Nigerian song stars Ayra Starr, Davido, Wizkid and Tiwa Savage have been nominated for the 2026 MOBO Awards, reinforcing Nigeria’s increasing dominance on the realm Dusky song scene.
The nominations had been unveiled on Thursday, with organisers saying contenders across 20 categories earlier to the awards ceremony scheduled for March 26, 2026, at Co-op Live in Manchester.
This year’s event is ancient, because it marks the first time the MOBO Awards will seemingly be hosted in Manchester and coincides with the organisation’s thirtieth anniversary.
Davido, Wizkid and Tiwa Savage earned nominations within the highly competitive Simplest African Tune Act category, the assign they’ll slug it out with fellow Nigerians Ayra Starr, Rema, Shallipopi and Adekunle Gold.
Additionally nominated within the category are Ghana’s Moliy, Uganda’s Joshua Baraka and South Africa’s Tyla, highlighting the continuing world upward thrust and substandard-border appeal of African song.
Ayra Starr emerged as one amongst the standout African acts on the shortlist, securing nominations in both the Simplest African Tune Act and Simplest International Act categories.
Within the Simplest International Act category, the ‘Trail’ singer will compete in opposition to world heavyweights at the side of Cardi B, Kehlani, Gunna and Vybz Kartel. Tyla and Moliy also bought nominations in both categories.
Ayra Starr has enjoyed famous success on the awards in contemporary years. At the 2025 edition, she made history by turning into the first lady in 16 years to safe the Simplest African Tune Act award, while also clinching the Simplest International Tune Act title.
The MOBO Awards, thought of as Europe’s biggest occasion of Dusky song and tradition, recognise smartly-known expertise and releases from September 1, 2024, to October 1, 2025.
Talking on the nominations, MOBO founder and Chief Govt Officer, Kanya King CBE, said the 2026 shortlist shows the strength, fluctuate and cultural have an effect on of Dusky song globally.
“As MOBO enters its thirtieth year, this year’s nominees are a doughty reflection of the tradition and moment we live in. Their voices matter, now not handiest in how they soundtrack our lives, but in how they form the future,” King said.
She added that the nominations checklist “one amongst the strongest and most various showcases of Dusky British song excellence in years,” while also underscoring the increasing world attain of the awards.
Top Nominees And Wider Recognition
Naija Records studies that main the 2026 nominations are Puny Simz, Olivia Dean, Kwn and Jim Legxacy, every of whom secured four nominations. Central Cee, Skepta, PinkPantheress and FLO followed carefully with three nominations apiece across essential categories.
Previous song, the awards will also honour achievements in movie, tv and media. Nominees for Simplest Performance in a TV Describe/Film contain Cynthia Erivo for Stupid, Ashley Walters and Stephen Graham for Netflix’s Formative years, and Nigerian-British actress Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners.
The awards ceremony will seemingly be preceded by the MOBO Fringe Competition, per week-prolonged cultural programme organised in partnership with Manchester City Council.
The festival will diagram are dwelling performances, trade panels and ingenious workshops. The hosts, performers and special honourees are expected to be announced within the impending weeks.
Stout Listing Of 2026 MOBO Awards Nominees
BEST MALE ACT
CENTRAL CEE
ELMIENE
JIM LEGXACY
NEMZZZ
ODEAL
SKEPTA
BEST FEMALE ACT
FLO
KWN
LITTLE SIMZ
OLIVIA DEAN
PINKPANTHERESS
SASHA KEABLE
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
CENTRAL CEE – CAN’T RUSH GREATNESS
EZRA COLLECTIVE – DANCE, NO ONE’S WATCHING
FLO – ACCESS ALL AREAS
KOJEY RADICAL – DON’T LOOK DOWN
LITTLE SIMZ – LOTUS
OLIVIA DEAN – THE ART OF LOVING
SONG OF THE YEAR
AJ TRACEY FEAT. JORJA SMITH – ‘CRUSH’
DONAE’O FEAT. OMAR, LEMAR & HOUSE GOSPEL CHOIR – ‘NIGHTS LIKE THIS’
FRED AGAIN, SKEPTA & PLAQUEBOYMAX – ‘VICTORY LAP’
JIM LEGXACY & DAVE – ‘3X’
KWN – ‘DO WHAT I SAY’
MYLES SMITH – ‘NICE TO MEET YOU’
OLIVIA DEAN – ‘MAN I NEED’
PINKPANTHERESS – ‘ILLEGAL’
RAYE – ‘WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!’
