MOBO Awards 2022: Little Simz, Knucks, Central Cee, PinkPantheress and Jamal Edwards among winners

NME

The winners of the MOBO Awards 2022 have been revealed – check out the full list below.

• READ MORE: MOBO founder Kanya King on the awards’ new genres – “This felt like the right year to do it”

Little Simz and Knucks were joint winners for Album Of The Year for ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert‘ and ‘Alpha Pace’, respectively, while Dreya Mac, FelixThe1st and Finch Fetti took home the Song Of The Year award for ‘Own Brand (Baddie)’.

PinkPantheress bagged Best Female Act while Central Cee won Best Male Act. Inflo (SAULT, Little Simz, Michel Kiwanuka) won Best Producer, and Nile Rodgers was recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Craig David took home the Outstanding Contribution Award and the late Jamal Edwards MBE was honoured with the Paving The Way Award.

Last night’s (November 30) 25th anniversary awards ceremony was hosted by Chunkz and Yung Filly at London’s OVO Arena Wembley. It featured live performances and special guest appearances by a number of acts including Nile Rodgers, Craig David, Kojey Radical, Tion Wayne, Fireboy DML, Cat Burns, FLO, Eliza Rose, Beenie Man and Emeli Sandé.

Little Simz’s Album Of The Year gong comes a year after her first MOBO win for Best Female Act, and rounds off a year in which she also took home the Mercury Music Prize. Earlier in 2022 the rapper won, somewhat controversially, the BRIT award for Best New Artist despite ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’ being her fourth album.

This year’s awards also mark the second consecutive year that Central Cee has taken home two MOBOs. In 2021, he won Best Newcomer and Best Drill Act.

Elsewhere, Bru-C won Best Newcomer, Burna Boy won Best International Act and Central Cee secured the Video Of The Year award for ‘Doja’.

The 2022 awards also introduced new categories for the first time – Best Alternative Music Act and Best Dance/Electronic Act – which were won by Bob Vylan and NME‘s recent cover star Nia Archives, respectively. Read more about the new categories in an interview with MOBO founder Kanya King CBE here.

See the full list of MOBO Award winners 2022 below:

Best Female Act:
PinkPantheress

Best Male Act:
Central Cee

Album Of The Year (joint winners):
Little Simz – ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’
Knucks – ‘Alpha Pace’

Song Of The Year:
Dreya Mac, FelixThe1st and Finch Fetti – ‘Own Brand (Baddie)’

Best Newcomer:
Bru-C

Video Of The Year:
Central Cee – ‘Doja’

Best R&B/Soul Act:
Mahalia

Best Grime Act:
D Double E

Best Hip-Hop Act:
D-Block Europe

Best Drill Act:
K-Trap

Best International Act:
Burna Boy

Best Performance In A TV Show/Film:
Kaine Robinson (Kano) as Sully – Top Boy

Best Media Personality:
Nella Rose

Best Alternative Music Act:
Bob Vylan

Best Electronic/Dance Act:
Nia Archives

Best African Music Act:
Burna Boy

Best Gospel Act:
Still Shadey

Best Jazz Act:
Ezra Collective

Best Caribbean Music Act:
Skillibeng

Best Producer:
Inflo

Lifetime Achievement Award:
Nile Rodgers

Outstanding Contribution Award:
Craig David

Paving The Way Award:
Jamal Edwards MBE

You can see the list of 2022 nominees here.

For 25 years MOBO has been at the centre of elevating black music in the UK. It aims to set and recognise the standard in rap, hip-hop, R&B, soul, grime, drill, gospel, jazz, reggae, garage, drum’n’bass and beyond.

King CBE said in statement in the run-up to the awards: “It’s a proud moment to see MOBO Awards return to London for our big 25 year milestone, which will see us celebrating our legacy, as well as paying it forward to the biggest stars of the scene.

“25 years ago I put my house and sanity on the line to make the first MOBO Awards happen at the Connaught Rooms and what an incredible journey it has been.”

King promised that the 25th anniversary edition of the MOBOs “will be the biggest celebration we have ever created”, adding: “I want MOBO to continue being a beacon for the best talent this country has to offer. Here’s to the next 25 years!”

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