The MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin Awards) announced its 2025 nominees yesterday, including Jorja Smith, Central Cee, and Cleo Sol. The awards celebrate excellence in Black music and culture across various genres like R&B, Hip-Hop, Grime, Gospel, Jazz, and African music. The 2025 ceremony will be held on February 18, 2025, at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle.
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The key nominees and categories for 2025 are:
Best Male Act: Central Cee, Ghetts, Bashy, Sampha
Best Female Act: Jorja Smith, Little Simz, Raye, Cleo Sol, Nia Archives
Best R&B/Soul Act: Jorja Smith, Cleo Sol
Album of the Year: Jorja Smith’s ‘Falling or Flying’, Ghetts’ ‘On Purpose, With Purpose’, Cleo Sol’s ‘Gold’
Song of the Year:
Central Cee Feat. Lil Baby – ‘Band4band’
Chase & Status, Stormzy – ‘Backbone’
Darkoo Feat. Dess Dior – ‘Favourite Girl’
Best International Act: Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Tems.
Jorja Smith, Cleo Sol, and Central Cee are all triple nominees in the 2025 MOBO awards.
Jorja Smith is a British singer-songwriter known for her soulful voice and blend of R&B, jazz, and pop. Her album ‘Falling or Flying‘ was released in September 2023 and showcases a more introspective, experimental sound compared to her earlier work. The record explores themes of love, self-reflection, and empowerment, often paired with eclectic production that mixes jazz, UK garage, and electronic influences. Standout tracks include ‘Try Me’ and ‘Little Things’ emphasizing her artistic growth and emotional depth. Critics praised the album for its innovation and lyrical honesty.
Cleo Sol is a British singer-songwriter known for her soothing voice and deeply introspective lyrics. She is a member of the music collective Sault, but her solo work stands out for its blend of soul, R&B, and neo-jazz influences. Her music often explores themes of love, family, self-discovery, and spirituality. Her albums, such as ‘Rose in the Dark‘ (2020) and ‘Gold‘ (2023), have received critical acclaim for their emotional depth and minimalist production. Cleo’s work has solidified her as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary soul music.
Central Cee is a British rapper and songwriter, recognized for his dynamic style blending UK drill with melodic elements. Emerging from West London, he gained mainstream attention with tracks like ‘Loading’ and ‘Day in the Life’, which solidified his position as one of the leading voices in UK rap. Last year’s MOBO awards were hosted in Sheffield where Central Cee won Best Male Act and Song of the Year for ‘Sprinter’. RAYE then also won Best Female Act.
You can vote on MOBO’s website for your favourites and get tickets to the event here.
