Olivia Dean, Jim Legxacy, RAYE and Central Cee are amongst the top winners at the MOBO Awards 2026 tonight. Hosted by Eve and Eddie Kadi, the MOBO Awards 2026 brought the party from Manchester’s Co-op Live to the world with an unparalleled evening of live music with legends, global and homegrown music stars – befitting of a celebration to mark 30 years of the MOBO Organisation. The star-studded ceremony brought together cultural forces from the world of music, sport and entertainment, including Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers, Denise Lewis DBE, Tinie Tempah, Alesha Dixon, Stephen Graham, and more. Full winners list below.
Audiences from across the globe tuned in to the livestream on the Amazon Music UK channel on Twitch to catch live performances by Olivia Dean, FLO, Slick Rick and Estelle, Tiwa Savage, Aitch, Myles Smith, Shenseea and the Grime medley with Chip, D Double E, Nolay, Scorcher and Wiley, curated by DJ Target.
Olivia Dean scooped three major awards – Album of The Year in association with Amazon Music for The Art of Loving, Song of The Year in association with 1664 Bière for ‘Man I Need’, and Best Female Act in association with got2b. The captivating, chart-topping British singer-songwriter is unquestionably one of the UK’s hottest global music stars right now and the acknowledgement from MOBO is further testament to her undeniable talent and momentum.
Lewisham-born rapper, singer and producer Jim Legxacy won Best Male Act in association with Prostate Cancer UK and stands out as one of the most hotly-tipped artists this year with four nominations. Jim’s critically-acclaimed 2025 album black british music reshaped expectations of what UK music can sound like and positioned him at the helm of a movement; a new generation of storytellers and pioneers carving a path out of the comfort of the underground. His songwriting holds a mirror up to the Black British experience while creating space for complexity, sensitivity and experimentation.
RAYE won Video of The Year in association with VEVO for ‘Where Is My Husband!’, directed by The Reids. This is the first major award win for RAYE’s latest chapter in music, landing serendipitously on the night before the release of her second album This Music May Contain Hope. Central Cee – already one of the most decorated rappers in MOBO history – won Best Hip Hop Act, his eighth MOBO trophy. FLO celebrated their first MOBO win, taking home Best R&B/Soul Act in association with Huda Beauty. Elsewhere, critically-lauded group Ezra Collective won Best Jazz Act and Stephen Graham won Best Performance in a TV Show / Film for Adolescence.
Teen Christian rap sensation DC3, who has unleashed a string of tracks that have gone viral on social media, wins two MOBO Awards – the coveted Best Newcomer, which has long been one of the UK industry’s best early indicators of the next breakout stars, and Best Gospel Act supported by Premier Gospel.
Chip wins Best Grime Act supported by TRENCH, rounding off a triumphant year with his much-buzzed about album Grime Scene Saviour, further cementing a moment in time of another cultural crescendo for the genre. This marks a full circle moment for Chip, who won Best Grime Act 10 years ago. The latest triumph brings his total MOBO trophy tally to five, since winning Best Newcomer in 2008 when he was just 16.
More incredible talent showcasing the breadth of Black music and culture were celebrated: Nova Twins won Best Alternative Act, Sherelle won Best Electronic/Dance Act supported by BEMA & Mixmag, Twin S won Best Drill Act, Wizkid won Best African Music Act, Ayra Starr won Best International Act for the second consecutive year, Vybz Kartel won Best Caribbean Music Act, YouTuber Niko Ominala won Best Media Personality, and P2J won Best Producer.
Kanya King CBE, Founder and CEO of the MOBO Group, said:
“Thirty years ago, the MOBO Organisation was born out of a desire to create space where there was none — to recognise, celebrate and elevate Black music and culture . Tonight in Manchester, we’ve seen just how far that vision has come. From global icons to the next generation of trailblazers, this stage continues to be a home for excellence, creativity and truth.
“This isn’t just a celebration of the past — it’s a statement about the future. MOBO remains an important platform, and we are more committed than ever to opening doors, breaking barriers and championing the voices that shape culture around the world.”
