Sampha, Jorja Smith, Central Cee, Bashy, Ghetts and Cleo Sol lead nominations for 2025 MOBO Awards

Jorja Smith and Cleo Sol will be going head-to-head in the categories for Best Female Act, Album of The Year and Best R&B/Soul Act. Meanwhile, Sampha, who topped the UK R&B charts with his second album, Lahai, and is nominated for Best Male Act and Album of The Year, and his music video "Only" directed by Dexter Navy, has been shortlisted for Video of the Year in Association with LNER.

Also nominated for three awards each are Central Cee, Ghetts, and Bashy. Central Cee's single, "BAND4BAND" featuring Lil Baby, receives a Song of the Year nomination, and having won Best Male Act for the last two years, he is nominated once again, as well as being up for Best Drill Act.

“Each and every time we unveil the MOBO Awards nominations, I am taken aback by the sheer amount of incredible talent we have in the UK. It inspires us all to continue pushing the industry to be more inclusive of a greater variety of Black music and culture," MOBO Founder Kanya King CBE said.

"The music coming out of the UK this past year has been some of the best we have had in years. These distinct, uncompromising voices – across different genres from R&B and Soul to Grime, Hip-Hop to Jazz and Alternative – are not just soundtracks for our days. They provide healing and reflection, and also escapism in times of need.