MOBO Awards 2026 nominations announced as Olivia Dean and Little Simz lead the pack with four nominations apiece

As a lifestyle expert, I’m always excited to see who’s making waves in music, and the MOBO Awards 2026 nominations are in! This year, Olivia Dean and Little Simz are definitely the ones to watch – they’re both up for four awards, which is fantastic! It’s going to be a really competitive night, and I can’t wait to see who takes home the trophies.

The MOBO Awards will be held in Manchester for the first time on March 26, 2026, at the Co-op Live arena. This event celebrates the organization’s 30th anniversary.

As a lifestyle enthusiast, I’m so excited to see Little Simz getting the recognition she deserves! Her album, Lotus, is up for Album of the Year, which is fantastic, and she’s also nominated for Best Female Act, Best Hip Hop Act, and her incredible video ‘Flood’ is in the running for Video of the Year. A truly talented artist making waves!

Olivia Dean is nominated for four awards, including Album of the Year for ‘The Art of Loving,’ Best Female Artist, Best R&B/Soul Artist, and Song of the Year for ‘Man I Need’.

Up-and-coming R&B singer kwn has received four nominations: Best Newcomer, Best Female Act, Best R&B/Soul Act, and Song of the Year for her hit, “Do What I Say.”

Jim Legxacy is nominated for four awards: Best Male Act, Best Newcomer, Song of the Year (for “3X” featuring Dave), and Video of the Year for “Father.”

Central Cee, FLO, PinkPantheress and Skepta follow with three nominations each. 

Central Cee won Album of the Year for ‘Can’t Rush Greatness’, as well as awards for Best Male Act and Best Hip Hop Act. FLO’s first album, ‘Access All Areas’, also earned them a nomination for Album of the Year, plus awards for Best Female Act and Best R&B/Soul Act.

PinkPantheress is nominated for three awards: Best Female Act, Best Electronic/Dance Act, and Song of the Year for her track “Illegal.”

Skepta has been nominated for three awards: Best Male Act, Video of the Year for his track ‘Back 2 Back,’ and Song of the Year for ‘Victory Lap’.

The Best Newcomer award showcases ten up-and-coming artists: EsDeeKid, Finessekid, YT, Skye Newman, DC3, Nia Smith, Namebliss, and Sekou.

The MOBO Awards also continue to recognise achievements in film and television. 

The Netflix series ‘Adolescence’ has received two nominations for acting performances. Ashley Walters and Stephen Graham are both in contention for the award.

Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) and Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners) also receive nominations.

The nominees for Best Media Personality are DJ AG, TikTok star Bemi Orojuogun, also known as “Bus Aunty,” stylist Melissa Holdbrook Akposoe, and the teams from the shows In My Opinion and Winners Talking.

Black music is gaining worldwide recognition, as shown by the nominations for international awards. Ayra Starr, Tyla, and Moliy are both up for Best African Music Act and Best International Act. Vybz Kartel has also been nominated in two categories: Best Caribbean Music Act and Best International Act.

Public voting is now open for select categories at voting.mobo.com.

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2026-01-15 14:33