Kanya King
CBE
King at the Asian Awards in 2014
Born (1969-02-12)12 February 1969
Kilburn, London, England
Died 3 June 2026(2026-06-03) (aged 57)
Alma mater Goldsmiths, University of London
Occupation Businesswoman
Known for Founder of the MOBO Awards

Kanya King (12 February 1969 – 3 June 2026) was a British businesswoman who founded the MOBO Awards in 1996.[1]

Early life and education

King was born in Kilburn, London, on 12 February 1969,[2][3] to an Irish mother and a Ghanaian father,[4] the youngest of their nine children.[5][6] Her father, Christian Ocloo, died when she was 13 years old.[5] Aged 16, she gave birth to her son, after which she dropped out of school.[6]

King would later attend the University of London's Goldsmiths' College, obtaining a bachelor of arts degree.[6][7]

Career

King was working as a television researcher when she came up with the idea for awards to recognise music of black origin,[5] such as "gospel, jazz, R&B, soul, reggae and hip-hop".[8] She sold the idea to the head of London Weekend Television (LWT) after a chance meeting at an Arsenal FC event and, in just seven weeks, King organised the first MOBO Awards,[6] remortgaging her house in order to raise the money to do so.[9] The award show took place in 1996 at London's Connaught Rooms, broadcast on Carlton Television, the weekday counterpart of LWT.[7] The show would lead to the establishment over time of the MOBO Fringe Festival, MOBO Unsung, MOBO Musicians Amplified, and House of MOBO.[10]

King appeared alongside four multi-millionaire panel members in the ITV series Fortune - Million Pound Giveaway (2007), where members of the panel decide which "contestants" to award no-strings grants, based on the merits of their pitch.[11] In 2017, King spoke to the Evening Standard about building the MOBO Awards brand from being a single mother at the age of 16.[6] She also spoke to the NME about diversity and inclusion in creative industry,[8] as well as to Music Week about the 22nd MOBO Awards being the strongest yet.[12] In March 2026, King celebrated 30 years of the MOBO awards.[10]

Recognition

King was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1999,[13] and was later promoted to CBE in the 2018 Birthday Honours List.[4][14] King was also awarded an honorary fellowship of Goldsmiths, University of London (2004),[7] an honorary doctorate of Business Administration at London Metropolitan University (2006) [15] as well as an honorary doctorate from Leeds Metropolitan University (2008).[16]

In 2011, King was named one of London's Most Influential People by the London Evening Standard,[17] one of Britain's Most Entrepreneurial Women (Real Business) and was regularly listed in the Powerlist as one of Britain's Most Influential Black People.[18][19] She was recognised by the music industry in 2016, with the "Media Pioneer Award" at the Music Week Women In Music Awards.[20] In February 2013, she was rated as one of the 100 most powerful women in the United Kingdom by Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4,[21] and also featured on the BBC's 100 Women.[22] In October 2015, King was listed by UK-based company Richtopia at number 60 in the list of 100 Most Influential British Entrepreneurs.[23][24]

Personal life and death

In December 2024, King announced that she had been diagnosed with stage IV bowel cancer.[10][25] She died, as a result of her cancer, on 3 June 2026.[4][26] She was 57.[4]

Honours and awards

CBE insignia
  • Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) (2018), for services to music and the creative industry[14][27]
  • Honorary Fellow of Goldsmiths, University of London[7]
  • Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration, London Metropolitan University[28]
  • Presented with the Ambassador Award at the 12th annual NatWest Everywoman Awards[29]
  • Honorary PhD, University of the Arts, recognising her commitment and success within the creative industries[30]
  • Honorary Doctorate of Laws, University of Exeter, for outstanding achievements in the field of entrepreneurship[31]
  • Honoured Patron of Music at the City of Westminster College[31]
  • Lifetime Achievement Award from the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (IOEE)[29]
  • Honorary Doctorate of Music, Leeds Metropolitan University and SOAS University of London.[28]

