Jorja Smith joined Ghetts and Central Cee as three of the front runners for the upcoming MOBO Awards 2025, as the nominations were announced Wednesday.
The annual awards ceremony is to take place in Newcastle for the first time ever, and will be held at the Utilita Arena on February 18.
And in what is set to be a hotly-contested ceremony, Jorja Smith,Ghetts, Central Cee, Sampha, Bashy [Aka Top Boy actor Ashley Thomas], Cleo Sol and Odeal are all tied three nominations each.
Singer-songwriter Jorja, 27, is up for the Best Female Act gong, as well as being nominated in the Album of The Year and Best R&B/Soul Act categories.
Meanwhile rapper Ghetts was recognised for his work both in music and acting, receiving nods for Best Male Act and Album Of The Year – as well as Best Performance In a TV Show/Film for his role as Krazy in Netflix’s Supacell.
Central Cee now attracts more than 25million monthly streams, and 2024 saw the release of singles including ‘BAND4BAND’ featuring Lil Baby, which received a Song Of The Year nod. He is also up for Best Male Act and Best Drill Act.
Jorja Smith (Pictured in August 2022) joined Ghetts and Central Cee as three of the front runners for the upcoming MOBO Awards 2025 as the nominations were announced on Wednesday
Rapper Ghetts (Pictured in November) was recognised for his work both in music and acting, receiving nods for Best Male Act and Album Of The Year – as well as Best Performance In a TV Show/Film for his role as Krazy in Netflix’s Supacell
After a stunning year in her career, RAYE follows close behind as she is nominated twice – and has a chance of a second win in a row in Best Female Act.
Sampha topped the UK R&B charts with his second album, Lahai, and is nominated by MOBO for Best Male Act and Album of The Year and his music video Only, directed by Dexter Navy, has been shortlisted for Video of the Year in Association with LNER.
Both Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar are among the nominees for Best International Act but the year has been notable for the rise of a number of female African stars, with Ayra Starr, Tems and Tyla all nominated in both Best African Music Act in Association with Loco Music and the Best International Act category.
Having built a successful acting career, including his role as Jermaine Newton in Top Boy, Ashley Thomas, aka Bashy, returned to music with his first studio album in 15 years.
The record, Being Poor Is Expensive, is an intimate look back at his childhood and earns him nominations for Best Male Act, Best Hip Hop Act, and Album of The Year
While rooted in music, the MOBO Awards also spotlight cultural contributions. This year, Netflix’s hit series Supacell sees Best Performance In a TV Show/Film nominations for Ghetts, as well as for Josh Tedeku, who plays Tazer, and Tosin Cole as Michael.
The series – which sees a group of seemingly ordinary people from South London develop super powers – aired back in June and was renewed for a second series in August.
EastEnders picks up nominations in the same category for Angela Wynter as Yolande Trueman and Diane Parish as Denise Fox.
Central Cee (Pictured in August 2023) now attracts more than 25million monthly streams, and 2024 saw the release of singles including ‘BAND4BAND’ featuring Lil Baby, which received a Song Of The Year nod. He is also up for Best Male Act and Best Drill Act
After a stunning year in her career, RAYE (Pictured in November) follows close behind as she is nominated twice – and has a chance of a second win in a row in Best Female Act
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 music coming out of the UK this past year has been some of the best we have had in years. These distinct, uncompromising voices – across different genres from R&B and Soul to Grime, Hip-Hop to Jazz and Alternative – are not just soundtracks for our days.
‘They provide healing and reflection, and also escapism in times of need. For several years now we have also seen the growth of our MOBO UnSung talent programme, as it continues to be a beacon for spotlighting and empowering emerging artists. Some of the artists tipped by UnSung have gone on to achieve great things and we’re so proud to be following their journey, and celebrating their success.
‘A huge congratulations to all our nominees across music, film and television, and entertainment. We look forward to welcoming you in Newcastle!’
Tickets went on sale back in October and superstar performers, special honourees and show hosts are all yet to be announced.
Supacell – which sees a group of seemingly ordinary people from South London develop super powers – aired back in June and was renewed for a second series in August
The annual awards ceremony is to take place in Newcastle for the first time ever, and will be held at the Utilita Arena on February 18
This year’s MOBO Awards, which took place in Sheffield, was hosted by Babatúndé Aléshé and Indiyah Polack, with Zeze Millz as the roaming co-host.
Potter Payper, Central Cee and RAYE scooped top prizes of the night, alongside Ghetts who was honoured with MOBO Pioneer Award.
Elsewhere, Sugababes received the MOBO Impact Award and Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill was acknowledged with MOBO Paving The Way Award.
The ceremony featured show-stopping live performances by Soul II Soul, Ghetts, Sugababes, Cristale, Byron Messia, King Promise and Camidoh, plus an electrifying 30 Years of UK Garage Set by DJ Spoony.