The first of this year’s MOBO Awards will be presented at a special ‘Pre-MOBO Award Show’ gala in London to celebrate the UK’s finest talents in R&B, Soul, Jazz and Gospel music.
The inaugural invite only event will feature presentations of the MOBO Best R&B/Soul, Best Jazz and Best Gospel awards, as well as unforgettable performances from a mix of established acts and emerging talents.
Legendary soul singers Mica Paris and Omar are set to bring passion to the Pre-MOBO Awards stage while fresh talent like London-bred duo Dora Martin and Misha B point us to the future sonic landscape of the genre. Misha B, who rose to fame in 2011, subsequently went to score three Top 40 hits of her own. The former MOBO Award nominee is set to perform her new material at the event.
British jazz music legend, multiple MOBO Award winner and 2015 nominee for Best Jazz Act, Courtney Pine CBE, will undoubtedly be a highlight performer of the night. Fresh off the release of his 15th solo album, Song (The Ballad Book), this year, Courtney is the master multi-instrumentalist and unquestionably one of the world’s best in his field. British jazz singer-songwriter and Best Jazz Act nominee Julia Biel will also be performing on the night. The talented artist was nominated for a ‘Rising Star’ award in the BBC Jazz Awards in 2006 and previously won the Perrier Jazz Vocalist of The Year in 2000.
MOBO Award Best Gospel Act nominee, rapper Faith Child, and gospel singer Annastasia Baker, who are both wildly talented front-runners set to take this genre to the mainstream. Faith Child recently released his sophomore album Airborne, which successfully reached the Top 5 of the UK Official Charts – Christian and Gospel charts in May.
Faith Child, who was previously nominated for Best Gospel Act in 2010, said: “I’m stoked to be up again for a MOBO! Traditional gospel music is notably one of the foundations of music of black origin and it’s great that MOBO acknowledge that.”
American gospel music star Marvin Winans Jr is flying in to London just to host the Pre-MOBO Awards Special. Marvin comes from a family of true gospel music royalty, being the son of Marvin and Vickie Winans and nephew of Bebe and Cece Winans. By the age of 19, Marvin had already secured a major recording contract with Epic records, sold a quarter of a million albums and received a Grammy nomination. As a producer and writer, Marvin’s work has been nominated for Grammy Awards, Stellar Awards, Dove Awards and more.
The 2015 MOBO Awards nominees for Best R&B/Soul Act, Best Jazz Act and Best Gospel Act:
BEST R&B/SOUL
1. KWABS
2. ANDREYA TRIANA
3. SHAKKA
4. LIANNE LA HAVAS
5. JOSS STONE
BEST JAZZ
1. BINKER AND MOSES
2. JULIA BIEL
3. COURTNEY PINE
4. DAVID LYTTLE
5. POLAR BEAR
BEST GOSPEL
1. CHOS3N
2. OLAEDO IBE
3. LEROY JOHNSON
4. NI-COLA
5. FAITH CHILD
Voting closes at 6pm on Friday 23rd October. To vote, visit www.mobo.com
