Plan B is Mobos' leading man

Plan B is set to cap a successful 2012 with a string of awards after his latest album was nominated for five Mobos, less than a week after he was named in the running for the Mercury Prize.

The British rapper, whose real name is Ben Drew, has been shortlisted for best male, best hip-hop/grime, best song, best video and best album for Ill Manors.

The album was the soundtrack to the musician's directorial debut of a film of the same name, which was released earlier this year. He led the way with nominations alongside Emeli Sandé, who performed at the Olympic ceremonies. She was named among the contenders for best female, best R&B/soul, best video, best song and best album for Our Version of Events.

Rita Ora and the London rapper Labrinth landed four nominations each, while Ed Sheeran has been named in three.

The best international act category pits some of the biggest names in urban music against each other. These include Beyoncé, Jay Z and Kanye West, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Frank Ocean.

The 17th annual Mobo Award ceremony will take place at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on 3 November.

The awards were set up in 1996 by Kanya King and Andy Ruffell to recognise performers of any background or ethnicity who play music of black origin.