** MOBO AWARDS 2026 WINNERS **
BEST MALE ACT IN ASSOCIATION WITH PROSTATE CANCER UK – JIM LEGXACY
BEST FEMALE ACT IN ASSOCIATION WITH got2b – OLIVIA DEAN
ALBUM OF THE YEAR IN ASSOCIATION WITH AMAZON MUSIC – OLIVIA DEAN – THE ART OF LOVING
SONG OF THE YEAR IN ASSOCIATION WITH 1664 Bière – OLIVIA DEAN – MAN I NEED
BEST NEWCOMER – DC3
VIDEO OF THE YEAR IN ASSOCIATION WITH VEVO – RAYE – ‘WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!’ (DIRECTED BY THE REIDS)
BEST R&B/SOUL ACT IN ASSOCIATION WITH HUDA BEAUTY – FLO
BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ACT – NOVA TWINS
BEST GRIME ACT SUPPORTED BY TRENCH – CHIP
BEST HIP HOP ACT – CENTRAL CEE
BEST DRILL ACT – TWIN S
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT – AYRA STARR
BEST MEDIA PERSONALITY – NIKO OMILANA
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A TV SHOW/FILM – STEPHEN GRAHAM – ADOLESCENCE
BEST AFRICAN MUSIC ACT – WIZKID
BEST CARIBBEAN MUSIC ACT – VYBZ KARTEL
BEST JAZZ ACT – EZRA COLLECTIVE
BEST ELECTRONIC/DANCE ACT SUPPORTED BY BEMA & MIXMAG – SHERELLE
BEST GOSPEL ACT SUPPORTED BY PREMIER GOSPEL – DC3
BEST PRODUCER – P2J
SPECIAL HONOURS
MOBO GLOBAL SONGWRITER AWARD – PHARRELL WILLIAMS
MOBO LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – SLICK RICK
** PERFORMANCES **
- FLO ‘Access All Areas’ + ‘Leak It’
- Slick Rick and Estelle medley ‘Hey Young World’, ‘Children’s Story’, ‘1980’, ‘Walk On By (Dionne Warwick), ‘Mona Lisa’, ‘American Boy’, ‘Landlord’, ‘Documents’, ‘Victory’
- Olivia Dean ‘A Couple Minutes’
- ‘MOBO Salutes: Grime 25’ medley (curated by DJ Target) featuring Chip ‘Grime Scene Saviours’, D Double E ‘Grime Scene Saviours’ + ‘Streetfighter’ + ‘Frontline’, Nolay ‘No Help No Handouts’ + ‘Unorthodox Daughter’ + ‘When I’m Ere’, Scorcher freestyle, Wiley ‘Wot Do U Call It’ + ‘Holy Grime’
- Tiwa Savage ‘Energy’ + ‘You4Me’
- Myles Smith ‘Stargazing’
- Aitch ‘1989’ + ‘Baby’
- Shenseea medley ‘Hit And Run’, ‘Shen Yeng Anthem’, ‘Shake It To The Max’, ‘Talk To Me Nuh’
R&B trio FLO kicked off the show with a bang. Opening with a jaw-dropping acapella rendition of ‘AAA’, the group flexed their signature harmonies before transitioning into the exclusive first televised performance of their new single ‘Leak It’. Set in a nightclub amidst the drama of paparazzi camera flashes, Stella, Jorja and Renée brought ‘it girl’ energy and high-impact choreography to the stage, showing exactly why they’re the UK’s hottest girl group right now. This dazzling return to the MOBO Awards stage marked a full circle moment after the trio first performed at the ceremony during their debut year in 2022.
Hip Hop icon and recipient of this year’s MOBO Lifetime Achievement Award, Slick Rick brought gravitas and rich storytelling to the show. The set unfolded as a cinematic journey through his legacy, soundtracked by a sequence of iconic musical moments including ‘Children’s Story’, ‘Mona Lisa’, Estelle coming out with ‘1980’ and ‘American Boy’, and ‘Landlord’. The performance culminated in a powerful declaration moment with a giant flag reveal and a stylised ‘Documents’ finale; blending noir-style visuals, fashion and vivid symbolism befitting of the untouchable Hip Hop king.
