, said: "To be able to develop this platform alongside MOBO, an organisation that, similar to Accenture, has been championing diversity for decades, is truly a privilege. 

"We are dedicated to becoming an even more inclusive company and are continuously challenging ourselves to make an impact within our organisation and beyond. We recognise our role and influence within the creative and tech sectors, and our responsibility to make a difference, as we collectively make strides towards equality."

MOBOLISE will be free for talent to join and register on the platform. It will be commercially self-sustaining with revenue streams coming from recruitment, marketing and premium membership.

For more information about MOBOLISE or to sign up, go to www.MOBO.com/mobolise - find MOBOLISE on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/mobolise and on Twitter at twitter.com/mobolise. 

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Press contact for MOBO Awards – The Outside Organisation:

David Lim – [email protected]

Sope Soetan – [email protected]

Chris Goodman – [email protected]

About MOBO

Started in 1996 by Kanya King to celebrate the incredible talent making music of Black origin in the UK, the MOBO Awards quickly grew to become one of Europe’s biggest music award ceremonies with vast cultural influence. For more than 20 years, MOBO has honoured the artistic and technical achievements of exceptional British and international talent in Hip Hop, Grime, R&B and Soul, Reggae, Jazz, Gospel and Afrobeats. Throughout the year, MOBO supports emerging talent through its initiatives such as MOBO UnSung and the MOBO Help Musicians Fund, providing numerous talented individuals with support in progressing their music careers.