Kanya King, the entrepreneur behind the Mobo Awards, has died aged 57 from colon cancer. The Mobo Organisation confirmed her death on Wednesday.

She died “after a courageous and characteristically determined battle” with the illness.

Tributes describe her as a fearless champion

The Mobo Organisation paid tribute to King and highlighted her impact on music and culture.

“The music world has lost one of its most fearless champions,” the statement said. “What Kanya created was never simply an awards ceremony. It was an act of cultural justice. Mobo did not just celebrate Black music; it legitimised it, amplified it, and demonstrated its commercial and creative power to a world that had too often chosen not to see it.”

From researcher to cultural pioneer

Born in Kilburn, north London, King had a Ghanaian father and an Irish mother. Before launching the awards, she worked as a TV researcher.

She remortgaged her home to fund the first Mobo Awards in 1996. Over time, the event grew into a major platform for Black British music.

Artists such as Goldie, Gabrielle, Stormzy, Dave, and Olivia Dean were among those celebrated. The awards also helped bring grime and UK garage into mainstream recognition.

Industry figures honour her legacy

Tributes came from across the music industry.

Idris Elba said, “You inspired me. Your dedication is unmatched.”

DJ Target reflected: “The Mobo awards soon became OUR awards show, where WE could thrive and be celebrated.”

Heather Small called her “a true groundbreaking hero”.

DJ Semtex described her as a “visionary who constantly fought for black music”.

Beverley Knight said: “I will be forever grateful to Kanya’s vision for the Mobo awards; without it, I would undoubtedly have had a much harder mountain to climb.”

A lifelong fight for representation

In a 2020 interview, King described her work as a “labour of love”.

She said: “I’ve put my life and soul into this fight over the years, while being told that, you know, inequality is fine and there’s no problem.” She added: “I’ve been fighting for a long time to try to break down barriers … it’s been challenging and isolating.”

King was awarded a CBE in 2018 for her contributions to music and culture.