References

  1. ^ "MOBO awards history". MOBO.com. Archived from the original on 26 September 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
  2. ^ "Kanya King". National Portrait Gallery (Portrait label).
  3. ^ King, Lorraine. "Brent businesswoman and MOBO founder Kanya King scoops music award". Kilburn Times. Archived from the original on 4 December 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  4. ^ a b c d Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (5 June 2026). "Kanya King, founder of Mobo awards for Black British music, dies aged 57". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  5. ^ a b c Spencer, Emma (17 November 2017). "Founder of Mobos talks life and Leeds". Yorkshire Evening Post. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e Lawson, Alex (13 October 2017). "Kanya King, the power broker for urban music riding the rise of grime". Evening Standard. London: Daily Mail and General Trust. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  7. ^ a b c d Nielsen, Tina (1 January 2010). "The secret of Kanya King's success". Director magazine. Archived from the original on 20 June 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  8. ^ a b Levine, Nick (16 November 2017). "MOBO founder Kanya King on diversity and inclusion in the creative industry". NME. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  9. ^ Beaumonth-Thomas, Ben (6 June 2026). "Kanya King, founder of Mobo awards for Black British music, dies aged 57". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 June 2026.
  10. ^ a b c Campbell, Joel (March 2026). "I'm still here. Still building. Deeply grateful". The Voice. p. 32.
  11. ^ "Soho House | Kanya King on redefining British music". www.sohohouse.com. 29 December 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  12. ^ Sutherland, Mark (29 November 2017). "'Our strongest awards yet': Kanya King on this year's MOBOs". www.musicweek.com. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  13. ^ List of Members of the Order of the British Empire, BBC News, 12 June 1999.
  14. ^ a b "The Queen's Birthday Honours List 2018". GOV.UK. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  15. ^ "Honorary Graduates". London Metropolitan University. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  16. ^ "Leeds Beckett students to work at 2017 MOBO awards". Leeds Beckett University. Archived from the original on 5 June 2026. Retrieved 6 June 2026. The MOBO (Music of Black Origin) awards recognises artists who have had an impact and influence in the music community and was founded by Leeds Beckett honorary graduate Kanya King
  17. ^ Adkins, Adele (7 November 2011), "London's 1000 most influential people 2011: Pop & Rock", Evening Standard.
  18. ^ Mills, Kelly-Ann (25 October 2019). "Raheem Sterling joins Meghan and Stormzy in top 100 most influential black Brits". The Daily Mirror. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  19. ^ "Power List 2010: Britain's 100 most influential black people" (Thomson Reuters/JP Morgan Power List), 2 March 2010.
  20. ^ "All the amazing moments from Music Week's Women In Music Awards 2016", Music Week, 14 November 2016,
  21. ^ "BBC Radio 4 – Woman's Hour – The Power List 2013". BBC. Archived from the original on 13 February 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  22. ^ "100 Women: Who took part?". BBC News. 20 October 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  23. ^ Bagot, Martin (29 October 2015). "Teenage apprentice aged 17 ranked with Lord Sugar and Sir Richard Branson as top entrepreneur". Mirror. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  24. ^ Cag, Derin. "British Entrepreneurs Top 100: From Lord Sugar to Victoria Beckham, These Are the Most Influential Entrepreneurs in the UK". Richtopia. Archived from the original on 9 June 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  25. ^ Collins, Riyah (12 December 2024). "Mobo Awards Founder Kanya King Reveals Cancer Diagnosis". BBC News.
  26. ^ "MOBOs founder Kanya King dies aged 57 after colon cancer". MSN. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  27. ^ "Kanya King CBE, Founder of MOBO Awards, Dies at 57". Colourful Radio. 5 June 2026. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  28. ^ a b Homewood, Ben. "LIVE Awards honours Kanya King as MOBO founder reveals cancer diagnosis". Music Week. Retrieved 7 June 2026.
  29. ^ a b "Kanya King". International Women's Day. Retrieved 7 June 2026.
  30. ^ "LCC presents leading creative figures with honorary awards". University of the Arts London. Retrieved 7 June 2026.
  31. ^ a b "Honorary graduates 2014–15: Kanya King MBE (LLD)". University of Exeter. Retrieved 7 June 2026.