The Mobo awards, which celebrate music of Black origin, have announced the nominees for their first ceremony since 2017. Two of Ghana’s biggest music export who croons the reggae & dancehall genre, Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy, have been nominated for the “Best African act” category. Alongside the aforementioned Ghanaian musicians the best African act category features other illustrious African talents, including Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, Rema, Fireboy etc.

In 2006 Samini became the first Ghanaian to be awarded a MOBO when received “Best African Act” award for his exploits in the year under review which also included his self-titled album Samini.

After been under heavy criticisms in some previous years for giving major awards to white creatives, 2020 edition of the awards schemed have overwhelmingly nominated Black performers this year.

Founder Kanya King said she wanted the awards to “continue to uplift creative voices here in the UK and around the world … Recognising the unique role the Mobo awards plays for so many, and the challenging year we find ourselves in, it is now more important than ever to be there and to continue the rich history of showcasing the very best of Black music and culture.”

The virtual ceremony will be hosted by DJ and TV presenter Maya Jama alongside vocalist and online entertainer Chunkz, and feature performances from Headie One (with guest M Huncho), Ms Banks, Tiwa Savage and Kojey Radical, with more to be announced. It will be livestreamed on YouTube before a late-evening broadcast on BBC One.

The awards show, inaugurated in 1996, announced a one-year hiatus in 2018, with King saying the organisation needed time to “bring the platform to brand new heights”, and would return in 2019. That year’s event never took place; in November 2019, King instead announced the 2020 event – originally earmarked for Wembley Arena before the Covid-19 pandemic – saying she was “returning with even more determination and energy to support and boost our culture wherever we can”.

Mobo award nominations 2020

Album of the year
J Hus – Big Conspiracy
Stormzy – Heavy Is the Head
Mahalia – Love and Compromise
Nines – Crabs in a Bucket
Lianne La Havas – Lianne La Havas

Best male act
Headie One
J Hus
Stormzy
Nines
AJ Tracey
Young T & Bugsey
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Best female act
Lianne La Havas
Ms Banks
Tiana Major9
Mahalia
Darkoo
FKA twigs

Song of the year
Young T & Bugsey – Don’t Rush (feat Headie One)
Digga D – Woi
Darkoo – Gangsta (feat One Acen)
Tion Wayne – I Dunno (feat Stormzy & Dutchavelli)
Abra Cadabra – On Deck

Best newcomer
Aitch
Alicai Harley
Darkoo
Dutchavelli
Ivorian Doll
M1llionz
Miraa May
Pa Salieu
Shaybo
Tiana Major9
M Huncho
Loski

Video of the year
Bree Runway – Apeshit (directed by Will Hooper)
Nines – Clout (directed by Charlie Di Placido)
NSG – Lupita (directed by Kevin Hudson)
Jorja Smith – By Any Means (directed by Otis Dominique)
Knucks – Home (directed by Ray Fiasco)
Kojey Radical – 20/20 (directed by Charlie Di Placido)

Best R&B/soul act
Wstrn
Tiana Major9
Michael Kiwanuka
Mahalia
Lianne La Havas

Best hip-hop act
J Hus
Nines
Ms Banks
D-Block Europe
Krept & Konan
Potter Payper

Best grime act
Ghetts
P Money
Manga Saint Hilare
Capo Lee
JME

Best international act
Burna Boy
Drake
Koffee
Megan Thee Stallion
Pop Smoke
Popcaan
Roddy Ricch
Rema
Shenseaa
Summer Walker
HER
Lil Baby

Best album (1 September 2017 – 31 August 2019)
Dave – Psychodrama
Kano – Hoodies All Summer
Ella Mai – Ella Mai
Skepta – Ignorance Is Bliss
Nines – Crop Circle
Little Simz – Grey Area

Best African act
Burna Boy
Tiwa Savage
Davido
Fireboy DML
Rema
Master KG
Adekunle Gold
NSG
Afro B
Wizkid
Stonebwoy
Shatta Wale

Best reggae act
Popcaan
Koffee
Lila Iké
Buju Banton
Protoje
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Best gospel act
Calledout Music
Noel Robinson
Guvna B
The Kingdom Choir
Shekinah

Best jazz act
Moses Boyd
Joe Armon-Jones
Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes
Yazmin Lacey
Ego Ella May

Best producer
Jae5
808 Melo
Sir Spyro
TSB
Steel Banglez
M1 On The Beat

Best performance in a TV show/film
Kane Robinson as Scully – Top Boy
Michaela Coel as Arabella – I May Destroy You
Ncuti Gatwa as Eric Effiong – Sex Education
Jessica Plummer as Chantelle – Eastenders
Michael Ward as Marco – Blue Story
Damson Idris as Franklin Saint – Snowfall

Best media personality
Munya Chawawa
Chunkz
Yung Filly
Mo Gilligan
Clara Amfo
Maya Jama
Henrie Kwushue
KSI
Harry Pinero
Zeze Millz

The 2021 Grammy nominees are set to be revealed on Tuesday morning (Nov. 24) with Dua Lipa, Imogen Heap and more joining interim Recording Academy president Harvey Mason Jr. to announce this year’s slate of nominations. The event will begin at approximately 9:00 a.m. PT/12:00 p.m. ET and can be streamed live from the Grammys official website.

