Little Simz, Olivia Dean, kwn and Jim Legxacy sit at the top of this year’s MOBO Awards shortlist, each picking up four nominations as the 2026 ceremony approaches.
The awards will be staged on March 26 at Manchester’s Co op Live, marking the first time the event has been hosted in the city and forming part of the MOBO Organisation’s 30th anniversary celebrations.
Little Simz is up for Album of the Year for Lotus, alongside nods for Best Female Act, Best Hip Hop Act and Video of the Year for Flood.
Olivia Dean equals that tally with nominations for Album of the Year for The Art of Loving, Best Female Act, Best R n B Soul Act and Song of the Year for Man I Need.
Emerging R n B talent kwn features prominently, earning recognition in Best Newcomer, Best Female Act, Best R n B Soul Act and Song of the Year for Do What I Say.
Jim Legxacy rounds out the leading group, with nominations for Best Male Act, Best Newcomer, Song of the Year for 3X with Dave and Video of the Year for Father.
Close behind, Central Cee, FLO, PinkPantheress and Skepta each collect three nominations apiece.
Central Cee is acknowledged in Album of the Year for Can’t Rush Greatness, as well as Best Male Act and Best Hip Hop Act.
FLO’s debut album Access All Areas secures a spot in Album of the Year, alongside nominations for Best Female Act and Best R n B Soul Act.
PinkPantheress appears across Best Female Act, Best Electronic Dance Act and Song of the Year for Illegal.
Skepta receives recognition in Best Male Act, Video of the Year for Back 2 Back and Song of the Year for Victory Lap.
The Best Newcomer category shines a light on 10 rising names, including EsDeeKid, Finessekid, YT, Skye Newman, DC3, Nia Smith, Namebliss and Sekou.
Beyond music, the MOBO Awards continue to spotlight film and television. Netflix’s Adolescence earns two nominations in Best Performance in a TV Show Film, with Ashley Walters and Stephen Graham both shortlisted. Cynthia Erivo for Wicked and Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners are also nominated.
The Best Media Personality field features DJ AG, TikTok creator Bemi Orojuogun known as Bus Aunty, stylist Melissa Holdbrook Akposoe and the teams behind In My Opinion and Winners Talking.
International categories underline the global impact of Black music, with Ayra Starr, Tyla and Moliy all nominated for both Best African Music Act and Best International Act. Vybz Kartel also appears in Best Caribbean Music Act and Best International Act.
Voting is now open in selected categories via voting.mobo.com.
The 2026 MOBO Awards nominations:
BEST MALE ACT IN ASSOCIATION WITH PROSTATE CANCER UK
CENTRAL CEE
ELMIENE
JIM LEGXACY
NEMZZZ
ODEAL
SKEPTA
BEST FEMALE ACT IN ASSOCIATION WITH got2b
FLO
KWN
LITTLE SIMZ
OLIVIA DEAN
PINKPANTHERESS
SASHA KEABLE
ALBUM OF THE YEAR IN ASSOCIATION WITH AMAZON MUSIC
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 IN ASSOCIATION WITH VEVO
POZER – SHANGHIGH NOON (DIR. BAS HASELAGER)
FKA TWIGS – EUSEXUA (DIR. JORDAN HEMINGWAY)
JIM LEGXACY – FATHER (DIR. LAUZZA)
LITTLE SIMZ – FLOOD FEAT. OBONGJAYAR + MOONCHILD SANELLY (DIR. SALOMON LIGTHELM)
RAYE – WHERE IS MY HUSBAND! (DIR. THE REIDS)
SKEPTA + FRED AGAIN – BACK 2 BACK (DIR. DOMAMANIC + SKEPTA)
BEST R'N'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 SUPPORTED BY TRENCH
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
K-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 SUPPORTED BY BEMA + MIXMAG
FKA TWIGS
JAZZY
KILIMANJARO
PINKPANTHERESS
SALUTE
SHERELLE
BEST GOSPEL ACT SUPPORTED BY PREMIER GOSPEL
ANNATORIA
DC3
FAITH CHILD
IMRHAN
SONDAE
STILL SHADEY
BEST PRODUCER
INFLO
JAE5
MILES CLINTON JAMES
P2J
SAMMY SOSO
ZACH NAHOME
NEWS
Sharon Osbourne has revealed she is holding early discussions about bringing Ozzfest back in 2027 as a tribute to her late husband Ozzy Osbourne.
The iconic metal festival was last staged as a full standalone event in 2018, followed by a one off New Year’s Eve show in 2019. Sharon now feels interest in a proper return is stronger than ever and says initial talks are already underway with Live Nation. Her vision is for a comeback that is larger in scale, more inclusive in sound and truly international in reach.
Speaking to Billboard, she said: “It was something Ozzy was very passionate about: giving young talent a stage in front of a lot of people. We really started metal festivals in this country. It was [replicated but] never done with the spirit of what ours was, because ours was a place for new talent. It was like summer camp for kids.”
Sharon has also made it clear she wants the festival to grow with its audience, suggesting the next version of Ozzfest could reflect modern listening habits by opening the door to a wider range of sounds beyond traditional metal.
She later added: “I’d like to mix up the genres.”
Should the plans come together, Ozzfest would once again travel internationally, recalling its late nineties and early two thousands peak when it became both a launching pad for emerging bands and a major platform for established heavy acts.
In an earlier episode of The Osbournes Podcast, Ozzy, who died in July 2025 aged 76, asked whether the festival could ever return. Sharon responded without hesitation: "Yeah, sure. Of course."
Their daughter Kelly then raised the issue of rising booking fees, suggesting that managers need to be more realistic when negotiating festival appearances.
Sharon responded: "Why is it when it comes to us that everybody thinks that we are trillionaires, and so that every manager who wants their band on our festival wants one of the trillions they think we’ve got to put on the festival?”
Ozzfest was originally founded by Ozzy and Sharon in 1996, at a time when she was also managing the Black Sabbath frontman, and began life as a two day event.
A year later, the festival expanded into a touring format, although by the time it returned in 2018 it had been scaled back to a single night at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
That final edition featured Ozzy at the top of the bill alongside artists such as Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson and Korn’s Jonathan Davis.
