The likes of Asake, TEMS, Tyla and Ayra Starr have been nominated for the 2025 MOBO awards, as they join Jorja Smith, Ghetts and Central Cee for the upcoming award ceremony announced Wednesday.
The 2025 MOBO 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 with 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.
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.
2025 MOBO AWARDS NOMINATIONS
BEST MALE ACT
BASHY
CENTRAL CEE
D-BLOCK EUROPE
GHETTS
NEMZZZ
SAMPHA
BEST FEMALE ACT IN ASSOCIATION WITH got2b
CLEO SOL
DARKOO
JORJA SMITH
LITTLE SIMZ
NIA ARCHIVES
RAYE
BEST NEWCOMER
CHY CARTIER
ELMIENE
FIMIGUERRERO
FLOWEROVLOVE
JORDAN ADETUNJI
LEN
LEOSTAYTRILL
MYLES SMITH
ODEAL
POZER
BEST R&B/SOUL ACT SUPPORTED BY KISS FM
CLEO SOL
ELMIENE
FLO
JAZ KARIS
JORJA SMITH
NIPPA
ODEAL
SASHA KEABLE
SHAE UNIVERSE
SINEAD HARNETT
BEST HIP HOP ACT SUPPORTED BY BBC RADIO 1XTRA
BASHY
CRISTALE
HEADIE ONE
NINES
POTTER PAYPER
SKRAPZ
BEST DRILL ACT
163MARGS
CENTRAL CEE
HEADIE ONE
KAIRO KEYZ
K-TRAP
POZER
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT
ASAKE
AYRA STARR
BEYONCE
GLORILLA
KENDRICK LAMAR
LATTO
MEGAN THEE STALLION
NICKI MINAJ
TEMS
TYLA
BEST MEDIA PERSONALITY
90’S BABY SHOW
AJ ODUDU
CHUCKIE ONLINE
CRAIG MITCH
HENRIE KWUSHUE
MADAME JOYCE
MICAH RICHARDS
SPECS GONZALEZ
THE RECEIPTS PODCAST
ZEZE MILLZ
BEST CARIBBEAN MUSIC ACT
POPCAAN
SHENSEEA
SKILLIBENG
SPICE
VALIANT
YG MARLEY
BEST JAZZ ACT
AMY GADIAGA
BLUE LAB BEATS
EGO ELLA MAY
EZRA COLLECTIVE
KOKOROKO
YUSSEF DAYES
BEST GOSPEL ACT SUPPORTED BY PREMIER GOSPEL
ANNATORIA
IMRHAN
LIMOBLAZE
REBLAH
STILL SHADEY
VOLNEY MORGAN & NEW YE
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
BASHY – BEING POOR IS EXPENSIVE
CLEO SOL – GOLD
GHETTS – ON PURPOSE, WITH PURPOSE
JORJA SMITH – FALLING OR FLYING
SAMPHA – LAHAI
SKRAPZ – REFLECTION
SONG OF THE YEAR
CENTRAL CEE FEAT. LIL BABY – ‘BAND4BAND’
CHASE & STATUS, STORMZY – ‘BACKBONE’
DARKOO FEAT. DESS DIOR – ‘FAVOURITE GIRL’
JORDAN ADETUNJI – ‘KEHLANI’
LEOSTAYTRILL – ‘PINK LEMONADE’
ODEAL – ‘SOH-SOH’
VIDEO OF THE YEAR IN ASSOCIATION WITH LNER
MEEKZ – ‘MINI ME’S’ (DIRECTED BY KC LOCKE)
MNELIA – ‘MY MAN’ (DIRECTED BY FEMI BELLO)
RAYE – ‘GENESIS’ (DIRECTED BY OTIS DOMINIQUE & RAYE)
SAMPHA – ‘ONLY’ (DIRECTED BY DEXTER NAVY)
SKEPTA – ‘GAS ME UP (DILIGENT)’ (DIRECTED BY STEVEO)
UNKNOWN T FEAT. LOYLE CARNER – ‘HOCUS POCUS’ (DIRECTED BY FELIX BRADY)
BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ACT IN ASSOCIATION WITH MARSHALL
ALT BLK ERA
BOB VYLAN
HAK BAKER
KID BOOKIE
NATIVE JAMES
SPIDER
BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ACT IN ASSOCIATION WITH MARSHALL
ALT BLK ERA
BOB VYLAN
HAK BAKER
KID BOOKIE
NATIVE JAMES
SPIDER
BEST GRIME ACT SUPPORTED BY TRENCH
CHIP
D DOUBLE E
DUPPY
KRUZ LEONE
MANGA SAINT HILARE
SCORCHER
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A TV SHOW/FILM
ANGELA WYNTER AS YOLANDE TRUEMAN IN EASTENDERS
CAROLINE CHIKEZIE AS NOMA IN POWER BOOK II: GHOST
DIANE PARISH AS DENISE FOX IN EASTENDERS
DIONNE BROWN AS QUEENIE IN QUEENIE
GHETTS AS KRAZY IN SUPACELL
JACOB ANDERSON AS LOUIS IN INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE
JASMINE JOBSON AS JAQ IN TOP BOY
JOSH TEDEKU AS TAZER IN SUPACELL
KINGSLEY BEN-ADIR AS BOB MARLEY IN BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE
TOSIN COLE AS MICHAEL IN SUPACELL
BEST AFRICAN MUSIC ACT IN ASSOCIATION WITH LOCO MUSIC
ASAKE (NIGERIA)
AYRA STARR (NIGERIA)
BNXN & RUGER (NIGERIA)
KING PROMISE (GHANA)
ODUMODUBLVCK (NIGERIA)
REMA (NIGERIA)
SHALLIPOPI (NIGERIA)
TEMS (NIGERIA)
TYLA (SOUTH AFRICA)
UNCLE WAFFLES (SOUTH AFRICA)
BEST ELECTRONIC/DANCE ACT SUPPORTED BY MIXMAG
ELIZA ROSE
NIA ARCHIVES
PINKPANTHERESS
SALUTE
SHYGIRL
TSHA
BEST PRODUCER
CEEBEAATS
INFLO
JULS
M1ONTHEBEAT
P2J
SAMMY SOSO