Mobo Awards: Little Simz and Knucks tie for best album prize

Rappers Little Simz and Knucks person been named associated winners of the champion medium prize astatine this year's Mobo Awards.

It was the archetypal ever necktie successful the 25-year past of the awards, which observe achromatic euphony and culture.

Knucks was honoured for his jazz-rap debut, Alpha Place, named aft the London property helium grew up on.

The ceremonial besides saw R&B prima Craig David and Chic fable Nile Rodgers triumph beingness accomplishment awards.

On signifier astatine London's Wembley Arena, David dedicated his grant to his father, George.

"Thank you to my dad, who was portion of the Windrush era," helium said. "He came implicit to this state and helium experienced racism, helium experienced being bullied... but helium nurtured maine and showed maine love.

"He ever said to me, 'Never dim your light'. And I emotion you dada for that, due to the fact that that's served maine truthful good passim my life."

The star's honour came 22 years aft his archetypal Mobo win, for champion newcomer, successful 2000.

"I consciousness the aforesaid mode I did backmost past - conscionable truly thankful," helium told BBC News.

"But I cognize that the spot successful between, which we telephone life, has been the astir beauteous happening and I would ne'er alteration it for the world."

Elsewhere astatine the ceremony, London rapper Central Cee made bully connected his 2021 champion newcomer award, returning to the ceremonial to prime up champion antheral creator and video of the year, for his provocative thoroughfare anthem Doja.

This year's Mobos besides featured 2 caller categories - champion alternate enactment and champion dance/electronic enactment - successful effect to calls for the awards to diversify.

Jungle instrumentalist Nia Archives led the campaign, posting an unfastened missive successful April saying it was "frustrating" that the ceremonial didn't correspond "black euphony successful each its forms".

When the caller categories were announced, she was among the nominees - and yet won champion dance/electronic artist.

"I weren't expecting that, I can't lie," said the Bradford-born musician. "Jungle is euphony of achromatic root and I'm arrogant to beryllium flying the emblem for my assemblage and my scene."

Best alternate enactment went to grime-punk duo Bob Vylan, whose gripping 2nd medium The Price Of Life is simply a furious polemic astir wealthiness inequality and the outgo of surviving crisis.

"There's a batch of choler successful it, but it's righteous anger," vocalist and guitarist Bobby Vylan told BBC News. "If you look astatine the quality connected immoderate fixed day, the radical of Britain should beryllium aggravated with what's going on.

"We're working-class musicians. We're connected the ground, we're not removed from immoderate of the struggle. We're present astatine an grant amusement but we've got to wage our rent."

Nigerian superstar Burna Boy claimed 2 prizes, winning champion planetary and champion African act; portion D-Block Europe won champion hip-hop.

Song of the twelvemonth went to dancer-turned-musician Dreya Mac for her viral smash Own Brand (Baddie).

Best known for the enactment "I ain't ne'er been with a baddie", her imminently-quotable earworm became a sensation connected TiKTok past year, yet soundtracking much than 8 cardinal videos.

Knucks, aka northbound London rapper Ashley Nwachukwu, went into the ceremonial with the astir nominations - 5 successful total.

Although the shared champion medium trophy was his lone victory, the instrumentalist was blessed with the result.

"It's decidedly validating" helium told BBC News. "I consciousness similar I've been doing this for a agelong time, truthful to yet person radical admit each the effort I enactment successful truly feels good."

He described his medium arsenic "an root communicative that shows wherever I came from and what benignant of idiosyncratic I am".

BBC One volition amusement highlights from the ceremonial - including performances by Kojey Radical, Fireboy DML, Cat Burns and FLO - successful a special programme adjacent Wednesday, 7 December.

The afloat database of nominees and winners is:

Best show successful a TV show/film

Best alternate euphony act

Best electronic/dance act