Next, Olivia Dean drew the audience in closer with an intimate performance of ‘A Couple Minutes’ – the latest track on her MOBO Award-winning album The Art of Loving to cross over 200 million Spotify streams. Surrounded by her band, the emphasis remains firmly on Olivia as she performs this soft, soulful track with effortless magnetism and poise.
The Grime medley performance curated by DJ Target followed, keeping the spotlight firmly on homegrown talent and telling our stories in only the way MOBO can. The performance summoned a powerful, immersive salute to Grime, built around the symbolic ‘Three Flats’ of Bow, using tower block architecture as both a visual and narrative anchor to honour the genre’s roots in UK estates and pirate radio culture. Chip was the first one out the block with ‘Grime Scene Saviours’, picked up next by D Double E with a medley including ‘Streetfighter’ and ‘Frontline’, before Nolay delivered a knockout run of ‘No Help No Handouts’, ‘Unorthodox Daughter’ and ‘When I’m Ere’. Scorcher kept the heat up with a blazing freestyle before the Godfather of Grime, Wiley, emerged for ‘Wot Do U Call It’ and ‘Holy Grime’. The finale brought together all artists and visual elements, collapsing the architectural world into one explosive, collective moment that celebrates Grime’s origins, evolution and enduring authority.
Queen of Afrobeats Tiwa Savage took viewers on a journey through two contrasting worlds, tracing her evolution from intimate soulfulness to high-energy Afro-house through a fusion of a brand new Amapiano-based track ‘Energy’ and ‘You4Me’. Starting with a warm, live-band setting centred on Tiwa’s authenticity, the vibe then switched at a jukebox moment where a symbolic coin drop triggered a shift in sound and visual narrative. This part of the performance erupted with high-energy choreography with dancers, amplifying energy and movement amidst the dual colour palettes.
Myles Smith delivered a special new orchestral rendition of his major hit ‘Stargazing’, curated especially for the MOBO Awards. This impactful new interpretation was accompanied by a grand and striking performance that showed a different side to the British singer-songwriter’s artistry, accompanied by powerful special effects and dramatic lighting.
Manchester’s own rap star Aitch claimed the night, opening his performance of ‘1989’ with the iconic guitar riff sample of The Stone Roses’ ‘Fools Gold’, immediately rooting him in his hometown with plenty of local references woven in throughout his performance. Surrounded by a troupe of dancers, the vivid and high-energy stage showed off Aitch’s charm as he moved from one stage set up to the next, finishing on his big hit ‘Baby’.
Jamaican superstar Shenseea closed the night with a raw, sensual and fiery celebration of Dancehall music, complete with high-energy and heated choreography with dancers as she breathlessly blazed through a medley of ‘Hit and Run’, ‘Shen Yeng Anthem’, ‘Shake It To The Max’ and ‘Talk To Me Nuh’.
“MOBO Awards 2026: Access All Areas”, presented by DJ Target, airs on BBC One tomorrow night (27 March) at 11.25pm. Follow Target as he brings viewers candid moments with the stars in the room, with exclusive backstage chats and an up-close look at the moments behind the glitz and glamour of one of the biggest nights in the UK music calendar. In honour of MOBO’s 30th anniversary celebrations, BBC One will also be broadcasting “MOBO at 30: Greatest Moments”, a special programme featuring iconic performances and moments over the decades, straight after. Viewers can catch up on both programmes on BBC iPlayer.
Ahead of the Awards, MOBO Fringe 2026 delivered the MOBO Organisation’s biggest and most exciting programme to date, transforming Manchester into a city-wide celebration of Black music, culture and creativity. The free week-long programme brought together live performances, industry conversations, cultural activations, workshops and talent development initiatives across the city. The activities spotlit Manchester’s vibrant creative communities while creating meaningful opportunities for artists, young people and cultural leaders across the region. Delivered with support from Manchester City Council in partnership with Manchester Music City, the MOBO Fringe programme has been developed in collaboration with more than 50 community leaders, creatives, grassroots platforms and industry representatives, ensuring the Fringe reflects the voices and energy of those already shaping culture in the city.
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