Idris Elba, Stormzy and Alesha Dixon are among the stars who have paid tribute to the “incredible” Kanya King, the founder of the Mobo Awards, following her death aged 57.
King played a major role in bringing black music and culture to the mainstream in the UK, and was a single mother from a Kilburn council estate when she established the awards ceremony in 1996.
It celebrates music of black origin and black British musicians, and has since grown into a national institution and celebrated artists including Amy Winehouse, Stormzy, Olivia Dean, Raye and So Solid Crew.
King died peacefully on June 3 “surrounded by her family, close friends and love”, following “a courageous and characteristically determined battle with colon cancer”, the Mobo Organisation said.
Tributes have since poured in from celebrities including award-winning actor Elba, who shared a post to Instagram saying that King was gone “too soon”.
The star, known for The Wire and Luther, also wrote: “You inspired me. Your dedication is unmatched. I will miss you @KanyaKingCBE, we will all miss you.”
Mis-Teeq singer Dixon shared a post to her Instagram story and she was “so saddened to hear the news”, hailing King as an “incredible woman” and added: “You helped so many people, your impact is immeasurable!”
Chart-topping rapper Stormzy shared the news with a heart and dove emoji, while singer and TV personality Tallia Storm remembered King as “the most selfless, incredible woman”.
JLS star Oritse Williams posted a snap of himself and King to his Instagram, and praised her for creating “a powerful platform that championed cultures, communities and talent that were often unseen and underrepresented”.
The singer went on to say King was “always encouraging, always supporting and always looking for ways to lift others up”, adding: “You are an icon, a true visionary, I trust and believe that your impact will be felt for generations to come.”
The Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan paid tribute to King in a post on X, calling her a “true pioneer” who “changed the face of culture and music”, while Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy wrote that she “changed British music for the better through the Mobo Awards”.
In a statement issued to the Press Association, singer and actress Beverley Knight praised King for her “determination and resilience” in a time when “the music made in large part by black urban artists like myself was ignored”.
She said: “Kanya King re-mortgaged her house and used the proceeds to fund an award ceremony that I can say personally helped to expose my music to a mainstream audience.
“It was, for years, vilified in some corners of the media. Stories about violence, mocking the attire of attendees and other derogatory stories were a constant, but Kanya persisted and stayed true to her vision.
“Thirty years later, the Mobo Awards are now globally recognised as a celebration of the Music of Black Origin and has become a beacon for other countries to look towards what is coming out of the British urban music landscape.”
Knight added that she will be “forever grateful to Kanya’s vision” and that her “legacy is in enshrined in British music history forever”.
A statement from King’s family described her as “our mother, our sister, our heart” and said they are “devastated” by her death.
It added: “We are broken. We are grateful. We are so profoundly, endlessly proud to have been her family.
“Kanya King CBE. Gone too soon. Never, ever forgotten.”
King was made a CBE in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2018 and received an Ivors Academy Honour in 2025.
The Mobos, which went on hiatus in 2018 and 2019, saw the benefit of taking place in different cities around the UK.
Venues included Newcastle, Liverpool, Leeds, Coventry, Glasgow and Sheffield.
