Entertainment
Mobo Awards Founder Kanya King Dies At 57 After Cancer Battle
British businesswoman and founder of the MOBO Awards, Kanya King, has died at the age of 57 after a battle with colon cancer.
She reportedly passed away on June 3, 2026.
The MOBO Organisation confirmed her death in an official statement shared on Instagram on Friday.
The organisation wrote:
“It is with immeasurable sorrow that MOBO Organisation announces the passing of its Founder and CEO, Kanya King CBE, on 3 June 2026 after a courageous battle with colon cancer.”
The MOBO Awards, which stands for Music of Black Origin, is an annual British music awards platform established in 1996 by Kanya King to celebrate achievements in music genres such as R&B, hip-hop, reggae, and other Black-origin sounds.
Kanya King was born on February 12, 1969, in Kilburn, north London. She was born to an Irish mother and a Ghanaian father.
Over the years, she became widely recognised for promoting diversity in the global music industry and helping to create opportunities for Black artists in the United Kingdom and beyond.