The Mobo awards, which celebrate music of Black origin, have announced the nominees for their first ceremony since 2017, championing a banner year for British drill, hip-hop, soul and more. West London rapper Nines, who topped the charts with his album Crabs in a Bucket in September, earns the most nominations with five, for album of the year, best male act, best hip-hop act, video of the year (for Clout) and – in a category that acknowledges the awards’ fallow years – best album (2017-2019) for Crop Circle, released in 2018. The other albums nominated for the latter award are from Skepta, Ella Mai, Dave, Little Simz and Kano, the latter also earning a nomination in the inaugural acting category for his performance in Top Boy. Three British singers who imaginatively blend soul, pop, jazz and R&B – Lianne La Havas, Mahalia, and Tiana Major9 – each receive three nominations, with La Havas and Mahalia joining Nines, Stormzy, and east London rapper J Hus in the album of the year category. J Hus, who topped the UK chart with his hugely acclaimed second album Big Conspiracy, also earns three nominations (with additional nods for best male and best hip-hop act), as does Nigerian-British Afro-swing vocalist Darkoo, for best female act, song of the year, and best newcomer. Stormzy received two nominations, for best male act and album of the year for his No 1 Heavy Is the Head. Drill rapper Headie One, who has collaborated with Stormzy and Drake and topped the charts with debut album Edna in September, was also nominated for best male act, with AJ Tracey rounding out the category. Alongside the aforementioned women, the best female act category features Ms Banks – the sole female nominee in the best hip-hop category alongside Nines, J Hus, D-Block Europe, Krept & Konan and Potter Payper – and FKA twigs. The creatively vibrant and sometimes controversial style of drill rap is championed heavily in the best song category, with Tion Wayne’s I Dunno, Digga D’s Woi and Abra Cadabra’s On Deck – in part a diss track responding to Wayne’s I Dunno – nominated alongside two Afro-swing tracks: Darkoo’s Gangsta and Young T & Bugsey’s Don’t Rush. The song nominees triumphed over major Black British chart hits including S1mba’s Rover, J Hus’s Must Be, AJ Tracey & Mabel’s West Ten and Headie One, Stormzy & AJ Tracey’s No 1 hit Ain’t It Different. Also mostly overlooked was this year’s Mercury prize winner Michael Kiwanuka, nominated only in the best R&B/soul category. The Mobos have been criticised in some previous years for giving major awards to white artists such as Sam Smith, Plan B and Jessie J, but have overwhelmingly nominated Black performers this year, with Mancunian rapper Aitch and jazz performers Joe Armon-Jones and Tom Misch the only white nominees. 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”. As well as the first ever acting award, this year’s ceremony features new categories for music production and “media personalities”, the latter acknowledging the rise of YouTube, Instagram and more as platforms for comedy and entertainment. In June this year, King wrote an open letter entitled “An inconvenient truth”, in which she spoke vividly of the racism she and her family had faced in the UK, and castigated the UK music industry for failing to champion Black talent. “We’ve been fighting for over 25 years, I’ve dedicated my life to championing Black music and culture,” she wrote. “I’ve reached out to lots of people and sent ideas and suggestions. Over the years there have been promises, initiatives, fresh starts and pledges. But for me they were just empty words.” She called for Black organisations who nurtured talent to be rewarded by bigger music companies who benefit from them, and for “strategic, targeted recruitment of the groups that are underrepresented”. 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 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 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