LITTLE Simz and Stormzy lead the nominations for the MOBO Awards ahead of the ceremony next February.
They are up for four each including Album and Video of the Year, with Simz also in the Best Hip Hop category as well as Best Female Act.
For that award, she will face off against Flo, Jorja Smith, Mahalia, PinkPantheress and Raye.
Meanwhile Stormzy’s other nominations come in the Song of the Year category for Hide & Seek as well as Best Male Act against Central Cee, Dave, D-Block Europe, J Hus and Nines.
In total, Central Cee, PinkPantheress, J Hus and Raye are up for three gongs each.
Voting has opened for listeners to choose their favourites at voting.mobo.com.
The event, celebrating Black music and culture, will take place at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena on February 7 and tickets have just gone on sale.
Organisers have also announced that on top of the current Paving The Way and Lifetime Achievement awards, they will introduce the MOBO Impact and MOBO Pioneer awards for the ceremony, with the winners yet to be announced.
A star-studded list of performers and celebrity hosts are currently being lined up.
Last year’s event was held at Wembley Arena in London and featured performances from Kojey Radical, Flo, Craig David, Emeli Sande, Fireboy DML, Tion Wayne and Chic featuring Nile Rodgers.
MOBO founder Kanya King CBE said: “We are proud to champion this year’s incredible lineup of nominees for the 26th MOBO Awards, who have all brought stellar music and content to our attention through their remarkable work in music, film, TV, online and more.
“Since 1996, we’ve celebrated Black music and culture, breaking new ground and leading the way, seeing MOBO evolve and innovate to champion outstanding talent beyond music.
This year’s nominees not only represent the best of their genre and artform and an incredible year of music, but also continue our dedication to sustaining an inclusive ecosystem where diverse talent is both recognised and empowered to thrive.
“With the advancement of our MOBO UnSung talent programme and career development platform MOBOLISE, we are ready and excited to take our pioneer status to the next level, to celebrate and recognise the vast contributions of trailblazing musicians and cultural heroes, in a way that only MOBO can. See you on February 7th.”
