Olivia Dean leads the way with three wins at 2026 Mobo awards

British golden girl Olivia Dean was the biggest winner at the 2026 MOBO Awards, scooping best female act, album of the year and song of the year for the No 1 hit Man I Need.Other big winners at the ceremony honouring the best of black music included Raye, whose song Where Is My Husband! won video of the year; Central Cee, who was awarded best hip-hop act; and Ezra Collective in the jazz category.Dean – who has had a spectacular year, having won best new act at the Grammys and four out of the five awards she was nominated for at the Brit awards earlier this month – also performed at the 30th anniversary of the ceremony, staged at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester.Other performers on the night included Flo, Slick Rick and Estelle, Tiwa Savage, Aitch and Myles Smith.Slick Rick, the influential British-American rapper and record producer whose career has so far spanned more than four decades, was given the Mobo lifetime achievement award. His 2025 album, Victory, received a mixed critical reception but was welcomed by fans, given that it was his first in 26 years.Another special honour went to the American producer Pharrell Williams, who was awarded the global songwriter award. The most well-known fruits of his songwriting labour include the 2013 hit Happy and the equally upbeat Get Lucky with Daft Punk from the same year, both of which have not left radio playlists since.Best male act was awarded to Jim Legxacy, a 25-year-old rapper from Lewisham in south-east London who mixes grime and R&B and is inspired by artists such as MF Doom and Frank Ocean. In his mixtape, Black British Music, released last year, he collaborated with artists including Dave and Fimiguerrero.Stephen Graham won best performance in a TV show/film for Adolescence, a drama with episodes shot in one take about a family’s struggle to cope when their son is accused of murdering a female classmate.Media personality of the year went to Niko Omilana, who has had a big year, going from YouTube prankster to uncovering racists at a Tommy Robinson march and appearing on BBC One’s Celebrity Traitors.Accepting the award for best album, Dean said: “This album was really just born out of me wanting to write something about love and really what it means to me and us loving each other. And I want to just dedicate this actually to [the black feminist author] bell hooks and all the black feminists that inspire me to love better and love the people in my life.”Full list of winners: Best male act – Jim Legxacy Best female act – Olivia Dean Album of the year – Olivia Dean, The Art of Loving Song of the year – Olivia Dean, Man I Need Best newcomer – DC3 Video of the year – Raye , Where Is My Husband! (directed by The Reids) Best R&B/soul act – Flo Best alternative music act – Nova Twins Best grime act – Chip Best hip-hop act – Central Cee Best drill act – Twin S Best international act – Ayra Starr Best media personality – Niko Omilana Best performance in a TV show/film – Stephen Graham, Adolescence Best African music act – Wizkid Best Caribbean music act – Vybz Kartel Best jazz act – Ezra Collective Best electronic/dance act – Sherelle Best gospel act – DC3 Best producer – P2J Mobo global songwriter award – Pharrell Williams Mobo lifetime achievement award – Slick Rick