Additional artists participating in this year’s announcement ceremony include Lauren Daigle, Mickey Guyton, Nigerian Afropop singer Yemi Alade, classical violinist Nicole Benedetti and regional Mexican singer-songwriter Pepe Aguilar, along with CBS This Morning’s Gayle King and The Talk host Sharon Osbourne.

Several major categories are expected to be announced during the live stream, including the Grammys’ Big Four: best new artist, album of year, record of the year and song of the year. Immediately following the event, the complete list of all 84 categories will be live on the Recording Academy’s website.

Last year at the 2020 Grammy Awards, Billie Eilish became the first artist to sweep the four major categories in nearly 40 years, thanks to the success of her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? and its corresponding No. 1 hit “Bad Guy.”

The teenage pop star’s older brother and collaborator Finneas, meanwhile, took home the most awards during the evening with a grand total of six. (He also took home the gramophone for producer of the year, non-classical in addition to the awards he won with Eilish.) The 63rd annual Grammy Awards are scheduled to take place Sunday, Jan. 21, 2021.

Source: Billboard.com

Isaac Monney, popularly known in Ghanaian Showbiz circles as “King Lagazee” has won big again at this year’s Ghana DJ Awards (2020).

For the 4th time he has won the same category – “Reggae/Dancehall DJ Of The Year”. He won first time in 2016, then the following year 2017 and the year after (2018) he won – consecutively for 3 times. And this year, 2 years later he won it back again in 2020.

King Lagazee hosts Ghana’s biggest Reggae/Dancehall magazine on Radio on Hitz 103.9fm. His show is called “Yaad Settingz”, airs live every Sunday between 8:00pm to 10:00pm.

King Lagazee holds a very enviable score on his radar – he has hosted and interviewed music greats from Grammy winning artistes Morgan Heritage, Rocky Dawuni (Grammy Nominee), Stonebwoy (BET Winner), Shatta Wale (IRAWMA Winner), Samini (MOBO / MTV Winner) among others. His catalogue pulls a huge audience from across Africa to Europe, USA and The Caribbean.

Congratulations to King Lagazee and his entire Lagazee Sound International Crew (Selector Garlic, Junior Maestro, Benedict Jahface, Bob Afrika, Naa British Accra).

Source: beeniewords.com

Award-winning ace Journalist, Doreen Avio, was announced female On-air Personality for both TV and Radio at the just ended Moreklue All Youth African Awards, popularly known as MAYA awards Africa after beating off competition from other illustrious media practitioners, including Emcee RNB, Melody, Jennifer Ibrahim, Sheye Banks, Maame Afua Boatemaa, Michael Erumaka, Tabitarrh, Charles Born, Joan Ngomba, Pearl Cardy, others.

MAYA Awards Africa was created 6 years ago to motivate capacity development and ensure the reward of excellence amongst youth. It also gives more youths the reason to do more for themselves and by extension the society.

Doreen Avio, the Joy News TV and Hitz 103.9 Fm’s Journalist, since her emergence on to the media landscape, has contributed intensively to the positive growth of the country’s creative economy. With her job revolving around researching, writing and reporting/presenting news stories – but not limited to entertainment, she has been able to initiate thought-provoking conversations and also influencing decision making in the country with her constructive outputs.

Adding up to previous trophies won in her endeavor, including the “Best Female Television Personality” at the NELAS, and “On-air Personality Of The Year” &“Television Personality” of the year at the Scream All Youth Awards etc, the 2020 MAYA Awards win justifies and attests to the fact that, she has been illustrious in the last 12 months.

Hosted by TV Face, FEMI DANIELS and actress, OMOTUNDE SHOGUNLE, popularly known as MoSogunle and shown across Nigeria and beyond to a target 4 million audience, the awards event telecasted on DSTV, GOTV, STARTIMES and PLAY TV network while global audience streamed live on YouTube, Facebook Live and IG Live via the MAYA official pages while the TV broadcast was live.