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At the recent Mobo Awards held in Manchester for the first time, Olivia Dean solidified her reputation as one of the UK’s most prominent and exciting artists by winning three major awards. Her soulful second album, *The Art of Loving*, was awarded album of the year, triumphing over strong contenders like Little Simz’s *Lotus* and Central Cee’s *Can’t Rush Greatness*. When accepting this accolade, Dean paid tribute to author Bell Hooks and the black feminists who inspire her to foster love in her life and work.
In addition to her album win, the 27-year-old Londoner earned the best female act recognition and saw her hit single “Man I Need” named song of the year. Expressing immense pride, Dean stated she feels “so proud to be a black British female artist” while receiving the female act award. This achievement follows a highly successful year for her, having previously secured four Brit Awards and a Grammy. During the ceremony, which celebrated its 30th anniversary as a platform for black talent in entertainment, Dean gave a stirring performance of her soul-pop track “A Couple Minutes.”
The evening also honored hip-hop icon Slick Rick with a lifetime achievement award. Performing alongside singer Estelle, the New York-born rapper reflected on his career, saying, “There were moments people didn’t understand… every step, story and silence in-between brought me to this moment.” Pharrell Williams, renowned for collaborations with artists such as Jay Z and Kendrick Lamar, received the global songwriter award. Nile Rodgers described it as the “greatest honour” to present this award to Williams, who in turn praised Mobos founder Kanya King for her relentless dedication despite her health challenges. Williams remarked, “When you love what you get to do, you’re never working, you’re just having the time of your life.”
Other notable winners included Raye, whose video for “Where Is My Husband!” won video of the year, coinciding with the release of her new album *The Music May Contain Hope*. Central Cee continued his record-setting run by taking home best hip hop act. Nigerian star Ayra Starr retained her best international act title, while Wizkid claimed best African music act. The R&B group Flo celebrated their win for best R&B/soul act, declaring “R&B is back,” and Nova Twins acknowledged the Mobos for recognizing the black roots of rock music as they accepted the best alternative act award. Beyond music, actor Stephen Graham was honored for his performance in *Adolescence*, and YouTuber Niko Omilana took home the award for best media personality, highlighting the ceremony’s broad celebration of talent across entertainment sectors
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