TIM DUZIT – ‘KAT SLATER’
BEST NEWCOMER
DC3
ESDEEKID
FINESSEKID
JIM LEGXACY
KWN
NAMESBLISS
NIA SMITH
SEKOU
SKYE NEWMAN
YT
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
POZER – ‘SHANGHIGH NOON’ (DIRECTED BY BAS HASELAGER)
FKA TWIGS – ‘EUSEXUA’ (DIRECTED BY JORDAN HEMINGWAY)
JIM LEGXACY – ‘FATHER’ (DIRECTED BY LAUZZA)
LITTLE SIMZ – ‘FLOOD’ FEAT. OBONGJAYAR & MOONCHILD SANELLY (DIRECTED BY SALOMON LIGTHELM)
RAYE – ‘WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!’ (DIRECTED BY THE REIDS)
SKEPTA & FRED AGAIN – ‘BACK 2 BACK’ (DIRECTED BY DOMAMANIC and SKEPTA)
BEST R&B/SOUL ACT
ELMIENE
FLO
KWN
ODEAL
OLIVIA DEAN
SASHA KEABLE
BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ACT
ALT BLK ERA
BLOOD ORANGE
HAK BAKER
MICHAEL KIWANUKA
NOVA TWINS
RACHEL CHINOURIRI
BEST GRIME ACT
CHIP
JAYAHADADREAM
KASST 8
RUFF SQWAD
SCORCHER
WILEY
BEST HIP HOP ACT
AITCH
ASCO
CATCH
CENTRAL CEE
D-BLOCK EUROPE
KOJEY RADICAL
LITTLE SIMZ
LOYLE CARNER
WRETCH 32
YOUNGS TEFLON
BEST DRILL ACT
36
BOOTER BEE
CHY CARTIER
ESDEEKID
Okay-TRAP
LEOSTAYTRILL
NEMZZZ
POZER
TWIN S
WOHDEE
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT
AYRA STARR
CARDI B
CLIPSE
GUNNA
KEHLANI
LEON THOMAS
MARIAH THE SCIENTIST
MOLIY
TYLA
VYBZ KARTEL
BEST MEDIA PERSONALITY
BEMI OROJUOGUN (BUS AUNTY)
DJ AG
IN MY OPINION
MELISSA HOLDBROOK-AKPOSOE (MELISSA’S WARDROBE)
NADIA JAE
NIKO OMILANA
PK HUMBLE
REMI BURGZ
UCHE NATORI
WINNERS TALKING
BEST PERFORMANCE IN A TV SHOW/FILM
AARON PIERRE – MUFASA: THE LION KING
ASHLEY THOMAS – HOSTAGE
ASHLEY WALTERS – ADOLESCENCE
CYNTHIA ERIVO – WICKED
DAMSON IDRIS – F1
DAYO KOLEOSHO – EASTENDERS
LENNIE JAMES – MR LOVERMAN
MARIANNE JEAN-BAPTISTE – HARD TRUTHS
STEPHEN GRAHAM – ADOLESCENCE
WUNMI MOSAKU – SINNERS
BEST AFRICAN MUSIC ACT
ADEKUNLE GOLD (NIGERIA)
AYRA STARR (NIGERIA)
DAVIDO (NIGERIA)
JOSHUA BARAKA (UGANDA)
MOLIY (GHANA)
REMA (NIGERIA)
SHALLIPOPI (NIGERIA)
TIWA SAVAGE (NIGERIA)
TYLA (SOUTH AFRICA)
WIZKID (NIGERIA)
BEST CARIBBEAN MUSIC ACT
AYETIAN
LILA IKÉ
MASICKA
SHENSEEA
VYBZ KARTEL
YUNG BREDDA
BEST JAZZ ACT
CKTRL
EGO ELLA MAY
EZRA COLLECTIVE
KOKOROKO
NUBYA GARCIA
YAZMIN LACEY
BEST ELECTRONIC/DANCE ACT
FKA TWIGS
JAZZY
KILIMANJARO
PINKPANTHERESS
SALUTE
SHERELLE
BEST GOSPEL ACT
ANNATORIA
DC3
FAITH CHILD
IMRHAN
SONDAE
STILL SHADEY
BEST PRODUCER
INFLO
JAE5
MILES CLINTON JAMES
P2J
SAMMY SOSO
ZACH NAHOME
