MOBO Awards 2025 nominations announced with Ghetts, Jorja Smith, and Beyonce leading

Event celebrating Black music and culture has been running since 1996

Nominations for the 2025 MOBO Awards have been announced with Ghetts, Beyonce, Central Cee, and Jorja Smith leading the charge with three nods each.

Cleo Sol, Sampha, and Odeal are also up for three awards. The ceremony has been celebrating Black music and culture since 1996, with many emerging artists launching successful careers off the back of recognition at the event.

Established musicians are also honoured, with Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, Beyonce, and Tyla all in the running for best international act this year. For the first time in its history, the Awards will take place in Newcastle, at the Utilita Arena on 18 February.

Nominations for best album include rapper and Top Boy actor Bashy’s return after a 15-year hiatus with Being Poor Is Expensive. Cleo Sol’s Gold is also up for an award along with rapper and poet Ghetts’s On Purpose, With Purpose, and Jorja Smith’s Falling Or Flying, Lahai by Sampha and Skrapz’s Reflection.

Smith and Sol are both in the running for best female, along with Darkoo, Little Simz, Nia Archives and Raye. Central Cee (who has won the award two years in a row), D-Block Europe, Ghetts, Nemzz and Sampha have been nominated for best male along with Bashy.

Central Cee’s “Band4Band” with Lil Baby is up for song of the year, alongside “Backbone” by Chase & Status and Stormzy, “Favourite Girl” by Darkoo featuring Dess Dior, “Kehlani” by Jordan Adetunji, “Pink Lemonade” by LeoStayTrill, and “Soh-Soh” by Odeal.

Ghetts, Jorja Smith, Beyonce, and Bashy are all up for awards (Getty)

“Tony Soprano” rapper Nines, Headie One, and Skrapz, Potter Payper, are also up for best hip-hop act, while Bob Vylan and Hak Baker are nominated for best alternative act, and Pink Pantheress, Nia Archives, and Shygirl for best electronic and dance.

As well as music, film and TV achievements are also acknowledged with Netflix’s Supacell up for awards for actors Ghetts as Krazy, Josh Tedeku as Tazer and Tosin Cole as Michael.

Adelayo Adedayo and Tosin Cole in ‘Supacell’ (Netflix)

Angela Wynter, who plays Yolande Trueman, and Diane Parish who plays Denise Fox, are both up for awards for their performances in EastEnders. Jasmine Jobson is shortlisted for her acting in Top Boy.

MOBO founder Kanya King CBE said: “Each and every time we unveil the MOBO Awards nominations, I am taken aback by the sheer amount of incredible talent we have in the UK. It inspires us all to continue pushing the industry to be more inclusive of a greater variety of Black music and culture.”

The full list of nominations is available on the MOBOs website here.